Midnight
Through the darkness , and into the brightness of the moon 's light , the rolling notes of Big Ben were echoing and re-echoing , as each stroke followed and drove away the lingering waves of its predecessor and was in turn dispersed by the one that came after . The sounds made the street noises sharper , a mere rattle against the richness of the striking clock . It was an hour that struck ; and the quarters were followed by twelve single notes . Midnight . And Jenny Blanchard was still upon the _ Minerva ; _ and Emmy and Alf had left the theatre ; and Pa Blanchard was alone in the little house in Kennington Park . The silvered blackness of the _ Minerva _ was disturbed . A long streak of yellow light showed from the door leading into the cabin while yet the sounds of the clock hung above the river .