This was a change so sudden and so totally
unexpected that Ghita murmured her disapprobation, lest it should lead
to a discovery of the true character of her companions.
"Fear nothing, dearest," answered Raoul, "they cannot suspect us; and we
may learn something useful by being here. At all events, le Feu-Follet
is safe from their designs, just at this moment."
"Are you boatmen of Capri?" called out Griffin, who stood on the
taffrail of the ship, with Cuffe and the two Italians near by; the first
dictating the questions his lieutenant put.
"S'nore, si," answered Raoul, adopting the patois of the country as well
as he could and disguising his deep mellow voice by speaking on a high
shrill key. "Boatmen of Capri, that have been to Napoli with wine, and
have been kept out later than we intended by the spectacle at the
yard-arm of the Minerva. Cospetto! them signori make no more of a prince
than we do of a quail in the season, on our little island. Pardon me,
dearest Ghita; but we _must_ throw dust into their eyes."
"Has any strange sail been seen about your island within the last
twenty-four hours?"
"The bay is full of strange sail, S'nore; even the Turks coming to see
us, since the last trouble with the French."
"Aye--but the Turks are now your allies, like us English. Have you seen
any other strangers?"
"They tell me there are ships from the far north, too, S'nore, off the
town. Russians, I believe, they call them."
"They, too, are allies; but I mean enemies.
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