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He placed a chair for her in front of the window。 There was a warmth in
his tone which I had not heard yet； when he begged her to be seated in
that place。 She took the chair。 Mr。 Sebright thereupon drew back； and
bowed to Herr Grosse； with a courteous wave of his hand towards Lucilla
which signified； 〃You first！〃
Herr Grosse met this advance with a counter…wave of the hand； and a
vehement shake of his shock…head； which signified； 〃I couldn't think of
such a thing！〃
〃Pardon me；〃 entreated Mr。 Sebright。 〃As my senior； as a visitor to
England； as a master in our art。〃
Herr Grosse responded by regaling himself with three pinches of snuff in
rapid successiona pinch as senior； a pinch as visitor to England； a
pinch as master in the art。 An awful pause followed。 Neither of the
surgeons would take precedence of the other。 Nugent interfered。
〃Miss Finch is waiting；〃 he said。 〃Come； Grosse； you were first presented
to her。 You examine her first。〃
Herr Grosse took Nugent's ear between his finger and thumb； and gave it a
good…humoured pinch。 〃You clever boys！〃 he said。 〃You have the right word
always at the tips of your tongue。〃 He waddled to Lucilla's chair； and
stopped short with a scandalized look。 Oscar was bending over her； and
whispering to her with her hand in his。 〃Hey！ what？〃 cried Herr Grosse。
〃Is this a third surgeon…optic？ What； sir！ you treat young Miss's eyes by
taking hold of young Miss's hand？ You are a Quack。 Get out！〃 Oscar
withdrewnot very graciously。 Herr Grosse took a chair in front of
Lucilla； and removed his spectacles。 As a short…sighted man； he had
necessarily excellent eyes for all objects which were sufficiently near
to him。 He bent forward； with his face close to Lucilla's； and parted her
eyelids alternately with his finger and thumb； peering attentively； first
into one eye； then into the other。
It was a moment of breathless interest。 Who could say what an influence
on her future life might be exercised by this quaint kindly uncouth
little foreign man？ How anxiously we watched those shaggy eyebrows； those
piercing goggle eyes！ And； oh； heavens； how disappointed we were at the
first result！ Lucilla suddenly gave a little irrepressible shudder of
disgust。 Herr Grosse drew back from her； and glared at her benignantly
with his diabolical smile。
〃Aha！〃 he said。 〃I see what it is。 I snuff； I smoke； I reek of tobaccos。
The pretty Miss smells me。 She says in her inmost heartAch Gott； how he
stink！〃
Lucilla burst into a fit of laughter。 Herr Grosse； unaffectedly amused on
his side； grinned with delight； and snatched her handkerchief out of her
apron…pocket。 〃Gif me scents；〃 said this excellent German。 〃I shall stop
up her nose with her handkerchiefs。 So she will not smell my
tobacco…stinksall will be nice…right againwe shall go on。〃 I gave him
some lavender…water from a scent…bottle on the table。 He gravely drenched
the handkerchief with it； and popped it suddenly on Lucilla's nose。 〃Hold
him there； Miss。 You cannot for the life of you smell Grosse now。 Goot！
We may go on again。〃
He took a magnifying glass out of his waistcoat pocket； and waited till
Lucilla had fairly exhausted herself with laughing。 Then the
examinationso cruelly grotesque in itself； so terribly serious in the
issues which it involvedresumed its course： Herr Grosse glaring at his
patient through his magnifying glass； Lucilla leaning back in the chair；
holding the handkerchief over her nose。
A minute； or more； passedand the ordeal of the examination came to an
end。
Herr Grosse put back his magnifying glass with a grunt which sounded like
a grunt of relief； and snatched the handkerchief away from Lucilla。
〃Ach！ what a nasty smell！〃 he said； holding the handkerchief to his nose
with a grimace of disgust。 〃Tobaccos is much better than this。〃 He
solaced his nostrils； offended by the lavender…water； with a huge pinch
of snuff。 〃Now I am going to talk；〃 he went on。 〃See！ I keep my distance。
You don't want your handkerchiefsyou smell me no more。〃
〃Am I blind for life？〃 said Lucilla。 〃Pray； pray tell me； sir！ Am I blind
for life？〃
〃Will you kees me if I tell you？〃
〃Oh； do consider how anxious I am！ Pray； pray； pray tell me！〃
She tried to go down on her knees before him。 He held her back firmly and
kindly in her chair。
〃Now！ now！ now！ you be nice…goot； and tell me this first。 When you are
out in the garden； taking your little lazy lady's walks on a shiny…sunny
day； is it all the same to your eyes as if you were lying in your bed in
the middles of the night？〃
〃No。〃
