he garden
hedge.

"Good-evening," said a decisive voice suddenly, speaking as if it was a
good evening, and he who spoke would like to hear any one contradict
him.

"Good-evening, sir," replied John Grange, adding the "sir," for the
voice seemed familiar, and he knew the speaker was riding.

"You remember me, eh?"

There was a slight twitching about the muscles of John Grange's forehead
as he craned his neck towards the speaker, and then he seemed to draw
back, as he said sadly--

"No, sir; I seem to remember your voice, but I am blind."

"Quite blind?"

"Yes, sir."

"Look in my direction--hard, and now tell me: can you not make out my
face, even faintly?"

"I can see that there is light, sir, where you are; but you have your
back to the west. It is the warm sunset."

"Then you are not quite blind, my lad. Well, has Mrs Mostyn forgiven
you about her orchids?"

"Ah! I remember you now, sir," cried Grange. "You are the friend--the
great doctor--who came to see them."

"To be sure I am the doctor--I don't know about great--who stayed the
night--Doctor Renton, of the Gables, Dale-by-Lyndon."

"Yes, sir, I know. I have heard tell of your beautiful garden."

"Indeed? Well, look here, my man. Your mistress interested me in your
case, and I thought I would ride over some evening and see you. I
should like you to come to me, so that I could examine your eyes, and
test them a little."

John Grange turned ghastly and fell a-trembling, as he grasped at the
window-sill to steady himself.

"Come, come, that will not do," cried the doctor quickly. "Be a man!
You are weak and nervous. Try and control your feelings."

"But--then--oh, for Heaven's sake, speak, sir," said Grange, in a husky
whisper. "You think there is hope?"

"I do not say that, my man, but since Mrs Mostyn told me about your
case, I have thought of it a great deal. Come over and see me, saying
nothing to any one, for fear of disappointment. Then, if I think it is
worth while, you shall come up to London and stay."

"It is too much to bear," groaned the sufferer.

"No: and you will bear it. But you must expect nothing. I shall in all
probability fail, but if I do, you will be no worse off than you are
now."

"No, sir, I could be no worse off," faltered Grange.

"That is the way to take it. Then you will come? But I must warn you:
it may mean your being away for a year--perhaps for two."

"I would do anything to get back my