o would the
young gentleman have got for a wife, if nobody had shot him? Answer me
that! Some girl, I suppose!"

Yes, indeed! To marry Gwen o' the Towers! But how about the poor
gentleman's eyesight? This crux was conjointly propounded. "Think what
eyesight is to a man!" said Widow Thrale gravely and convincingly.

Mrs. Lamprey echoed back:--"His eyesight?" with a pounce on the first
syllable. But seemed to reflect, saying with an abated emphasis:--"Only
of course you wouldn't know _that_." Know what?--said inquiry.
"Why--about his eyesight! And perhaps I've no call to tell you, seeing I
had it in confidence, as you might say."

This was purely formal, in order to register a breach of confidence as
an allotropic form of good faith. All pointed out their perfect
trustworthiness; and Mrs. Lamprey, with very little further protest,
narrated how she had been present when her master, Dr. Nash--whom you
will remember as having attended Adrian after the accident--told how his
colleague at Pensham Steynes had written to him an account of the
curious momentary revival of Adrian's eyesight, or perhaps dream. But
Dr. Nash had thrown doubt on the dream, and had predicted to his wife
that other incidents of the same sort would follow, would become more
frequent, and end in complete recovery.

A general expression of rejoicing--most emphatic on the part of Keziah,
who had a strong personal interest at stake--was followed by a reaction.
It was hardly possible to concede Gwen o' the Towers to any consort
short of a monarch on his throne, or a coroneted lord of thousands of
acres at least, except by virtue of some great sacrifice on the part of
the fortunate man, that would average his lot with that of common
humanity. It wasn't fair. Let Fate be reasonable! Adrian, blind for
life, was one thing; but to call such a peerless creature wife, and have
eyes to see her! A line must be drawn, somewhere!

"We must hope," said Granny Marrable, as soon as a working eyesight was
fairly installed in each one's image of Mr. Torrens, "that he may prove
himself worthy."

Said Widow Thrale:--"'Tis no ways hard to guess which her ladyship would
choose. I would not have been happy to wed with a blind husband. Nor
yourself, Cousin Keziah!"

Said Mrs. Keziah:--"I'm a-looking forward to the telling of my good man.
But I lay he'll be for sayun' next, that he'll be all to blame if the
wedding turn out ill."

"How can ye put that down to him, to lay