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still firmly convinced that Nugent's was the discolored face； instead of
mine。 And then I put the questionWhat am I to do？〃
〃And how did he reply？〃
〃In these words：'If you ask me what you are to do； in the event of her
remaining blind （which I tell you again will be the event）； I decline to
advise you。 Your own conscience and your own sense of honor must decide
the question。 On the other hand； if you ask me what you are to do； in the
event of her recovering her sight； I can answer you unreservedly in the
plainest terms。 Leave things as they are； and wait till she sees。' Those
were his own words。 Oh； the load that they took off my mind！ I made him
repeat themI declare I was almost afraid to trust the evidence of my
own ears。〃
I understood the motive of Oscar's good spirits； better than I understood
the motive of Mr。 Sebright's advice。 〃Did he give his reasons？〃 I asked。
〃You shall hear his reasons directly。 He insisted on first satisfying
himself that I thoroughly understood my position at that moment。 'The
prime condition of success； as Herr Grosse has told you；' he said； 'is
the perfect tranquillity of the patient。 If you make your confession to
the young lady when you get back to…night to Dimchurch； you throw her
into a state of excitement which will render it impossible for my German
colleague to operate on her to…morrow。 If you defer your confession； the
medical necessities of the case force you to be silent； until the
professional attendance of the oculist has ceased。 There is your
position！ My advice to you is to adopt the last alternative。 Wait （and
make the other persons in the secret wait） until the result of the
operation has declared itself。' There I stopped him。 'Do you mean that I
am to be present； on the first occasion when she is able to use her
eyes？' I asked。 'Am I to let her see me； without a word beforehand to
prepare her for the color of my face？' 〃
We were now getting to the interesting part of it。 You English people；
when you are out walking and are carrying on a conversation with a
friend； never come to a standstill at the points of interest。 We
foreigners； on the other hand； invariably stop。 I surprised Oscar by
suddenly pulling him up in the middle of the road。
〃What is the matter？〃 he asked。
〃Go on！〃 I said impatiently。
〃I can't go on；〃 he rejoined。 〃You're holding me。〃
I held him tighter than ever； and ordered him more resolutely than ever
to go on。 Oscar resigned himself to a halt （foreign fashion） on the high
road。
〃Mr。 Sebright met my question by putting a question on his side；〃 he
resumed。 〃He asked me how I proposed to prepare her for the color of my
face。〃
〃And what did you tell him？〃
〃I said I had planned to make an excuse for leaving Dimchurchand； once
away； to prepare her； by writing； for what she might expect to see when I
returned。〃
〃What did he say to that？〃
〃He wouldn't hear of it。 He said； 'I strongly recommend you to be present
on the first occasion when she is capable （if she ever is capable） of
using her sight。 I attach the greatest importance to her being able to
correct the hideous and absurd image now in her mind of a face like
yours； by seeing you as you really are at the earliest available
opportunity。' 〃
We were just walking on again； when certain words in that last sentence
startled me。 I stopped short once more。
〃Hideous and absurd image？〃 I repeated； thinking instantly of my
conversation of that morning with Lucilla。 What did Mr。 Sebright mean by
using such language as that？〃
〃Just what I asked him。 His reply will interest you。 It led him into that
explanation of his motives which you inquired for just now。 Shall we walk
on？〃
My petrified foreign feet recovered their activity。 We went on again。
〃When I had spoken to Mr。 Sebright of Lucilla's inveterate prejudice；〃
Oscar continued； 〃he had surprised me by saying that it was common in his
experience； and was only curable by her restoration to sight。 In support
of those assertions； he now told me of two interesting cases which had
occurred in his professional practice。 The first was the case of the
little daughter of an Indian officerblind from infancy like Lucilla。
After operating successfully； the time came when he could permit his
patient to try her sightthat is to say； to try if she could see
sufficiently well at first； to distinguish dark objects from light。 Among
the members of the household assembled to witness the removal of the
bandage； was an Indian nurse who had accompanied the family to England。
The first person the child saw was her mothera fair woman。 She clasped
