"I have heard such complaints before," answered the captain, not at all
sorry to find the examination which had proved so awkward to himself
likely to be transferred to a language about which he cared not at all,
"and have little to say in its defence. But as an example of what
you mean--"

"Why, Signore, here are several words that I have written on this bit of
paper, which sound nearly alike, though, as you perceive, they are quite
differently spelled. Bix, bax, box, bux, and bocks," continued Andrea,
endeavoring to pronounce, "big," "bag," "bog," "bug," and "box," all of
which, it seemed to him, had a very close family resemblance in sound,
though certainly spelled with different letters; "these are words,
Signore, that are enough to drive a foreigner to abandon your tongue
in despair."

"Indeed they are; and I often told the person who taught me the
language--"

"How! did you not learn your own tongue as we all get our native forms
of speech, by ear, when a child?" demanded the vice-governatore, his
suspicions suddenly revived.

"Without question, Signore, but I speak of books, and of learning to
read. When 'big,' 'bag,' 'bog,' bug,' and 'box,'" reading from the paper
in a steady voice, and a very tolerable pronunciation, "first came
before me, I felt all the embarrassment of which you speak."

"And did you only pronounce these words when first taught to read them?"

This question was awkward to answer; but Vito Viti began to weary of a