e room and see. Then lock the door and come and talk to me
if you will. You will pity a poor blind fellow, I know. The darkness
has come down upon me so quickly that I am not accustomed to it!' There
was a break in his voice which moved the other. He lit a candle, feeling
that the doing so would impress his patient, and went round the room; not
with catlike movement this time--he wanted the other to hear him. When
he had turned the key in the lock, as sharply as he could, he came to the
bedside and sat down. Harold spoke again after a short pause:

'Is that candle still lit?'

'Yes! Would you like it put out?'

'If you don't mind! Again I say pity me and pardon me. But I want to
ask you something privately, between our two selves; and I will feel more
of equality than if you were looking at me, whilst I cannot see you.' Mr
Hilton blew out the candle.

'There! We are equal now.'

'Thank you!' A long pause; then he went on:

'When a man becomes suddenly blind is there usually, or even
occasionally, any sort of odd sight? . . . Does he see anything like a
dream, a vision?'

'Not that I know of. I have never heard of such a case. As a rule
people struck blind by lightning, which is the most common cause,
sometimes remember with extraordinary accuracy the last thing they have
seen. Just as though it were photographed on the retina!'

'Thank you! Is such usually the recurrence of any old dream or anything
they have much thought of?'

'Not that I know of. It would be unusual!' Harold waited a long time
before he spoke again. When he did so it was in a different voice; a
constrained voice. The Doctor, accustomed to take enlightenment from
trivial details, noted it:

'Now tell me, Mr. Hilton, something about what has happened. Where am
I?'

'In Lannoy Castle.'

'Where is it?'

'In Angleshire!'

'Who does it belong to?'

'Lady de Lannoy. The Countess de Lannoy; they tell me she is a Countess
in her own right.'

'It is very good of her to have me here. Is she an old lady?'

'No! A young one. Young and very beautiful.' After a pause before his
query:

'What's she like? Describe her to me!'

'She is young, a little over twenty. Tall and of a very fine figure. She
has eyes like black diamonds, and hair like a flame!' For a long time
Harold remained still. Then he said:

'Tell me all you know or have learned of this whole affair. How was I
rescued, and by whom?' So the Doct