The Wing and Wing by J. Fenimore Cooper

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"It is better to leave these things to the church, neighbor Vito," was
the vice-governatore's answer; "nor do I see that there has been any
miracle in the affair to start with."

"How!--Do you not call it a miracle, Signor Andrea, that two such men as
you and I should be deceived, as we were beyond all doubt, by this knave
of a French corsair? I look upon it as so great a miracle myself, that
it ought to follow instead of going before its companion."

To this Andrea made an answer suitable to his greater information, and
the discourse took its usual direction toward the means of doing
something to relieve the two functionaries from the stigma that they
mutually felt now rested on their sagacity, and that, too, as this
sagacity might be considered conjointly or individually.

It was probably owing to this fever of the mind that the
vice-governatore, a man usually so simple and confiding, was now so
suspicious and keen-sighted. The presence of Carlo Giuntotardi and Ghita
had at first struck him as a little out of the common way; and though
he could not distinguish their faces by the light of the moon and at the
distance at which they were placed in the yawl, he fancied from the
first that his old acquaintances were in the boat the ship was towing.
Now Andrea Barrofaldi certainly had never before that day connected
Ghita or her uncle in any manner with Raoul Yvard; but it was beyond
dispute that the mysterious manner in which they disappeared from the
island had excited some remarks; and in his present state of mind it was
not an extraordinary circumstance that he had some distant and vague
glimmerings of the truth. But for Raoul's indiscreet exclamations,
however, nothing probably would have come of these indistinct fancies;
and we are to refer all that followed to those unguarded outbreakings of
the Frenchman's humor, rather than to any very clear process of
ratiocination on the part of the vice-governatore.

Just as Cuffe made the declaration last recorded, Andrea stepped up to
the spot where he and Griffin were conversing apart and whispered a few
words in the ear of the latter.

"The d--l!" exclaimed the lieutenant, in English. "If what the
vice-governatore tells me be true, Captain Cuffe, the work is half done
to our hands!"

"Aye, the veechy is a good fellow at the bottom, Griffin; though he'll
never burn the bay of Naples. What has he to say now?"

Griffin led his captain a little aside and conferred a moment with him
alone. Orders were then passed to the officer of the watch, when Cuffe
and his companions went below like men in a hurry.

Chapter XVI.

"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 podesta 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, such a peculiarity was as certain a sign as
the cockade that the wearer bore arms. Raoul knew this, and he felt he
was aiding in unmasking himself by complying; but he thought there might
be greater danger should he refuse to assume the kerchief.

"Your eccellenza is making a prince of a very humble boatman," he said,
when his neck was fairly enveloped; "and my wife will think some great
general is coming, when I enter the door."

"To help the delusion, friend, wear this also," continued Griffin,
throwing the other one of his own undress uniform coats, his stature and
that of Raoul being very nearly the same.

The true state of the case was now getting to be somewhat unequivocal;
nevertheless, as steadiness and compliance were his only hopes, Raoul
did as desired and stood with all his upper man decorated in an English
naval undress uniform, while the nether remained a la lazzarone.

"What say you now, vice-governatore," resumed Griffin, "here are lights
and the dress!"

"I say that this gentleman has done me the honor of several visits in
my poor residence at Porto Ferrajo," returned Andrea; "and that never
has he been more welcome than he is at this moment. Signor Smees, you
are a great lover of masquerades and make a carnival of the whole year.
I trust your distinguished countryman, Sir Cicero, will have it in his
power to convince these brave Inglese that all is done in pure
pleasantry and without a crime."

"Messieurs," said Raoul, stripping himself of his borrowed plumes, "it
is too late to feign any longer. _If_ I am Raoul Yvard, as you say, I am
certainly _not_ le Feu-Follet."

"Of course you are aware, Monsieur," observed Griffin, in French, "that
you are a prisoner to His Britannic Majesty?"

"Sa Majeste Britannique has not made a conquest equal to his success at
the Nile," returned Raoul, ironically; "but he has me in his hands. It
is not the first time that I have had the honor to be a prisoner of war,
and that, too, in one of his own ships."

