By this time the news had spread.  A score of officers, young or middle-aged, were crowding about.  Ulwin had his hands full introducing the submarine boys.  Yet they stood the ordeal well.  The habit of command, based on discipline, had given these boys plenty of poise and self-possession.  Nor were any attempts made, at that time, to have any good-humored fun with them.  Half a dozen officers representing foreign navies were present.  These, too, came in for introductions.  The foreigners were, mainly, military or naval officers attached to foreign embassies at Washington.

“By Jove, Benson, I’ve had it in mind, for some time, that I wanted to meet you and grasp your hand,” murmured Lieutenant Abercrombie, of the British Navy, as he drew Lieutenant Jack to one side.  “By Jove, old fellow, I want to meet you soon and have a good old talk all by ourselves.”

“That will be most agreeable to me,” nodded Jack, pleasantly.

“And your comrades, too,” added Abercrombie.  “You know, you’re already known on the other side.  Fact, I assure you.  Only the other day I picked up a London magazine and read quite an account of the doings of you three.  I was especially interested in an account of how you three discovered a way of leaving a submarine at the bottom and swimming to the surface; then diving and re-entering the craft while she’s still on the bottom.  But your method is a secret, I suppose?”

“Yes,” smiled Jack.  “At least, the American Navy alone shares the secret with us.”

“Oh, I’m not asking it, you know, old fellow,” Lieutenant Abercrombie assured him.

“Is Mr. Benson here?” called a bell-boy, from the doorway.

“Very much so,” replied Lieutenant Ulwin, dryly.

“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!”