staunch and strong!" So the Master Builder I will call
him.

He stood beside me at the window with one in the uniform of a naval
captain, and we looked, all three of us, at that which few might
behold unmoved.

"She's a beauty!" said the Captain. "She's all speed and grace from
cutwater to sternpost."

"I've been building ships for sixty-odd years and we never launched a
better!" said the Master Builder.

As for me I was dumb.

She lay within a stone's throw, a mighty vessel, huge of beam and
length, her superstructure towering proudly aloft, her massive
armoured sides sweeping up in noble curves, a Super-Dreadnought
complete from trucks to keelson. Yacht-like she sat the water all
buoyant grace from lofty prow to tapering counter, and to me there
was something sublime in the grim and latent power, the strength and
beauty of her.

"But she's not so very--big, is she?" enquired a voice behind me.

The Captain stared; the Master Builder smiled.

"Fairly!" he nodded. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I usually reckon the size of a ship from the number of her
funnels, and--"

"Ha!" exclaimed the Captain explosively.

"Humph!" said the Master Builder gently. "After luncheon you shall
measure her if you like, but now I think we will go and eat."

During a most excellent luncheon the talk ranged from ships and books
and guns to submarines and seaplanes, with stories of battle and
sudden death, tales of risk and hardship, of noble courage and heroic
deeds, so that I almost forgot to eat and was sorry when at last we
rose from table.

Once outside I had the good fortune to find myself between the
Captain and the venerable figure of the Master Builder, in whose
company I spent a never-to-be-forgotten afternoon. With them I stood
alongside this noble ship which, seen thus near, seemed mightier than
ever.

"Will she be fast?" I enquired.

"Very fast--for a Dreadnought!" said the Captain.

"And at top speed she'll show no bow wave to speak of," added the
veteran. "See how fine her lines are fore and aft."

"And her gun power will be enormous!" said the Captain.

Hard by I espied a solitary being, who stood, chin in hand, lost in
contemplation of this large vessel.

"Funnels or not, she's bigger than you thought?" I enquired of him.

He glanced at me, shook his head, sighed, and took himself by the
chin again.

"Holy smoke!" said he.

"And you have been building ships for sixty years?" I asked of the
venerabl