"You are not to suppose that such will be your situation now, Monsieur
Yvard. We arrest you in a totally different character."

"Not as a friend, I trust, Monsieur; for, I protest, I have not the
smallest claim to the character; as witness a short interview off Porto
Ferrajo and an interesting incident at the mouth of the Golo."

"Your taunts maybe spared, sir; fortune favored you then, we allow; but
now we arrest you as a spy."

"Espion!" repeated Raoul, starting; "that is an office I never
contemplated, Monsieur, on coming on board your ship. You will do me the
justice to acknowledge that it was only at your own invitation that I
came on deck. 'Twould be an infamy to pretend differently."

"We will endure the infamy of our acts, Monsieur Yvard. No one accuses
you of having come on board the Proserpine as a spy; but, when an enemy
is found rowing about our fleet, which is anchored in a hostile bay,
and this in a disguise like yours, it most be a very scrupulous
conscience that hesitates to pronounce him a spy and liable to the
punishment of one."

This was so true that the unfortunate young man now felt the exceeding
delicacy of his situation. In coming into the bay he had certainly been
led by no other intention than to find Ghita; and yet he could not but
confess to himself that he should not have hesitated about profiting, in
his public character, by any information incidentally obtained. He had
subjected himself to the severest penalties of military law by yielding
to his passion for Ghita; and he could not discover a single available
excuse to plead in mitigation.

"What does the poor devil say, Griffin?" asked Cuffe, who felt regret
that so brave an enemy should be reduced to so desperate a strait,
notwithstanding his determined hostility to all Frenchmen; "do not bear
too hard upon him, at the first go off. Has he any excuse for his
disguise?"

"The usual apology, no doubt, sir--a desire to serve his one and
undivided republic! If we should believe all such chaps tell us, Captain
Cuffe, we might go home and send deputies to the National Convention;
if, indeed, they would do us the favor to admit them to seats."

"Gentlemen," said Raoul, in English, "there is no longer any occasion
for an interpreter between us; I speak your language sufficiently well
to make myself understood."

"I am sorry for your situation, Mr. Yvard," said Cuffe, "and wish with
all my heart you had fallen into our hands in open battle instead of in
this irregular way."

"In which case, Monsieur le Capitaine, le Feu-Follet would have been in
your power also!" returned Raoul, smiling ironically; "but, messieurs,
words are idle now; I am your prisoner and must take my chance with you.
There is no necessity, however, for causing others to suffer for my
indiscretion. I shall esteem it a favor, messieurs, if you will let the
good people in the boat alongside pull ashore, without molestation. It
is getting late, and we must now be nearly or quite abeam of the place
where they wish to land, which is the marina grande of Sorrento."

"Do you wish us to understand that your companions are not French,
Monsieur Yvard?"

"Oui, Monsieur le Captaine; there is not a Frenchman among them, I give
you _my parole d'honneur_"

"Of that fact it may be well to satisfy ourselves by an examination,
Captain Cuffe," put in Griffin, dryly.

"I have sent up to beg Mr. Winchester would get these people on board--"

"There is a young woman in the boat who is unaccustomed to entering
ships," interrupted Raoul, hastily, "and I implore your tenderness in
her behalf. Let the men come on board, if you think it necessary; but
the signorina can never climb this frigate's sides!"

"We will see to that, more especially, Monsieur Yvard, as you appear to
be so much interested in the lady's comfort. At present it will be my
duty to put you under a sentry's charge; and that it may be done in a
way the least offensive to yourself, your prison, for the night at
least, shall be this cabin. Mr. Griffin, give orders to the marine
officer accordingly."

