as almost provoked to see how
lightly she could hop about; but then, as he said, she could put a
second foot down to save herself, whenever she pleased. Every day,
however, walking became easier to him; and he even discovered, when
accidentally left alone, and wanting something from the opposite end of
the room, that he could rise, and set forth by himself, and be
independent. And in one of these excursions it was that he found the
truth of what Agnes had told him--how much easier it was to move both
crutches together. When he showed his mother this, she said she thought
he would soon learn to do with only one.

Hugh found himself subject to very painful feelings sometimes--such as
no one quite understood, and such as he feared no one was able to pity
as they deserved. A surprise of this sort happened to him the evening
before his father was to come to see him, and to fetch away his mother.

It was the dark hour in the afternoon--the hour when Mrs. Proctor and
her children enjoyed every day a quiet talk, before Mr. Shaw came to
carry Hugh into his aunt's parlour to tea. Nothing could be merrier than
Hugh had been; and his mother and Agnes were chatting, when they thought
they heard a sob from the sofa. They spoke to Hugh, and found that he
was indeed crying bitterly.

"What is it, my dear?" said his mother. "Agnes, have we said anything
that could hurt him?"

"No, no," sobbed Hugh. "I will tell you presently."

And presently he told them that he was so busy listening to what they
said, that he forgot everything else, when he felt as if something had
got between two of his toes; unconsciously he put his hand down, and his
foot was not there! Nothing could be plainer than the feeling in his
toes: and then, when he put out his hand, and found nothing, it was so
terrible--it startled him so.

It was a comfort to him to find that his mother knew all about this. She
came and kneeled beside his sofa, and told him that many persons who had
lost a limb considered this odd feeling the most painful thing they had
to bear for some time; but that, though the feeling would return
occasionally through life, it would cease to be painful. When he had
become so used to do without his foot as to leave off wanting or wishing
for it, he would perhaps make a joke of the feeling, instead of being
disappointed. At least she knew that some persons did so who had lost a
limb.

This did not comfort Hugh much, for every prospect had sudden