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rectory…place； in spite of that windy…talky…puff…bag…Feench…father of
hers。 I say positivelyNugent shall come into the house。〃
There was no help for it now。 I was obliged to tell him that Nugent had
left Browndown； and that I was the person who had sent him away。
For a moment； I was really in doubt whether the skilled hand of the great
surgeon would not be ignobly employed in boxing my ears。 No perversion of
spelling can possibly report the complicated German…English jargon in
which his fury poured itself out on my devoted head。 Let it be enough to
say that he declared Nugent's abominable personation of his brother to be
vitally importantso long as Oscar was absentto his successful
treatment of the sensitive and excitable patient whom we had placed under
his care。 I vainly assured him that Nugent's object in leaving Dimchurch
was to set matters right again by bringing his brother back。 Grosse
flatly declined to allow himself to be influenced by any speculative
consideration of that sort。 He said （and swore） that my meddling had
raised a serious obstacle in his way； and that nothing but his own tender
regard for Lucilla prevented him from 〃turning the coachmans back；〃 and
leaving us henceforth to shift for ourselves。
When we reached the rectory gate； he had cooled a little。 As we crossed
the garden； he reminded me that I stood pledged to be present when the
bandage was taken off。
〃Now mind！〃 he said。 〃You are going to see； if it is goot or bad to tell
her that she has had those nice white arms of hers round the wrong
brodder。 You are going to tell me afterwards； if you dare say to her； in
plain English words； 'Blue…Face is the man。'
We found Lucilla in the sitting…room。 Grosse briefly informed her that he
had nothing particular to occupy him in London； and that he had advanced
the date of his visit on that account。 〃You want something to do； my
lofe； on this soaky…rainy day。 Show Papa…Grosse what you can do with your
eyes； now you have got them back again。〃 With those words； he unfastened
the bandage； and； taking her by the chin； examined her eyesfirst
without his magnifying glass； then with it。
〃Am I going on well？〃 she asked anxiously。
〃Famous…well！ You go on （as my goot friends say in America） first…class。
Now use your eyes for yourself。 Gif one lofing look to Grosse first。
Thensee！ see！ see！〃
There was no mistaking the tone in which he spoke to her。
He was not only satisfied about her eyeshe was triumphant。 〃Soh！〃 he
grunted； turning to me。 〃Why is Mr。 Sebrights not here to look at this？〃
I eagerly approached Lucilla。 There was still a little dimness left in
her eyes。 I noticed also that they moved to and fro restlessly； and （at
times） wildly。 But； oh； the bright change in her！ the new life of beauty
which the new sense had bestowed on her already！ Her smile； always
charming； now caught light from her lips； and spread its gentle
fascination over all her face。 It was impossible not to long to kiss her。
I advanced to congratulate； to embrace her。 Grosse stepped forward； and
checked me。
〃No；〃 he said。 〃Walk your ways to the odder end of the roomsand let us
see if _she_ can go to _you。_〃
Like all other people； knowing no more of the subject than I knew； I had
no idea of the pitiably helpless manner in which the restored sense of
sight struggles to assert itself； in persons who have been blind for
life。 In such cases； the effort of the eyes that are first learning to
see； is like the effort of the limbs when a child is first learning to
walk。 But for Grosse's odd way of taking it； the scene which I was now to
witness would have been painful in the last degree。 My poor
Lucillainstead of filling me with joy； as I had anticipatedwould I
really believe have wrung my heart； and have made me burst out crying。
〃Now！〃 said Grosse； laying one hand on Lucilla's arm； while he pointed to
me with the other。 〃There she stands。 Can you go to her？〃
〃Of course I can！〃
〃I lay you a bet…wager you can _not！_ Ten thausand pounds to six pennies。
Done…done。 Now try！〃
She answered by a little gesture of defiance； and took three hasty steps
forward。 Bewildered and frightened； she stopped suddenly at the third
stepbefore she had advanced half the way from her end of the room to
mine。
〃I saw her here；〃 she said； pointing down to the spot on which she was
standing； and appealing piteously to Grosse。 〃I see her nowand I don't
know where she is！ She is so near； I feel as if she touched my eyesand
yet〃 （she advanced another step； and clutched with her hands at the empty