In a few minutes a soldier was introduced into the forward cabin, and
Raoul was regularly placed under his charge. Not till then did the
officers return to the quarter-deck. All this time Ithuel and his
companions in the yawl were left to their own reflections, which were
anything but agreeable. Matters had been conducted so quietly inboard,
however, that they possessed no clew to what had actually occurred;
though Ghita, in particular, was full of forebodings and apprehensions.
The frigate towed them along at a rate which, as Raoul said, had brought
them quite abreast of their landing and within a league of it; and yet
she showed no signs of an intention to abate her speed, nor did any one
appear at the gangway to speak to them. At length a hoarse call was
heard on deck, and the ship began to shorten sail. Her fore-course was
hauled up, and the spanker was brailed; then the royals were clewed up
and furled; the topgallant-sails followed; and presently the Proserpine
was reduced to her three topsails and jib. All this, finished just as
Cuffe reappeared on deck, was done by the watch and in about five
minutes. As soon as sail was thus taken in the helm was put to port, the
ship came up to the wind on the starboard tack, and the main-topsail was
laid to the mast, bringing the yawl under her lee and close alongside of
the ship. This manoeuvre was no sooner executed than a seaman ran
lightly down the vessel's side and entered the yawl. After examining
forward and aft he called out, "All right, sir," and shoved the boat off
to a little distance from the frigate. The yard and stay-tackles fell,
at the next instant were overhauled down and hooked by the man in the
boat. The boatswain's mate, in the gangway, piped "haul-taut," and the
slack of the tackle was pulled in; then followed a long, steady blow of
the call, piping "sway-away," and the boat, with all in her, rose from
the water, and ascended as high as the hammock-cloths in the waist, when
the stay-tackles took the strain, the yard-tackles "eased-off," and the
boat was landed in the waist of the ship as gingerly as if it were made
of glass, and as steadily as if it had no more weight than a seaman's
hammock. Ghita uttered a faint scream when she found herself rising into
the air, and then she hid her face, awaiting the result with dread. As
for Carlo Giuntotardi, the movement aroused him a little from his
customary apathy, and that was all; whereas Ithuel bethought him
seriously of leaping into the water and striking out for the land. He
could swim a league, he thought; but there was the certainty of being
followed by boats and overtaken; a consideration that effectually curbed
his impatience. It is not easy to describe the sensation with which this
man found himself once more standing on the deck of his old prison, with
the additional danger of being detected and treated as a deserter. It
may sound revolting at the present day to suppose a case in which a
foreigner was thrown by violence into the military service of a nation,
and then was put in jeopardy of his life because he used a privilege of
nature to fly from such persecution as soon as circumstances placed the
means in his power. The last age, however, witnessed many scenes of
similar wrongs; and, it is to be feared, in despite of all the mawkish
philanthropy and unmeaning professions of eternal peace that it is now
the fashion to array against the experience of mankind, that the next
age will present their parallels, unless the good sense of this nation
infuse into the federal legislative bodies juster notions of policy,
more extended views of their own duties, and more accurate opinions of
the conditions of the several communities of Christendom than has marked
their laws and reasoning for the few past months[8]. In a word, the
subject of all these tribulations felt an intimate conviction that his
rights, legal and moral, would avail him but little on the present
occasion. Then a man never does wrong, even in defence of that which is
inherently his due, without the secret consciousness that "evil may not
be done, that good may come of it"; and Ithuel had a certain inward
monitor to remind him that, much as he had in the way of justifiable
complaint, he had carried the war into the enemy's country.

[8] The question of impressment is now settled forever. The United
States have now a mortgage on the Canadas to secure the good behavior of
Great Britain.

The boat had no sooner touched the deck, than its cargo was handed out
by the boatswain, who, keeping no watch, had not yet turned in; and who
was almost as important a functionary on board the Proserpine, as was
Vito Viti in the town of Porto Ferrajo. He examined each individual, as
he or she landed, as he called it; Ghita attracting so much of his
attention as completely to eclipse her companions. The soft air and
manner of the girl appeared so winning, indeed, by the light of the
moon, which now fell clear upon the decks, that all near her, including
the officers, submitted to very much the same influence.

"So, so, Master Yvard," said Cuffe, in English, "if you do come into an
enemy's camp incog., it is in reasonably good company. That girl is
Italian, Winchester; and she even seems modest!"

