“Who? Let me see. Oh, yes, some local man.”
“You don’t know! Look up here. Who designed her!”
“Oh, yes. ’Twas a Gloucester man.”
“A Gloucester man? Look up again. Now––who––de––signed––the––John––nie––Dun––can!”
“Ouch, yes. A ver-y fine and a-ble––and handsome gen-tle-man––a wonderful man.”
“That’s a little better. And his name?”
“William Somers––William the Illustrious––William the First––‘First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of Gloucestermen’––and if you let me stand up, I’ll do a break-down to show you how glad I am.”
“Now you’re showing something like appreciation. And now where do you suppose your friend Clancy is and your skipper?”
“Clancy? Lord knows. Maybe in a circle of admiring friends, singing whatever is his latest. ‘Hove flat down’ was the last I heard. If it was earlier in the day––about three in the morning––it would be pretty sure to be that.”