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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 disagreeably （just as poor
Oscar's face had affected her）； though she had not actually known it for
the color that she disliked。 She made an effort； poor child； to assert
herself； against her merciless surgeon…teacher。 〃I didn't know it was
black；〃 she said。 〃But I hated the sight of it； for all that。〃
She tried； as she spoke； to toss the hat on to a chair； standing close
by herand threw it instead； high above the back of the chair； against
the wall； at least six feet away from the object at which she had aimed。
〃I am a helpless fool！〃 she burst out； her face flushing crimson with
mortification。 〃Don't let Oscar see me！ I can't bear the thought of
making myself ridiculous before _him！_ He is coming here；〃 she added；
turning to me entreatingly。 〃Manage to make some excuse for his not
seeing me till later in the day。〃
I promised to find the excuseall the more readily； that I now saw an
unexpected chance of reconciling her in some degree （so long as she was
learning to see） to the blank produced in her life by Oscar's absence。
She addressed herself again to Grosse。
〃Go on！〃 she said impatiently。 〃Teach me to be something better than an
idiotor put the bandage on； and blind me again。 My eyes are of no use
to me！ Do you hear？〃 she cried furiously； taking him by his broad
shoulders and shaking him with all her might〃my eyes are of no use to
me！〃
〃Now！ now！ now！〃 cried Grosse。 〃If you don't keep your tempers； you
little spitfire； I will teach you nothing。〃 He took up the sheet of paper
and the pen…wiper； and； forcing her to sit down； placed them together
before her； in her lap。
〃Do you know one thing？〃 he went on。 〃Do you know what is meant by an
objects which is square？ Do you know what is meant by an objects which is
round？〃
Instead of answering him； she appealed indignantly to my opinion。
〃Is it not monstrous；〃 she asked； 〃to hear him put such a question to me
as that？ Do I know round from square？ Oh； how cruelly humiliating！ Don't
tell Oscar！ don't tell Oscar！〃
〃If you know；〃 persisted