After we had told her that we were going to American headquarters soon, she smiled again, to show us that she knew that when we went probably we would see the Young Doctor.  But she let the smile stand as her only response to Henry’s suggestion of a message.  In another moment she turned to her work.

“Well,” said Henry, “some pride!  ’One meets so many nice people on the boat!’ The idea being that her outfit at home is just as good as Auntie’s group in New York, even if he didn’t introduce her!  You know I rather like the social spunk of our Great Middle West!”

While we were talking the Gilded Youth began moving Auntie slowly but rather directly around the court to us.  It occurred to me that perhaps he realized that we were the only social godfathers that the Eager Soul had in Europe, and that if he introduced us to Auntie it would be an indication that the affair of the boat, if it was an affair, was to be put upon a social basis!  And in two minutes more he had docked Auntie at our pier.  A large, brusk, well-groomed, good-looking woman of fifty was Auntie.  Her Winthrop and Endicott blood advertised itself in her Bostonese, but she was sound and strong and the way she instantly got at the invoice price of Henry and his real worth, pleased me.  She was genuine American.  The thing that troubled me was the fear that Henry would begin too soon to lambast onion soup.  But he didn’t and in a few moments we were having this dialogue: 

Henry:  “Oh, yes, indeed; we’ve grown fond of her.  Her father was—­”

Auntie:  “Oh, yes, I knew her father.  Mr. Chesman and he were interested together in New Mexican mining claims in the eighties; I believe they made some money.  But—­”

The gilded youth:  “Well, Auntie—­would you mind telling me how—?”

Auntie:  “Why, on her application blank, of course, with her father’s name, age and residence.”

The gilded one:  “But you never mentioned it to me?”

Auntie:  “Nor to her, either.  Why should I?  This is hardly the place to organize the Colonial Dames!  I believe you said a few minutes ago that you had met her on the boat.”

Henry:  “One meets so many nice people on the boat!”

Me:  “You’ve heard of the woman who said she didn’t know the man socially, she had just met him coming over on the boat!”

The Gilded Youth looked quickly at me, catching me suppressing a wink at Henry, who grinned at the expiring ghost of it.  Then Auntie led the talk to the raid of the night before; and invited us to come up for a night’s sleep in a civilized bed in the hospital.  We were quartered for the night with the Ambulance boys, sleeping in a barn loft, so naturally, we accepted her invitation.  Just as we were leaving to get our baggage, out into the court came the Eager Soul bearing a letter.  We did not see the address, but it was, alas, plainly dimpled in her face, for the Gilded Youth to see, and after greeting him only pleasantly, she handed the letter to us, saying:  “Would you be good enough to deliver this for me at Gonrecourt next week, as you are passing?  It is to a friend I met on the boat!”