"Little Ghita!" exclaimed Vito Viti, "as I hope one day to lie in the
bosom of Father Abraham! Bellissima Ghita, what has brought thee here,
and in such evil company?"

Ghita was in tears; but, uncertain how far Raoul was committed, she
struggled for self-command, and did succeed in suppressing emotions that
might otherwise have rendered his situation more dangerous. Drying her
eyes, she curtsied to the vice-governatore and the podesta and then
answered the question.

"Signori," she said, "it is a relief to meet countrymen and old
acquaintances on board this strange ship; and I look to you for
protection. I do not call it strange or evil company for an orphan niece
to be on the water with her uncle and one that has ever been a father
to her."

"Ah--sure enough, vice-governatore, this is Carlo Giuntotardi, the
uncle; and the man who dwells so much with the saints, even on earth,
that he seldom speaks to a sinner. But thou knowest, little Ghita, that
one of thy watermen is no less a person that Raoul Yvard, the wickedest
corsair that sails out of France, and the pest and persecution of the
whole Italian coast? Did the church condescend to notice such an
unbelieving republican, it would be to command all its faithful to unite
in their prayers for his destruction."

"Raoul Yvard!" repeated Ghita, with sufficient astonishment in her
manner to satisfy any reasonable amount of wonder on the part of the
other. "Are you certain, Signor Podesta, of the truth of what you say?"

"As certain as the confession of the party himself can make us."

"Confession, Signore!"

"Si, bella Ghita; confession--your boatman--your man of Capri--your
lazzarone confesses himself to be neither more nor less than the
commander of that worker of iniquity, le Feu-Follet."

"Does le Feu-Follet do more than other cruisers of the enemy?"--but
Ghita felt she was getting to be indiscreet, and she ceased.

"I do believe, Winchester," said Cuffe, "that this is the very girl, and
yonder is the very old man who came into Nelson's cabin to-day with
something to say about the poor prince who was executed this afternoon!"

"What could such people have in common with the unfortunate Caraccioli?"

"Sure enough--yet these are the people. The Queen of the Fleet--our Lady
Admiraless--had it all to herself; and what passed between them, in
Italian, I know no more than if it had been in Greek. She never told
_me_, you may rest assured; and, from the look of her eye, I question a
good deal if she ever told Nelson."

"I wish to heaven his lordship would cut adrift from his moorings
alongside that craft, Captain Cuffe. I do assure you, sir, the fleet
begins to talk loudly on the subject;--was it any other man, there'd be
the devil to pay about it--but we can all stand a good deal from Nelson
and Bronte."

"Well--well--let every man father his own children: you ought to be
quiet, Winchester, for he asked very kindly about your hurt to-day, and
would have sent you aboard some knick-knack or other for the stomach,
but I told him you were all a-tanto again and at duty. What between his
head and his arm and his eye, he's got to be such a hulk himself that he
thinks every wounded man a sort of a relation. I should not complain,
however, if the small-pox could lay hold of that beauty."

"This has been a bad day's work for England, depend on it, Captain
Cuffe!"

"Well, if it has, St. Vincent and the Nile were _good_ days' works; and
we'll let one balance the other. Inquire of this young woman, Mr.
Griffin, if I had not the pleasure of seeing her to-day on board the
Foudroyant?"

The question was put as desired, and Ghita quietly but unhesitatingly
answered in the affirmative.

"Then ask her to explain how she happened to fall into the company of
Raoul Yvard?"

"Signori," said Ghita, naturally, for she had nothing to conceal on this
point, "we live on Monte Argentaro, where my uncle is the keeper of the
Prince's towers. You know, we have much to fear from the barbarians
along all that coast; and last season, when the peace with France kept
the Inglesi at a distance--I know not how it is, signore, but they say
the barbarians are always hardest on the enemies of Inghilterra--but,
the past season a boat, from a rover had seized upon my uncle and myself
and were carrying us off into captivity, when a Frenchman and his lugger
rescued us. From that time we became friends; and our friend has often
stopped near our towers to visit us. To-day we found him in a boat by
the side of the English admiral's ship; and, as an old acquaintance, he
undertook to bring us to the Sorrentine shore, where we are at present
staying with my mother's sister."

