Is come on shore."

_Othello_.

The glance which Ithuel cast around him was brief, but comprehensive. He
saw that two of the party in the room were much superior to the other
four, and that the last were common Mediterranean mariners. The position
which Benedetta occupied in the household could not be mistaken, for she
proclaimed herself its mistress by her very air; whether it were in the
upper or in the lower room.

"Vino," said Ithuel, with a flourish of the hand, to help along his
Italian, this and one or two more being the only words of the language
he ventured to use directly, or without calling in the assistance of his
interpreter; "vino--vino, vino, Signora."

"Si, si, si, Signore," answered Benedetta, laughing, and this with her
meaning eyes so keenly riveted on the person of her new guest, as to
make it very questionable whether she were amused by anything but his
appearance; "your eccellenza shall be served; but whether at a paul or a
half-paul the flask, depends on your own pleasure. We keep wine at both
prices, and," glancing toward the table of Andrea Barrofaldi, "usually
serve the first to signori of rank and distinction."

"What does the woman say?" growled Ithuel to his interpreter, a Genoese,
who, from having served several years in the British navy, spoke English
with a very tolerable facility; "you know what we want, and just tell
her to hand it over, and I will fork out her St. Paul without more
words. What a desperate liking your folks have for saints,
Philip-o"--for so Ithuel pronounced Filippo, the name of his