"
"_Bon!_" muttered Raoul, quite unconscious he was overheard.
"Nevertheless, we must catch this fellow if we wear out our shoes in the
chase."
All this time Andrea Barrofaldi and Vito Viti were profoundly ignorant
of what was passing between the two officers, though Raoul listened
eagerly and so well understood every syllable they uttered. Until this
moment the vice governatore had been rather indifferent and inattentive
as to what occurred; but the two exclamations of Raoul awakened a vague
distrust in his mind, which, while it had no direct object, was
certainly pregnant with serious consequences to the Frenchman himself.
Deep mortification at the manner in which they had been duped by this
celebrated privateersman, with a desire to absent themselves from the
island until the edge was a little taken off the ridicule they both felt
they merited, blended with certain longings to redeem their characters,
by assisting in capturing the corsair, were the reasons why these two
worthies, the deputy-governor and the podesta, were now on board the
Proserpine. Cuffe had offered them cots in his cabin and seats at his
table in a moment of confidence; and the offer was gladly accepted.
Andrea had not been on board the ship a day, however, before he became
thoroughly convinced of his utter uselessness; a circumstance that
added materially to the awkwardness of his situation. Like all
well-meaning and simple-minded men, he had a strong wish to be doing;
and day and night he ruminated on the means by himself, or discussed
them in private dialogues with his friend the podesta.
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