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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 Grosse； 〃you can tell me。 Look at those two
things in your lap。 Are they both round？ or both square？ or is one round？
and the odder square？ Look now； and tell me。〃
She lookedand said nothing。
〃Well？〃 continued Grosse。
〃You put me out； standing there staring at me through your horrid
spectacles！〃 she said irritably。 〃Don't look at me； and I will tell you
directly。〃
Grosse turned his head my way； with his diabolical grin； and signed to me
to keep watch on her； in his place。
The instant his back was turned； she shut her eyes； and ran over the
paper and the pen…wiper with the tips of her fingers！
〃One is round and one is square；〃 she answered； cunningly opening her
eyes again； just in time to bear critical inspection when Grosse turned
round towards her once more。
He took the paper and the pen…wiper out of her hands； and （thoroughly
understanding the trick she had played him） changed them for a bronze
saucer and a book。 〃Which is round？ and which is square of these？〃 he
asked； holding them up before her。
She looked first at one； and then at the otherplainly incapable （with
only her eyes to help her） of answering the question。
〃I put you outdon't I？〃 said Grosse。 〃You can't shut your eyes； my
lofely Feench； while I am lookingcan you？〃
She turned redthen pale again。 I began to be afraid she would burst out
crying。 Grosse managed her to perfection。 The tact of this rough； ugly；
eccentric old man was the most perfect tact I have ever met with。
〃Shut your eyes；〃 he said soothingly。 〃It is the right ways to learn。
Shut your eyes； and take them in your hands； and tell me which is round
and which is square in that way first。〃
She told him directly。
〃Goot！ now open your eyes； and see for yourself it is the saucers you
have got in your right hand； and the books you have got in your left。 You
see？ Goot again！ Put them back on the table now。 What shall we do next？〃
〃May I try if I can write？〃 she asked eagerly。 〃I do so want to see if I
can write with my eyes instead of my finger。〃
〃No！ Ten thausand times no！ I forbid reading； I forbid writing； yet。 Come
with me to the window。 How do these most troublesome eyes of yours do at
a distance？〃
While we had been trying our experiment with Lucilla； the weather had
brightened again。 The clouds were parting； the sun was coming out； the
bright gaps of blue in the sky were widening every moment； the shadows
were traveling grandly over the windy slopes of the hills。 Lucilla lifted
her hands in speechless admiration as the German threw open the window；
and placed her face to face with the view。
〃Oh！〃 she exclaimed； 〃don't speak to me！ don't touch me！let me enjoy
it！ There is no disappointment _here。_ I have never thought； I have never
dreamed； of anything half so beautiful as _this！_〃
Grosse looked at me； and silently pointed to her。 She had turned
paleshe was trembling in every limb； overwhelmed by her own ecstatic
sense of the glory of the sky and the beauty of the earth； as they now
met her view for the first time。 I penetrated the surgeon's object in
directing my attention to her。 〃See〃 （he meant to say）； 〃what a
delicately…organized creature we have to deal with！ Is it possible to be
too careful in handling such a sensitive temperament as that？〃
Understanding him only too well； I also trembled when I thought of the
future。 Everything now depended on Nugent。 And Nugent's own lips had told
me that he could not depend on himself！
It was a relief to me when Grosse interrupted her。
She pleaded hard to be allowed to stay at the window a little longer。 He
refused to allow it。 Upon that she flew instantly into the opposite
extreme。 〃I am in my own room； and I am my own mistress；〃 she said
angrily。 〃I insist on having my own way。〃 Grosse was ready with his
answer。
〃Take your own ways； fatigue those weak new eyes of yoursand to…morrow；
when you try to look out of window； you will not be able to see at all。〃
This reply terrified her into instant submission。 She assisted in
replacing the bandage with her own hands。 〃May I go away to my own room？〃
she asked； with the simplicity of a child。 〃I have seen such beautiful
sightsand I do so want to think of them by myself。〃
The medical adviser instantly granted the patient's request。 Any
proceeding which tended to compose her； was a proceeding of which he
highly approved。
〃If Oscar comes；〃 she whispered； as she passed me on her way to the door；
〃mind I hear of it！ and mind you don't tell him of the mistakes I have
made！〃 She paused for a moment； thinking。 〃I don't understand myself；〃
she said。 〃I never was so happy in my life。 And yet I feel almost ready
to cry！〃 She turned towards Grosse。 〃Come here； papa。 You have been very
good to me to…day。 I will give you a kiss。〃 She laid her hands lightly on
his shoulders； kissed his lined and wrinkled cheek； gave me a little
squeeze round the waistand left us。 Grosse turned sharply to the
window； and used his huge silk handkerchief for a purpose to which （I
suspect） it had not been put for many a long year past。
CHAPTER THE FORTIETH
Traces of Nugent
〃MADAME PRATOLUNGO！〃
〃Herr Grosse？〃
He put his handkerchief back into his pocket； and turned round to me from
the window with his face composed again； and his tea…caddy snuff…box in
his hand。
〃Now you have seen for your own self；〃 he said； with an emphatic rap on
the box； 〃do you dare tell that sweet girls which of them it is that has
gone his ways and left her for ever？〃
It is not easy to find a limit to the obstinacy of womenwhen men expect
them to acknowledge themselves to have been wrong。 After what I had seen；
I no more dared tell her than he did。 I was only too obstinate to
acknowledge it to himjust yet。
〃Mind this！〃 he went on。 Whether you shake her with frights； or whether
you heat her with rages； or whether you wound her with griefsit all
goes straight the same to those weak new eyes of hers。 They are so weak
and so new； that I must ask once more for my beds here to…night； for to
see to…morrow if I have not already tried them too much。 Now； for the
last time of asking； have you got the abominable courage in you to tell
her the truth？〃
He had found my limit at last。 I was obliged to own （heartily as I
disliked doing it） that there was； for the present； no choice left but
mercifully to conceal the truth。 Having gone this length I next attempted
to consult him as to the safest manner in which I could account to
Lucilla for Oscar's absence。 He refused （as a man） to recognize the
slightest necessity for giving me （as a woman） any advice on a question
of evasions and excuses。 〃I have not lived all my years in the world；
without learning something；〃 he said。 〃When it comes to walking upon
eggshells and telling fips； the womens have nothing to learn from the
mens。Will you take a little stroll…walk with me in the garden？ I have
one odder thing to say to you： and I am hungry and thirsty both
togedderfor This。〃
He produced 〃This；〃 in the form of his pipe。 We left the room at once for
our stroll in the garden。
Having solaced himself w