air）〃and yet； I can't get near enough to take hold of her。 Oh！ what
does it mean？ what does it mean？〃
〃It meanspay me my six pennies！〃 said Grosse。 〃The wager…bet is mine！〃
She resented his laughing at her； with an obstinate shake of her head；
and an angry knitting of her pretty eyebrows。
〃Wait a little；〃 she said。 〃You shan't win quite so easily as that。 I
will get to her yet！〃
She came straight to me in a momentjust as easily as I could have gone
to her myself if I had tried。
〃Another wager…bet！〃 cried Grosse； still standing behind her； and
calling to me。 〃Twenty thousand pounds this time to a fourpennies…bit。
_She has shut her eyes to get to you。_ Hey！〃
It was trueshe had blindfolded herself！ With her eyes closed； she
could measure to a hair's breadth the distance which； with her eyes
opened； she was perfectly incompetent to calculate！ Detected by both of
us； she sat down； poor dear； with a sigh of despair。 〃Was it worth
while；〃 she said to me sadly； 〃to go through the operation for _this？_〃
Grosse joined us at our end of the room。
〃All in goot time；〃 he said。 〃Patienceand these helpless eyes of yours
will learn。 Soh！ I shall begin to teach them now。 You have got your own
notionshey？about this colors and that？ When you were blind； did you
think what would be your favorite colors if you could see？ You did？ Which
colors is it？ Tell me。 Come！〃
〃White first；〃 she answered。 〃Then scarlet。〃
Grosse paused； and considered。
〃White； I understand；〃 he said。 〃White is the fancy of a young girls。 But
why scarlets？ Could you see scarlets when you were blind？〃
〃Almost；〃 she answered； 〃if it was bright enough。 I used to feel
something pass before my eyes when scarlet was shown to me。〃
〃In these cataracts…cases； it is constantly scarlets that they almost
see；〃 muttered Grosse to himself。 〃There must be reason for thisand I
must find him。〃 He went on with his questions to Lucilla。 〃And the colors
you hate mostwhich is _he？_〃
〃Black。〃
Grosse nodded his head approvingly。 〃I thought so；〃 he said。 〃It is
always black that they hate。 For this also there must be reasonand I
must find _him。_〃
Having expressed that resolution； he approached the writing…table； and
took a sheet of paper out of the case； and a circular pen…wiper of
scarlet cloth out of the inkstand。 After that； he looked about him；
waddled back to the other end of the room； and fetched the black felt hat
in which he had traveled from London。 He ranged the hat； the paper； and
the pen…wiper in a row。 Before he could put his next question to her； she
pointed to the hat with a gesture of disapproval。
〃Take it away；〃 she said。 〃I don't like that。〃
Grosse stopped me before I could speak。
〃Wait a little；〃 he whispered in my ear。 〃It is not quite so wonderful as
you think。 These blind peoples； when they first see； have all alike the
same hatred of anything what is dark。〃 He turned to Lucilla。 〃Say；〃 he
asked。 〃Is your favorite colors among these things here？〃
She passed by the hat in contempt； looked at the pen…wiper； and put it
down； looked at the sheet of paper； and put it down； hesitatedand again
shut her eyes。
〃No！〃 cried Grosse。 〃I won't have it！ How dare you blind yourself； in the
presence of Me？ What！ I give you back your sights； and you go shut your
eyes。 Open themor I will put you in the corner like a naughty girls。
Your favorite colors？ Now； now； now！〃
She opened her eyes （very unwillingly）； and looked once more at the
pen…wiper and the paper。
〃I see nothing as bright as my favorite colors here；〃 she said。
Grosse held up the sheet of paper； and pressed the question without
mercy。
〃What！ is white； whiter than this？〃
〃Fifty thousand times whiter than that！〃
〃Goot。 Now mind！ This paper is white；〃 （he snatched her handkerchief out
of her apron…pocket）。 〃This handkerchief is white； too； whitest of white；
both of them。 First lesson； my lofe！ Here in my hands is your favorite
colors； in the time when you were blind。〃
〃_Those！_〃she exclaimed； pointing to the paper and the handkerchief；
with a look of blank disappointment as he dropped them on the table。 She
turned over the pen…wiper and the hat； and looked round at me。 Grosse；
waiting to try another experiment； left it to me to answer。 The result；
in both cases； was the same as in the cases of the sheet of paper and the
handkerchief。 Scarlet was not half as redblack； not one…hundredth part
as blackas her imagination had figured them to her； in the days when
she was blind。 Still； as to this last coloras to blackshe could feel
some little encouragement。 It had affected her disagre