cannot diagnose exactly until I can use the
ophthalmoscope.' His words gave Stephen confidence. Laying her hand on
his arm unconsciously in the extremity of pity she said earnestly:

'Oh, do what you can for him. He must be a noble creature; and all that
is possible must be done. I shall never rest happily if through any
failing on my part he suffers as you fear.'

'I shall do all I can,' he said with equal earnestness, touched with her
eager pity. 'And I shall not trust myself alone, if any other can be of
service. Depend upon it, Lady de Lannoy, all shall be as you wish.'

There was little sleep in the Castle that night till late. Mr. Hilton
slept on a sofa in the Queen's Room after he had administered a narcotic
to his patient.

As soon as the eastern sky began to quicken, he rode, as he had arranged
during the evening, to Dr. Winter's house at Lannoch Port where he was
staying. After selecting such instruments and drugs as he required, he
came back in the dogcart.

It was still early morning when he regained the Castle. He found Lady de
Lannoy up and looking anxiously for him. Her concern was somewhat abated
when he was able to tell her that his patient still slept.

It was a painful scene for Mr. Hilton when his patient woke. Fortunately
some of the after-effects of the narcotic remained, for his despair at
realising that he was blind was terrible. It was not that he was
violent; to be so under his present circumstances would have been foreign
to Harold's nature. But there was a despair which was infinitely more
sad to witness than passion. He simply moaned to himself:

'Blind! Blind!' and again in every phase of horrified amazement, as
though he could not realise the truth: 'Blind! Blind!' The Doctor laid
his hand on his breast and said very gently:

'My poor fellow, it is a dreadful thing to face, to think of. But as yet
I have not been able to come to any conclusion; unable even to examine
you. I do not wish to encourage hopes that may be false, but there are
cases when injury is not vital and perhaps only temporary. In such case
your best chance, indeed your only chance, is to keep quiet. You must
not even think if possible of anything that may excite you. I am now
about to examine you with the ophthalmoscope. You are a man; none of us
who saw your splendid feat last night can doubt your pluck. Now I want
you to use some of it to help us both. You, for your recovery, if such
is