"Minnie, lass," said he, as he complacently filled the blackened bowl, and calmly stuffed down the glowing tobacco with the end of that marvellously callous little finger, "it's a wonderful thing that baccy. I don't know what man would do without it."
"Quite as well as woman does, I should think," replied Minnie.
"I'm not so sure of that, lass. It's more nat'ral for man to smoke than for woman. Ye see, woman, lovely woman, should be 'all my fancy painted her, both lovely and divine'. It would never do to have baccy perfumes hangin' about her rosy lips."
"But, uncle, why should man have the disagreeable perfumes you speak of hanging about his lips?"
"I don't know, lass. It's all a matter o' feeling. 'Twere vain to tell thee all I feel, how much my heart would wish to say;' but of this I'm certain sure, that I'd never git along without my pipe. It's like compass, helm, and ballast all in one. Is that the moon, leftenant?"
The captain pointed to a faint gleam of light on the horizon, which he knew well enough to be the moon; but he wished to change the subject.
"Ay is it, and there comes a boat. Steady, men! lay on your oars a bit."
This was said earnestly. In one instant all were silent, and the boat lay as motionless as the shadows of the cliffs among which it was involved.
Presently the sound of oars was heard. Almost at the same moment, the upper edge of the moon rose above the horizon, and covered the sea with rippling silver. Ere long a boat shot into this stream of light, and rowed swiftly in the direction of Arbroath.
"There are only two men in it," whispered the lieutenant.