“Yess, he looks goot,” he added.
They were driven to a hotel, and escorted to luxurious rooms.
The lobby was full of young officers, strutting and clanking around. Mr. Hammond and David looked distinguished in their plain, close-fitting blue with black braid and small gold insignia which had been chosen as the ship’s uniform. They were both very tall men, well over six feet, the muscles of the younger man making up for the middle-age weight of the older. The Germans regarded them with interest and respect. Certainly they were not to be looked down on, at least! Dulcie, watching them, thought with fury of her own fairylike proportions. How she pined to be a Brunhilde, stalking firmly among all these arrogant-looking young men!
Having changed her frock, Dulcie went to find her father. She found him in his room struggling with a tie, while at the same time he regarded a long, official-looking document on the chiffonier.
“Just look at this, Dulcie.” He handed her the paper. “A state luncheon at one-thirty, for a starter, and from then on not a minute that isn’t taken up. It’s a little better for you, but I bet every last one of these officials has a nice husky wife who will look after you.”
“I’ll let ’em look for a while, but sometime I am going to play truant. I want to see Friedrichshafen my own way. Isn’t it beautiful? And it was here that Count Zeppelin lived, and worked out his plans. I want to learn all about him.”
“Yes, you ought to learn all you can about him, Dulcie. Of course, Santos-Dumont was the first one seriously to struggle with the problem of the rigid dirigible, but Count Zeppelin went far ahead of him. Come in!” he added in a roar, as a knock sounded at the door. A bell boy, apple-cheeked and rosy, presented a large tray piled with envelopes.
Mr. Hammond groaned.
“Look ’em over, will you, Dulcie; we only have fifteen minutes, but you are all ready.”
Dulcie gave a little laugh. “Why, a lot of them are for me,” she cried, beginning to tear them open. “You were right; they are from the wives. And oh, such high-sounding titles!” She shuffled her notes into a pile. “I’ll read them later.”