he went outside after the meal , and waited politely and dully while hollin took miss - the name had already escaped laurence - to see elsie , by her nervous request ; the dragon was interested to meet her , ladies not common company for dragons but for the female captains , who rarely dressed for their natural station ; and elsie was quite willing to be petted and offered a blancmange the young lady had made , which she politely licked up from the serving plate in a couple of swipes .