aptain had no more
precise ideas of what a _vice_-governor means than the American people
just now seem to possess of the signification of _vice_-president; but,
as he had discovered that the word was pronounced "veechy" in Italian,
he was quite willing to give it its true sound; albeit a smile struggled
round the mouth of Griffin while he listened.

"You do me no more than justice, Signor Kooffe, or Sir Kooffe, as I
presume I ought to address you," answered the functionary; "for, in
matters touching our duties on shore here, we are by no means as
ignorant as on matters touching your honorable calling. This Raoul
Yvard presented himself to me in the character of a British officer, one
I esteem and respect; having audaciously assumed the name of a family of
high condition and of great power, I believe, among your people--"

"Ah--the barone!" exclaimed Cuffe, who, having discovered by his
intercourse with the southern Italians that this word meant a "rascal"
as well as a "baron," was fond of using it on suitable occasions. "Pray,
Veechy-Governatory, what name did he assume? Ca'endish, or Howard, or
Seymour, or some of those great nobs, Griffin, I'll engage! I wonder
that he spared Nelson!"

"No, Signore, he took the family appellation of another illustrious
race. The republican corsair presented himself before me as a Sir
Smees--the son of a certain Milordo Smees."

"Smees--Smees--Smees!--I've no recollection of any such name in the
peerage. It can't be Seymour that the Veechy means!--_That_ is a great
name, certainly; and some of them have been in the service; it is
possible this barone may have had the impudence to hail for a Seymour!"

"I rather think not, Captain Cuffe. 'Smees' is very much as an Italian
would pronounce 'Smith,' as, you know, the French call it 'Smeet.' It
will turn out that this Mr. Raoul has seized upon the first English name
he fell in with, as a man overboard clutches at a spar adrift or a
life-buoy; and that happened to be 'Smith.'"

"Who the devil ever heard of a my lord Smith! A pretty sort of
aristocracy we should have, Griffin, if it were made up of
such fellows!"

"Why, sir, the _name_ can make no great difference; the deeds and the
antiquity forming the essentials."

"And he assumed a title, too--_Sir_ Smees!--I dare say he was ready to
swear His Majesty made him a Knight Banneret, under the royal ensign and
on the deck of his own ship, as was done with some of the old admirals.
T