Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-05
CHAPTER XXXIII.
Waiting.

but remember, my poor fellow, that
there Is a possibility, more than a posi-
bility, that you may recover your sight
if you will submit to what is necessary"
AS he spoke there was a little break in
his voice.
Harold lay still. The whole universe
seemed to sway. and then whirl round
him In chaotic mass His ears were full
of vague. meaningless sound. Through it
at length he seemed to hear the, calm
voice:
''At first I could not be sure. of my
surmise. for when I used the ophthalmo-
scope your suffering was too recent to
disclose the cause I looked for. Now I
am fairly sure of 1t. What I have since
heard from you has convinced me; your
having suffered from rheumatic fever,
and the Renaissance of the rheumatic
pain after your terrible experience of the
fire and that long. chilling swim. Your
disease. as l have diagnosed it, is an OBJ
scure one and not common. / have not
before been able to study case. All
these things give me great hopes"
THANK God, Thank God,' the voice
from the bed was now whisper, and
was fervent to a degree which moved the
other to hear.
Thank God. say I, too This that you
nation of the optic nerve. What we call
retrobulbar neuritis. 1t may. of course.
end badly; In permanent loss of sight.
But | hope-1 believe. that in your case
you are immensely strong; not merely
muscularly, but in constitution. 1 can
see that you have been athlete. and
no mean one. either All this will stand
to you. But it will take time. 1t will
need all your own help: all the calm re-
straint Of your body and your mind.
am doing all that science knows; you
must do the rest. He waited, giving
time to the other to realize his ideas.
Harold lay still for long time before he
spoke:
Doctor" The voice was so strangely
different that the other was more hopeful
at once. He had feared opposition or
conflict of some kind. He answered as
cheerily as he could:
Yes! l am listening"
You are a good fellow. and 1 am CRATE
full to you both for what you have done
and what you have told me. l cannot
say how grateful just yet; hope humans
me at present. But I think you deserve
that 1 should tell you the TRUTH The
other nodded; he forgot that the speaker
could not see.
Are we alone; absolutely alone?"
absolutely
Have 7 your Solemn promise that any
thing I may say shall never so beyond
YOURSELF"
L promise. L can swear, IL Ill Will make
your mind more easy in the matter"
Il don't want to be seen by any one.
l know Lady de Lannoy!
What. 1 should have thought that
was reason for wanting her to see you.
She seems not only one of the most beau
tiful. but the sweetest woman l ever
met
She is all that! And thousand times
more!'
Then why Pardon mci'
Il cannot tell you all. but you must
take 1T that my need to get away is i'm
perative.'' After bordering a while Mr..
Hilton said. suddenly:
Il must ask your pardon again. But
are you sure there is no mistake. Lady
de Lannoy is not married: has not been
She Is countess in her own right. 1t is
quite romance. She inherited from
some old branch of more than three
hunfred years ago. Again Harold
smiled: he quite saw what the other
meant. He answered. gravely:
81 understand. But il does not alter my
opinion: my purpose. 1t is needful-abso-
lutely and imperatively needful that get
away without her recognizing me OF
knowing who am"
she does not know you now. she has
not seen you yet"
"That is why / hoped /: set away In