Once outside I had the good fortune to find myself between the Captain and the venerable figure of the Master Builder, in whose company I spent a never-to-be-forgotten afternoon. With them I stood alongside this noble ship which, seen thus near, seemed mightier than ever. "Will she be fast?" I enquired. "Very fast--for a Dreadnought!" said the Captain. "And at top speed she'll show no bow wave to speak of," added the veteran. "See how fine her lines are fore and aft." "And her gun power will be enormous!" said the Captain. Hard by I espied a solitary being, who stood, chin in hand, lost in contemplation of this large vessel. "Funnels or not, she's bigger than you thought?" I enquired of him. He glanced at me, shook his head, sighed, and took himself by the chin again. "Holy smoke!" said he. "And you have been building ships for sixty years?" I asked of the venerable figure beside me. "And more!" he answered; "and my father built ships hereabouts so long ago as 1820, and his grandfather before him." "Back to the times of Nelson and Rodney and Anson," said I, "great seamen all, who fought great ships! What would they think of this one, I wonder?" "That she was a worthy successor," replied the Master Builder, letting his eyes, so old and wise in ships, wander up and over the mighty fabric before us. "Yes," he nodded decisively, "she's worthy--like the men who will fight her one of these days." "But our enemies and some of our friends rather thought we had degenerated these latter days," I suggested. "Ah, well!" said he very quietly, "they know better now, don't you think?" "Yes," said I, and again, "Yes." "Slow starters always," continued he musingly; "but the nation that can match us in staying power has yet to be born!" So walking between these two I listened and looked and asked questions, and of what I heard, and of what I saw I could write much; but for the censor I might tell of armour-belts of enormous thickness, of guns of stupendous calibre, of new methods of defence against sneaking submarine and torpedo attack, and of devices new and strange; but of these I may neither write nor speak, because of the aforesaid censor. Suffice it that as the sun sank, we came, all three, to a jetty whereto a steamboat lay moored, on whose limited deck were numerous figures, divers of whom beckoned me on. So with hearty farewells, I stepped aboard the steamboat, whereupon she snorted and fell suddenly a-quiver as she nosed out into the broad stream while I stood to wave my hat in farewell. Side by side they stood, the Captain tall and broad and sailor-like in his blue and gold--a man of action, bold of eye, hearty of voice, free of gesture; the other, his silver hair agleam in the setting sun, a man wise with years, gentle and calm-eyed, my Master Builder. Thus, as the distance lengthened, I stood watching until presently they turned, side by side, and so were gone.