her little hands in astonishment； and that was all。 At the next turn of
her head； she saw the dark Indian nurse and instantly screamed with
terror。 Mr。 Sebright owned to me that he could not explain it。 The child
could have no possible association with colors。 Yet there nevertheless
was the most violent hatred and horror of a dark object （the hatred and
horror peculiar to the blind） expressing itself unmistakably in a child
of ten years old！ My first thought； while he was telling me this； was of
myself； and of my chance with Lucilla。 My first question was； 'Did the
child get used to the nurse？' I can give you his answer in his own words。
'In a week's time； I found the child sitting in the nurse's lap as
composedly as I am sitting in this chair。'〃That is encouragingisn't
it？〃
〃Most encouragingnobody can deny it。〃
〃The second instance was more curious still。 This time the case was the
case of a grown manand the object was to show me what strange fantastic
images （utterly unlike the reality） the blind form of the people about
them。 The patient was married； and was to see his wife （as Lucilla is one
day to see me） for the first time。 He had been told； before he married
her； that she was personally disfigured by the scar of a wound on one of
her cheeks。 The poor womanah； how well I can understand her！trembled
for the consequences。 The man who had loved her dearly while he was
blind； might hate her when he saw her scarred face。 Her husband had been
the first to console her when the operation was determined on。 He
declared that his sense of touch； and the descriptions given to him by
others； had enabled him to form； in his own mind； the most complete and
faithful image of his wife's face。 Nothing that Mr。 Sebright could say
would induce him to believe that it was physically impossible for him to
form a really correct idea of any object； animate or inanimate； which he
had never seen。 He wouldn't hear of it。 He was so certain of the result；
that he held his wife's hand in his； to encourage her； when the bandage
was removed from him。 At his first look at her； he uttered a cry of
horror； and fell back in his chair in a swoon。 His wife； poor thing； was
distracted。 Mr。 Sebright did his best to compose her； and waited till her
husband was able to answer the questions put to him。 It then appeared
that his blind idea of his wife； and of her disfigurement had been
something so grotesquely and horribly unlike the reality； that it was
hard to know whether to laugh or to tremble at it。 She was as beautiful
as an angel； by comparison with her husband's favorite idea of herand
yet； because it was his idea； he was absolutely disgusted and terrified
at the first sight of her！ In a few weeks he was able to compare his wife
with other women； to look at pictures； to understand what beauty was and
what ugliness wasand from that time they have lived together as happy a
married couple as any in the kingdom。〃
I was not quite sure which way this last example pointed。 It alarmed me
when I thought of Lucilla。 I came to a standstill again。
〃How did Mr。 Sebright apply this second case to Lucilla and to you？〃 I
asked。
〃You shall hear；〃 said Oscar。 〃He first appealed to the case as
supporting his assertion that Lucilla's idea of me must be utterly unlike
what I am myself。 He asked if I was now satisfied that she could have no
correct conception of what faces and colors were really like？ and if I
agreed with him in believing that the image in her mind of the man with
the blue face； was in all probability something fantastically and
hideously unlike the reality？ After what I had heard； I agreed with him
as a matter of course。 'Very well；' says Mr。 Sebright。 'Now let its
remember that there is one important difference between the case of Miss
Finch； and the case that I have just mentioned。 The husband's blind idea
of his wife was the husband's favorite idea。 The shock of the first sight
of her； was plainly a shock to him on that account。 Now Miss Finch's
blind idea of the blue face is； on the contrary； a hateful idea to
herthe image is an image that she loathes。 Is it not fair to conclude
from this； that the first sight of you as you really are； is likely to
be； in her case； a relief to her instead of a shock？ Reasoning from my
experience； I reach that conclusion； and I advise you； in your own
interests； to be present when the bandage is taken off。 Even if I prove
to be mistakeneven if she is not immediately reconciled to the sight of
youthere is the other example of the child and the Indian nurse to
satisfy you that it