"May I give you a message, sir?" asked the bell-boy, coming closer.
After excusing himself, Benson stepped aside with the boy. Yet the latter spoke loudly enough for several to overhear.
"There's a lady, downstairs at the door, would like to see you, sir.
She says it is very, very important, sir."
"Did she give any name?" inquired astonished Jack.
"No, sir; she begged you would overlook that, sir, and just step down to the door for a few moments."
"All right; I'll go," nodded Benson. "But it looks queer."
Excusing himself to his host, Ulwin, and to some of the officers with whom he had been chatting, the leader of the submarine boys went quickly to the coat-room for his hat, then descended in the elevator.
"Vairee strange place, zis, for a lady to follow a zhentleman—to hees club," drawled a French captain.
One or two of the others laughed, imagining that this was some flirtation in which the submarine boy had been engaged. But Eph flared up a bit, looking very red, as he muttered:
"It's only fair to tell you, gentlemen, that we submarine boys don't appreciate jokes at the expense of the finest fellow who ever lived—Mr. Jack Benson!"