“Is yonder craft a fishing boat, think you?” said Ruby, rising and pointing to it.

“Like enough, lad.  Mayhap it’s the pilot’s, only it’s too soon for him to be off again with letters.  Maybe it’s visitors to the rock, for I see something like a woman’s bonnet.”

As there was only one woman in the world at that time as far as Ruby was concerned (of course putting his mother out of the question!), it will not surprise the reader to be told that the youth started, that his cheek reddened a little, and his heart beat somewhat faster than usual.  He immediately smiled, however, at the absurdity of supposing it possible that the woman in the boat could be Minnie, and as the blacksmith shouted to him at that moment, he turned on his heel and leaped from ledge to ledge of rock until he gained his wonted place at the forge.

Soon he was busy wielding the fore-hammer, causing the sparks to fly about himself and his comrade in showers, while the anvil rang out its merry peal.

Meanwhile the boat drew near.  It turned out to be a party of visitors, who had come off from Arbroath to see the operations at the Bell Rock.  They had been brought off by Spink, the pilot, and numbered only three—­namely, a tall soldierlike man, a stout sailor-like man, and a young woman with—­yes,—­with golden hair.

Poor Ruby almost leaped over the forge when he raised his eyes from his work and caught sight of Minnie’s sweet face.  Minnie had recognized her lover before the boat reached the rock, for he stood on an elevated ledge, and the work in which he was engaged, swinging the large hammer round his shoulder, rendered him very conspicuous.  She had studiously concealed her face from him until quite close, when, looking him straight in the eyes without the least sign of recognition, she turned away.

We have said that the first glance Ruby obtained caused him to leap nearly over the forge; the second created such a revulsion of feeling that he let the fore-hammer fall.

“Hallo!  Got a spark in yer eye?” enquired Dove, looking up anxiously.

It flashed across Ruby at that instant that the look given him by Minnie was meant to warn him not to take any notice of her, so he answered the smith’s query with “No, no; I’ve only let the hammer fall, don’t you see?  Get on, old boy, an’ don’t let the metal cool.”

The smith continued his work without further remark, and Ruby assisted, resolving in his own mind to be a little more guarded as to the expression of his feelings.

Meanwhile Mr. Stevenson received the visitors, and showed them over the works, pointing out the peculiarities thereof, and the difficulties that stood in the way.

Presently he came towards the forge, and said, “Brand, the stout gentleman there wishes to speak to you.  He says he knew you in Arbroath.  You can spare him for a few minutes, I suppose, Mr. Dove?”

“Well, yes, but not for long,” replied the smith.  “The tide will soon be up, and I’ve enough to do to get through with all these.”