This was told so naturally as to carry with it the conviction of its
truth; and when Griffin had translated it, he did not fail to assure his
superior that he would pledge himself for the accuracy of the statement.

"Aye, you young luffs, Griffin, are never backward with your vows _for_
or _to_ pretty girls," answered Cuffe. "The girl does seem honest,
however; and, what is more extraordinary, for the company she is in, she
seems modest too. Tell her she shall not be harmed, though we cannot
deprive ourselves of the pleasure of her company immediately. She shall
have the larboard stateroom in my cabin until morning, where she and her
uncle may live a great deal more comfortably than in one of their
out-of-door Neapolitan rookeries. Monte Argentaro, ha!--That's a bluff
just beyond the Roman coast, and it is famously besprinkled with
towers--half a dozen of them at least within as many miles, and who
knows but this Jack-o'-Lantern may be extinguished some fine morning,
should we fail of laying our hands on it now?"

"We can hardly fail of the last, Captain Cuffe, having her commander in
our possession."

Orders were then given to dispose of the prisoners, leaving the boat on
deck. Raoul was sent below and put in a canvas stateroom, the arms
having been removed, even to the razors, and a sentinel placed at the
door. Escape from such a situation was impossible; and as for
self-violence, when _that_ point was considered, Cuffe had coolly
remarked: "Poor devil; hanged he must be, and if he should be his own
executioner, it will save us the discomfort of having a scene on board.
I suppose Nelson will order him to our fore-yard-arm as a jewel-block. I
don't see why he cannot use a Neapolitan frigate for this job, too; they
are good for nothing else."

"I rather think, Captain Cuffe, he will swing on board his own lugger,
should we succeed in catching her," answered the lieutenant.

"By George, you're right, Griffin; and that's another inducement for
looking out sharp for the Few-Folly. How much better it would have been
had we burnt them all in a bunch off the Golo!"

Then followed the arrangement by which the prisoner was put into the
gun-room, as mentioned. Ghita and her uncle were shown into the empty
cabin state-room, and mattresses were provided on which they might
repose. Then the captain and his two guests retired to the after-cabin,
whither Griffin was invited to accompany them. Here the captain
recollected that there had been a fourth individual in the boat, and he
sent an order on deck for him to come down for examination. Ithuel,
observing the attention of the officers occupied by Ghita and her
uncle, had stolen back toward his own yawl, of which he had taken
possession, stretching himself out at length, with the apparent design
to sleep, but in reality to keep himself "out of mind," by remaining
"out of sight"; reserving, in petto, an intention to jump overboard,
should the ship go near enough to the land to give him a chance for his
life, after the moon set. In this situation he was found, aroused from
his lair, and led into the cabin.

It has been mentioned that Ithuel would not consent to trust himself
near the Proserpine without disguising his person. Raoul being well
provided with all the materials for a masquerade, this had been effected
by putting a black curling wig over his own lank, sandy hair, coloring
his whiskers and eyebrows, and trusting the remainder to the
transformation which might be produced by the dress, or rather undress,
of a Neapolitan waterman. The greatest obstacle to this arrangement had
been a certain queue, which Ithuel habitually wore in a cured eel-skin
that he had brought with him from America, eight years before, and both
of which, "queue and eel-skin," he cherished as relics of better days.
Once a week this queue was unbound and combed, but all the remainder of
the time it continued in a solid mass quite a foot in length, being as
hard and about as thick as a rope an inch in diameter. Now, the queue
had undergone its hebdomadal combing just an hour before Raoul announced
his intention to proceed to Naples in the yawl, and it would have been
innovating on the only thing that Ithuel treated with reverence to undo
the work until another week had completed its round. The queue,
therefore, was disposed of under the wig in the best manner that its
shape and solidity would allow.

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