‘This is a strong house, my lad,’ he said, when the others had gone.

‘Yes, sir,’ I said, ’it ought to be strong; the wind is fearful here sometimes.’

‘What sort of a foundation has it?’ said the old man, tapping the floor with his stick.

‘Oh, it’s all rock, sir,’ I answered, ’solid rock; our house and the lighthouse tower are all built into the rock; they would never stand if they weren’t’

‘And are you on the Rock, my lad?’ said Mr. Davis, looking at me through his spectacles.

‘I beg your pardon, sir,’ I said, for I thought I had not heard him rightly.

‘Are you on the Rock?’ he repeated.

‘On the rock, sir? oh, yes,’ I said, thinking he could not have understood what I said before.  ’All these buildings are built into the rock, or the wind and sea would carry them away.’

‘But you,’ said the old gentleman again, ‘are you on the Rock?’

‘I don’t quite understand you, sir,’ I said.

‘Never mind,’ he said; ‘I’ll ask your grandfather when he comes down.’  So I sat still, wondering what he could mean, and almost thinking he must have gone out of his mind.

As soon as my grandfather returned, he put the same question to him; and my grandfather answered it as I had done, by assuring him how firmly and strongly the lighthouse and its surroundings were built into the solid rock.

‘And you yourself,’ said Mr. Davis ‘how long have you been on the Rock?’

‘I, sir?’ said my grandfather.  ’I suppose you mean how long have I lived here; forty years, sir—­forty years come the twelfth of next month I’ve lived on this rock.’

‘And how much longer do you expect to live here?’ said the old gentleman.

‘Oh, I don’t know, sir,’ said my grandfather.  ’As long as I live, I suppose.  Alick, here, will take my place by-and-by; he’s a fine, strong boy is Alick, sir.’

‘And where will you live when you leave the island?’ asked Mr. Davis.

‘Oh, I never mean to leave it,’ said my grandfather; ’not till I die, sir.’

‘And then; where will you live then?’

‘Oh, I don’t know, sir,’ said my grandfather.  ’In heaven, I suppose.  But, dear me, I’m not going there just yet,’ he said, as if he did not like the turn the conversation was taking.

‘Would you mind answering me one more question?’ said old Mr. Davis.  ’Would you kindly tell me why you think you’ll go to heaven?  You won’t mind my asking you, will you?’

‘Oh dear, no,’ said my grandfather, ’not at all, sir.  Well, sir, you see I’ve never done anybody any harm, and God is very merciful, and so I’ve no doubt it will be all right at last.

‘Why, my dear friend,’ said the old gentleman, ’I thought you said you were on the Rock.  You’re not on the Rock at all, you’re on the sand!’ He was going to add more, when one of Captain Sayer’s men ran up to say the steamer was ready to start, and would they kindly come at once, as it was late already.  So the two gentlemen jumped up, and prepared hastily to go down to the beach.