the first thing in the
morning they had come, they said, to make their statement. Captain S--
listened attentively. He told them that he thought they must be
mistaken as to the identity of the person, as he could not believe that
a pirate would have the audacity to venture into Valetta; particularly
just after he had committed a daring act of piracy. The Greeks shrugged
their shoulders, but asserted that from what they had heard of Zappa,
they believed him capable of any act of hardihood.

"At all events," observed Captain S--, "I will take your description of
the gentleman. Figure tall, features regular, eyes large and animated,
hair black, and slight curling moustache--not a bad-looking fellow for a
cut-throat, at all events. I will order the police instantly to go in
search of him, and if he can be found, of which I have no doubt, we will
examine him, and confront him with you; and if he turns out to be Signor
Zappa, he will, probably, before many days are over, be hanging up
alongside Captain Delano and his shipmates."

The Greeks were satisfied that they were right, and on their retiring,
officers were instantly despatched in search of the supposed pirate.
The result of their inquiries Captain Fleetwood had not yet learned; but
the description given by the Greeks answered so exactly to that of the
Prince Argiri Caramitzo, whom he had met at the ball the previous night,
that he could not help being struck by it.

"I did not altogether like the style of the fellow," he muttered to
himself. "He is good-looking enough, certainly; but there was an
impudent, sinister expression about his countenance which one does not
observe in that of an honest man. I wonder, too, what right he has to
the title of prince. There are some few chiefs in Greece, who call
themselves princes, but they are very rare. Who they are can easily be
ascertained, and I must learn if such a title exists. Let me see, he
was introduced, too, by that fellow Dunnup. He is a _mauvais sujet_ I
suspect, and I should fight very shy of his friends at all events. What
could have taken the gentleman on board that craft then! That puzzles
me! I must see to it."

Accordingly when the speronara let draw her foresail, and stood out of
the harbour, he retraced his steps along the ramparts towards port Saint
Elmo, to a position whence he could command a clear view to seaward.

"She is a pretty lively craft that," he observed to himself, as he saw,