〃Hah！ You know it is nice…light at one time？ you know it is horrid…dark
at the odder？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Then why you ask me if you are blind for life？ If you can see as much as
that； you are not properly blind at all？〃
She clasped her hands； with a low cry of delight。 〃Oh； where is Oscar？〃
she said softly。 〃Where is Oscar？〃 I looked round for him。 He was gone。
While his brother and I had been hanging spell…bound over the surgeon's
questions and the patient's answers； he must have stolen silently out of
the room。
Herr Grosse rose； and vacated the chair in favor of Mr。 Sebright。 In the
ecstasy of the new hope now confirmed in her； Lucilla seemed to be
unconscious of the presence of the English oculist； when he took his
colleague's place。 His grave face looked more serious than ever； as he
too produced a magnifying glass from his pocket； and； gently parting the
patient's eyelids； entered on the examination of her blindness； in his
turn。
The investigation by Mr。 Sebright lasted a much longer time than the
investigation by Herr Grosse。 He pursued it in perfect silence。 When he
had done he rose without a word； and left Lucilla as he had found her；
rapt in the trance of her own happinessthinking； thinking； thinking of
the time when she should open her eyes in the new morning； and see！
〃Well？〃 said Nugent； impatiently addressing Mr。 Sebright。 〃What do you
say？〃
〃I say nothing yet。〃 With that implied reproof to Nugent； he turned to
me。 〃I understand that Miss Finch was blindor as nearly blind as could
be discoveredat a year old？〃
〃I have always heard so；〃 I replied。
〃Is there any person in the houseparent； or relative； or servantwho
can speak to the symptoms noticed when she was an infant？〃
I rang the bell for Zillah。 〃Her mother is dead；〃 I said。 〃And there are
reasons which prevent her father from being present to…day。 Her old nurse
will be able to give you all the information you want。〃
Zillah appeared。 Mr。 Sebright put his questions。
〃Were you in the house when Miss Finch was born？〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃Was there anything wrong with her eyes at her birth； or soon
afterwards？〃
〃Nothing； sir。〃
〃How did you know？〃
〃I knew by seeing her take notice； sir。 She used to stare at the candles；
and clutch at things that were held before her； as other babies do。〃
〃How did you discover it； when she began to get blind？〃
〃In the same way； sir。 There came a time； poor little thing； when her
eyes looked glazed…like； and try her as we might； morning or evening； it
was all the sameshe noticed nothing。〃
〃Did the blindness come on gradually？〃
〃Yes； sirbit by bit； as you may say。 Slowly worse and worse one week
after another。 She was a little better than a year old before we clearly
made it out that her sight was gone。〃
〃Was her father's sight； or her mother's sight ever affected in any way？〃
〃Never； sir； that I heard of。〃
Mr。 Sebright turned to Herr Grosse； sitting at the luncheon…table
resignedly contemplating the Mayonnaise。 〃Do you wish to ask the nurse
any questions？〃 he said。
Herr Grosse shrugged his shoulders； and pointed backwards with his thumb
at the place in which Lucilla was sitting。
〃Her case is as plain to me as twos and twos make fours。 Ach Gott！ what
do I want with the nurse？〃 He turned again longingly towards the
Mayonnaise。 〃My fine appetites is going！ When shall we lonch？〃
Mr。 Sebright dismissed Zillah with a frigid inclination of the head。 His
discouraging manner made me begin to feel a little uneasy。 I ventured to
ask if he had arrived at a conclusion yet。 〃Permit me to consult with my
colleague before I answer you；〃 said the impenetrable man。 I roused
Lucilla。 She again inquired for Oscar。 I said I supposed we should find
him in the gardenand so took her out。 Nugent followed us。 I heard Herr
Grosse whisper to him piteously； as we passed the luncheon…table； 〃For
the lofe of Heaven； come back soon； and let us lonch！〃 We left the
ill…assorted pair to their consultation in the sitting…room。
CHAPTER THE THIRTY…FIRST
〃Who Shall Decide when Doctors disagree？〃
WE had certainly not been more than ten minutes in the garden； when we
were startled by an extraordinary outbreak of shouting in broken English；
proceeding from the window of the sitting…room。 〃Hi…hi…hoi！ hoi…hi！
hoi…hi！〃 We looked up； and discovered Herr Grosse； frantically waving a
huge red silk handkerchief at the window。 〃Lonch！ lonch！〃 cried the
German surgeon。 〃The consultations is done。 Come begin…begin。〃
Obedient to this peremptory summons； Lucilla； Nugent； and I returned to
the sitting…room。 We had； as I had foreseen； found Oscar