"We could hear one another breathing, when ting-tang went four bells on deck. You heard it going across to the shore, as it were; and a few moments after, out of the humming far and wide along the land, back came the sound of another bell, toll upon toll, like some clock striking the hour a long way off. Then a third one followed on it, from a different direction, ringing clearer in the air; while the murmur and the rush seemed to swell up the more all round, and the plashing of the tide made the ship heave at her anchors. The mate shivered, Westwood and I started, but some extraordinary notion or other gleamed over the captain's face as he sat up. He was quite in his senses, too, apparently, though it seemed to be neither more nor less than sheer joy that overcame him, for he let out a long breath, and his eyes were glistening as if the tears stood in them. 'James--James Macleod!' said he quickly, with a husky voice,' you oughn't to've deceived one you've sailed so long with; but you meant me a good surprise, and 'twas kindly done of you! _I_ know the very run o' the clocks off Greenwich Reach, man; d'ye think one could mistake the sound of Lon'on town, fidgeting when it wakes, either?--we 're--we're _home_ already!'
"And he fell back in the cot, with the drops running down his cheek, smiling happily all the time at Macleod in a way that went to one's heart; while the Scotchman stared helplessly to the surgeon, who slipped to the port and closed it. 'I know by your way, James,' continued the poor man, 'you wanted to send up to Virginia Row for 'em _all_; but don't send for an hour yet; better go up yourself and break it to 'em--_break_ it to 'em, be sure of that, James; I shouldn't wonder but I pulled up, after all. Ah--that first one we heard was Greenwich Hospital--t'other is Dicksons' brewery or Redriff----' Here his eyelids began to drop, owing to the sleeping-draught he had got, when suddenly they opened wide again.
"'Ha!' said he, listening, and putting up a finger, 'but I haven't heard St Paul's strike six yet; it's seldom so long after; ought to be heard from here of a morning; let's----' By little and little, however, the sick man's eyes closed, and you heard him murmuring, as his finger sank down, 'Macleod, say--to her--say--luff, luff, my lad, keep her her course--' till his shrunk face was as quiet on the pillow as if he'd been really at home the first night after a voyage.