“Humph!” ejaculated the captain, who did not see much force in the observation, “and how d’ye know the leftenant’s a young man?  I didn’t say he was young; mayhap he’s old.  But here he is, so you’ll judge for yourself.”

At the moment a tall, deeply-bronzed man of about thirty years of age walked up and greeted Captain Ogilvy familiarly as his “buck”, enquiring, at the same time, how his “old timbers” were, and where the “bit of baggage” was.

“She’s to be at the end o’ the pier in five minutes,” said the captain, drawing out and consulting a watch that was large enough to have been mistaken for a small eight-day clock.  “This is my nephy, Ruby.  Ruby Brand—­Leftenant Lindsay.  True blues, both of ye—­

’When shall we three meet again? 
Where the stormy winds do blow, do blow, do blow,
And the thunder, lightenin’, and the rain,
Riots up above, and also down below, below, below.’

Ah! here comes the pretty little craft.”

Minnie appeared as he spoke, and walked towards them with a modest, yet decided air that was positively bewitching.

She was dressed in homely garments, but that served to enhance the beauty of her figure, and she had on the plainest of little bonnets, but that only tended to make her face more lovely.  Ruby thought it was perfection.  He glanced at Lieutenant Lindsay, and perceiving that he thought so too (as how could he think otherwise?) a pang of jealousy shot into his breast.  But it passed away when the lieutenant, after politely assisting Minnie into the boat, sat down beside the captain and began to talk earnestly to him, leaving Minnie entirely to her lover.  We may remark here, that the title of “leftenant”, bestowed on Lindsay by the captain was entirely complimentary.

The crew of the boat rowed out of the harbour, and the lieutenant steered eastward, towards the cliffs that have been mentioned in an earlier part of our tale.

The day turned out to be one of those magnificent and exceptional days which appear to have been cut out of summer and interpolated into autumn.  It was bright, warm, and calm, so calm that the boat’s sail was useless, and the crew had to row; but this was, in Minnie’s estimation, no disadvantage, for it gave her time to see the caves and picturesque inlets which abound all along that rocky coast.  It also gave her time to—­but no matter.

“O how very much I should like to have a little boat,” said Minnie, with enthusiasm, “and spend a long day rowing in and out among these wild rocks, and exploring the caves!  Wouldn’t it be delightful, Ruby?”

Ruby admitted that it would, and added, “You shall have such a day, Minnie, if we live long.”

“Have you ever been in the Forbidden Cave?” enquired Minnie.

“I’ll warrant you he has,” cried the captain, who overheard the question; “you may be sure that wherever Ruby is forbidden to go, there he’ll be sure to go!”