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examined this amazing object at close quarters。 And what did it turn out
to be？ A stump of an old tree blown across the road in the night！ Why am
I to envy people the possession of a sense which plays them such tricks
as that？ No！ no！ Herr Grosse is going to 'cut into my cataracts；' as he
calls itbecause I am going to be married to a man I love； and I fancy；
like a fool； I may love him better still； if I can see him。 I may be
quite wrong；〃 she added archly。 〃It may end in my not loving him half as
well as I do now！〃
I thought of Oscar's face； and felt a sickening fear that she might be
speaking far more seriously than she suspected。 I tried to change the
subject。 No！ Her imaginative nature had found its way into a new region
of speculation before I could open my lips。
〃I associate light；〃 she said thoughtfully； 〃with all that is beautiful
and heavenlyand dark with all that is vile and horrible and devilish。 I
wonder how light and dark will look to me when I see？〃
〃I believe they will astonish you；〃 I answered； 〃by being entirely unlike
what you fancy them to be now。〃
She started。 I had alarmed her without intending it。
〃Will Oscar's face be utterly unlike what I fancy it to be now？〃 she
asked； in suddenly altered tones。 〃Do you mean to say that I have not had
the right image of him in my mind all this time？〃
I tried again to draw her off to another topic。 What more could I
dowith my tongue tied by the German's warning to us not to agitate her；
in the face of the operation to be performed on the next day？
It was quite useless。 She went on； as before； without heeding me。
〃Have I no means of judging rightly what Oscar is like？〃 she said。 〃I
touch my own face； I know how long it is and how broad it is； I know how
big the different features are； and where they are。 And then I touch
Oscar； and compare his face with my knowledge of my own face。 Not a
single detail escapes me。 I see him in my mind as plainly as you see me
across this table。 Do you mean to say； when I see him with my eyes； that
I shall discover something perfectly new to me？ I don't believe it！〃 She
started up impatiently； and took a turn in the room。 〃Oh！〃 she exclaimed；
with a stamp of her foot； 〃why can't I take laudanum enough； or
chloroform enough to kill me for the next six weeksand then come to
life again when the German takes the bandage off my eyes！〃 She sat down
once more； and drifted all on a sudden into a question of pure morality。
〃Tell me this；〃 she said。 〃Is the greatest virtue； the virtue which it is
most difficult to practice？〃
〃I suppose so；〃 I answered。
She drummed with both hands on the table； petulantly； viciously； as hard
as she could。
〃Then； Madame Pratolungo；〃 she said； 〃the greatest of all the virtues
isPatience。 Oh； my friend； how I hate the greatest of all the virtues
at this moment！〃
That ended itthere the conversation found its way into other topics at
last。
Thinking afterwards of the new side of her mind which Lucilla had shown
to me； I derived one consolation from what had passed at the
breakfast…table。 If Mr。 Sebright proved to be right； and if the operation
failed after all； I had Lucilla's word for it that blindness； of itself；
is not the terrible affliction to the blind which the rest of us fancy it
to bebecause we can see。
Towards half…past seven in the evening； I went out alone； as I had
planned； to meet Oscar on his return from London。
At a long straight stretch of the road； I saw him advancing towards me。
He was walking more rapidly than usual； and singing as he walked。 Even
through its livid discoloration； the poor fellow's face looked radiant
with happiness as he came nearer。 He waved his walking…stick exultingly
in the air。 〃Good news！〃 he called out at the top of his voice。 〃Mr。
Sebright has made me a happy man again！〃 I had never before seen him so
like Nugent in manner； as I now saw him when we met and he shook hands
with me。
〃Tell me all about it；〃 I said。
He gave me his arm； and； talking all the way； we walked back slowly to
Dimchurch。
〃In the first place；〃 he began； 〃Mr。 Sebright holds to his own opinion
more firmly than ever。 He feels absolutely certain that the operation
will fail。〃
〃Is that your good news？〃 I asked reproachfully。
〃No；〃 he said。 〃Though； mind； I own to my shame there was a time when I
almost hoped it would fail。 Mr。 Sebright has put me in a better frame of
mind。 I have little or nothing to dread from the success of the
operationif； by any extraordinary chance； it should succeed。 I remind
you of Mr。 Sebright's opinion merely to give you a right idea of the tone
which he took with me at starting。 He only consented under protest to
contemplate the event which Lucilla and Herr Grosse consider to be a
certainty。 'If the statement of your position requires it；' he said； 'I
will admit that it is barely possible she may be able to see you two
months hence。 Now begin。' I began by informing him of my marriage
engagement。〃
〃Shall I tell you how Mr。 Sebright received the information？〃 I said。 〃He
held his tongue； and made you a bow。〃
Oscar laughed。
〃Quite true！〃 he answered。 〃I told him next of Lucilla's extraordinary
antipathy to dark people； and dark shades of color of all kinds。 Can you
guess what he said to me when I had done？〃
I owned that my observation of Mr。 Sebright's character did not extend to
guessing that。
〃He said it was a common antipathy in his experience of the blind。 It was
one among the many strange influences exercised by blindness on the mind。
'The physical affliction has its mysterious moral influence；' he said。
'We can observe it； but we can't explain it。 The special antipathy which
you mention； is an incurable antipathy； except on one conditionthe
recovery of the sight。' There he stopped。 I entreated him to go on。 No！
He declined to go on until I had finished what I had to say to him first。
I had my confession still to make to himand I made it。〃
〃You concealed nothing？〃
〃Nothing。 I laid my weakness bare before him。 I told him that Lucilla was
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 pe