Webling?"

She suddenly realized that they were not, after all, such old friends
as the night had seemed to make them.

"My first two names," she said, "are Marie Louise."

"Oh! Well, then we'll call the ship _Marie Louise_."

She saw that he was a little disappointed in the name, so she said:

"When I was a girl they called me Mamise."

She was puzzled to see how this startled him.

He jumped audibly and fastened a searching gaze on her. Mamise! He had
thought of Mamise when he saw her, and now she gave the name. Could
she possibly be the Mamise he remembered? He started to ask her, but
checked himself and blushed. A fine thing it would be to ask this
splendid young princess, "Pardon me, Princess, but were you playing in
cheap vaudeville a few years ago?" It was an improbable coincidence
that he should meet her thus, but an almost impossible coincidence
that she should wear both the name and the mien of Mamise and not be
Mamise. But he dared not ask her.

She noted his blush and stammer, but she was afraid to ask their
cause.

"_Mamise_ it shall be," he said.

And she answered, "I was never so honored in my life."

"Of course," he warned her, "the boat isn't built yet. In fact, the
new yard isn't built yet. There's many a slip 'twixt the keel and the
ship. She might never live to be launched. Some of these sneaking
loafers on our side may blow her up before the submarines get a chance
at her."

There he was, speaking of submarines once more! She shivered, and she
looked at the clock and got up and said:

"I think I'll try Mrs. Widdicombe now."

"Let me go along," said Davidge.

But she shook her head. "I've taken enough of your life--for the
present."

Trying to concoct a felicitous reply, he achieved only an eloquent
silence. He put her and her luggage aboard a taxicab, and then she
gave him her most cordial hand.

"I could never hope to thank you enough," she said, "and I won't begin
to try. Send me your address when you have one, and I'll mail you Mrs.
Widdicombe's confidential telephone number. I do want to see you soon
again, unless you've had enough of me for a lifetime."

He did very handsomely by the lead she gave him:

"I couldn't have enough--not in a lifetime."

The taxi-driver snipped the strands of their gaze as he whisked her
away.

Marie Louise felt a forenoon elation in the cool air and the bright
streets, thick with men and women in herds hurrying to their patriotic
tasks,