“What a strange story,” he said; “and that really happened to you, Captain Hardy?”
“To me sir, in the Mediterranean, more than forty years ago.”
“The strangest thing about it is that the old Commodore should have managed to get all the way to the ship, and then not have known where his nephew was,” said Blake.
“He only knew his nephew's berth, you see, sir,” said the Captain.
“But he might have beat about through the ship till he had found him.”
“You must remember that he was at his last breath, sir,” said the Captain; “you can't expect a man to have his head clear at such a moment.”
“Not a man, perhaps; but I should a ghost,” said Blake.
“Time was everything to him,” went on the Captain, without regarding the interruption, “space nothing. But the strangest part of it is that I should have seen the figure at all. It's true I had been thinking of the old uncle, because of the boy's illness; but I can't suppose he was thinking of me, and, as I say, he never recognized me. I have taken a great deal of interest in such matters since that time, but I have never met with just such a case as this.”
“No, that is the puzzle. One can fancy his appearing to his nephew well enough,” said Tom.
“We can't account for these things, or for a good many other things which ought to be quite as startling, only we see them every day. But now I think it is time for us to be going, eh Jack?” and the Captain and his son rose to go.