674 The P oriole Doctor. [Juxr, 



I returned discom fitted to my terrace. The moon burst forth, and there 

 I beheld Kleber in his bag, flourishing his boar knife and swearing 

 most eloquently in High Dutch ; Papa Clement, without his wig, was 

 standing by his side marvelling what had become of Monsieur L'Anglois; 

 and Garelle, who had gone to his couch as drunk as a twenty-four pounder, 

 looking the very beau ideal of stolidity. When I was given to their won- 

 dering eyes, interrogatories thick as hail were poured upon me : Kleber 

 questioned me in German ; Clement, after many vain efforts to make 

 himself intelligible in the English he had picked up under the patronage 

 of Mr. Alderman Jon-Brown, ended in French, with something about 

 assassination. With the assistance of my comrades, from above, and 

 the aid of some rubbish below, I contrived to re-ascend to my terrace, 

 and, in a polyglott salmagundi sort of speech, I endeavoured to make my 

 auditors comprehend what had occurred. Having, with much difficulty 

 and many words, succeeded in my object, we held a council of w r ar, 

 wherein it was decided that we should alternately keep watch for the rest 

 of the night. Garelle, who was not able to understand any thing, insisted 

 that Monsieur L'Anglois was " sout comme dix mille hommes,'' and that 

 it was all a dream, and betook himself to rest. Those who had possession 

 of the apartment declined participating in our watch. Kleber insisted 

 upon keeping the first vigil, and I and the Italian laid down again. In a 

 short time we were all fast asleep, sentry and all. The early beams of 

 the morning sun were the first interruption to my repose ; both my com- 

 rades were still asleep; I looked round and saw the German's clothes 

 hanging upon their pegs in stalu quo. I aroused my friends, and Kleber 

 proceeded to clean his day apparel, in doing which he became aware of the 

 abstraction of his watch, his purse, and a bunch of keys. As I had recog- 

 nised the person of our midnight visitor, Vlacopolo was immediately 

 summoned, but Vlacopolo was either out of hearing, or else had more 

 pressing occupation. 



His father and mother, on being acquainted with our suspicions, exhi- 

 bited a great anxiety for his production. His male progenitor, in especial, 

 commenced a vociferation that might have been heard all over the island, 

 " Vlacopolo ! bree sou pou cisai Anathema! Kecatopolo" but Vlaco was 

 deaf to the endearing epithets so lavishly bestowed upon him by his father, 

 and came not. Kleber, whose bile had been sufficiently roused by the dis- 

 covery of his loss, drew forth his schlaeger, and swore he would annihilate 

 mine host if his property was riot immediately produced. Barba Nicola 

 endured this intimation of Kleber's suspicion of his being concerned in the 

 theft, with a stoicism so unnatural to an innocent man, in like circum- 

 stances, that convinced me of his guilt. Not so the Cocona her indig- 

 nation knew no bounds at finding her son accused of robbery, and her 

 husband of participation; she called us dogs of Franks, Keratades, and 

 applied some very offensive epithets to our religion, intimating that it was 

 no better than it should be. When the storm of voices had subsided, I 

 had well nigh perpetrated an oration in English, my knowledge of modern 

 Greek, or, indeed, of any language except my own, being very limited. 

 Fortunately I bethought me of my passport, which I handed to Barba 

 Nicola, who therein discovered that I was an officer of the Zactikoi, com- 

 manded by Colonel Fabrier, and encamped at Damala, the other side 

 the ferry. I backed this piece of intelligence by assuring him that unless 

 prompt restitution was made, I would bringdown the Colonel's vengeance 

 upon him and his house. Barba Nicola appeared to be considerably taken . 



