I drank up three-quarters of my tea, and poured out the rest as a libation.
"It just occurs to me," I said, "that I haven't introduced myself."
She made a quick, protesting gesture with her hand.
"Don't then," she said, smiling. "Let's stop just as we are. It will be much jollier if we know nothing about each other, and Rufus can't betray us then, even if he wants to."
"But we've christened you already," I objected. "We've decided that you must be Astarte. I think she was the lady who came out of the sea foam, wasn't she?"
Astarte made me a little mocking bow.
"You pay compliments very prettily," she said. "I shall call you Stephen."
"Why Stephen?" I inquired.
She jumped up smiling, and brushed some crumbs from her skirt.
"You're shockingly ignorant of English history. Don't you remember that Stephen followed Rufus?"