s the
pity! I shall hope to see you some day--like people when they want you
not to call. At present my looks don't flatter me. People think I'm
humbugging when I say I can't see them. I _can't_!"

"'Tis a small wonder, sir," said Granny Marrable, "people should be hard
of belief. I would not have thought you could not, myself. But being
your eyes are spared, by God's mercy, they be ready for the sight to
return, when His will is."

"That's all, Granny. It's only the sight that's wanting. The eyes are as
good as any in the kingdom, in themselves." This made Gwen feel
dreadfully afraid Granny Marrable would think the gentleman was laughing
at her. But Adrian had taken a better measure of the Granny's childlike
simplicity and directness than hers. He ran on, as though it was all
quite right. "Anyhow, don't run away from us to Kingdom Come just yet a
while, Granny, and see if I don't come to see you and your sister--real
eyesight, you know; not this make-believe! I hope she's picking up."

"She's better--because Dr. Nash says she's better. Only I wish it would
come out so we might see it. But it may be I'm a bit impatient. 'Tis the
time of life does it, no doubt."

Ruth Thrale returned from the inner room. "She would like her ladyship
to go to her," said she. Gwen could not help noticing that
somehow--Heaven knows how, but quite perceptibly--the next room seemed
to claim for itself the status of an invalid chamber. She accompanied
Widow Thrale, who closed the room-door behind her, apparently to secure
unheard speech in the passage. "She isn't any _worse_, you know," said
Ruth, in a reassuring manner, which made her hearer look scared, and
start. "Only when she gets away to thinking of beyond the seas--that
place where she was--that _is_ bad for her, say how we may! Not that
she minds talking of my father, nor my brother that died, nor any tale
of the land and the people; but 'tis the coming back to make it all
fit."

Gwen quite understood this, and re-worded it, for elucidation. "Of
course everything clashes, and the poor old dear can't make head or tail
of it! Has there been any particular thing, lately?" The reply
was:--"Yes--early this morning. She woke up talking about Mrs. Skillick,
the name sounded like, and how kind she was to bring her the fresh
lettuces. And then she found me by her and knew I was Ruth, but was all
in a maze why! Then it all seemed to come on her again, and she was in a
bad upset for a while