Chapter 16

"What countryman, I pray?"
"Of Mantua."
"Of Mantua, Sir?--marry, God forbid
And come to Papua, careless of your life?"

_Taming of the Shrew_.

During the momentous five minutes occupied in these private movements,
Raoul affected to be gaping about in vulgar astonishment, examining the
guns, rigging, ornaments of the quarter-deck, etc.; though, in truth,
nothing that passed among those near him escaped his vigilant attention.
He was uneasy at the signs of the times, and now regretted his own
temerity; but still he thought his incognito must be impenetrable. Like
most persons who fancy they speak a foreign language well, he was
ignorant, too, in how many little things he betrayed himself; the
Englishman, _cateris paribus,_ usually pronouncing the Italian better
than the Frenchman, on account of the greater affinity between his
native language and that of Italy, in what relates to emphasis and
sounds. Such was the state of mind of our hero then, as he got an
intimation that the captain of the ship wished to see him below. Raoul
observed as he descended the ladder, to comply with what sounded very
much like an order, that he was followed by the two Elban functionaries.

The cabin-lamp was trimmed, and the privateersman found himself under a
strong light as soon as he had crossed the threshold of the apartment.
Cuffe and Griffin were standing near the table, where the
vice-governatore and the podestà took their stations also; giving the
whole arrangement a most uncomfortable air of investigation and justice.
For an instant Raoul wished that it was a portion of the Holy
Inquisition, rather than the tribunal before which he now found himself
so unexpectedly arraigned.

"You must be cool," said Griffin, as the other moved slowly up to the
table, maintaining the outward signs of steadiness, but cursing in his
heart the severe ordeal which he felt he was undergoing; "do me the
favor to put this silk handkerchief about your neck."

"S'nore, your eccellenza is pleased to joke; we men of Capri think
little of the nights at this season of the year--still, as it seems to
be your wish, I will honor myself so much."

In that age a black silk kerchief was the certain mark of a military
man. The old-fashioned stock had gone out with all but old-fashioned
people, and the new-fashioned substitute did not make its appearance
until many years later; the present usage, indeed, having come in from
an imitation of the military mania which pervaded Christendom at the
close of the last general war. Black around the neck, properly relieved
by the white of the linen, was then deemed particularly military; and
even in the ordinary dress,