May I ask how long she has been blind ?" "Since she was a year old," I replied.
"Through an accident ?" "No." "After a fever?
or a disease of any other sort ?" I began to feel a little surprised at his entering into these medical details.
"I never heard that it was through a fever, or other illness," I said.
"So far as I know, the blindness came on unexpectedly, from some cause that did not express itself to the people about her, at the time." He drew his chair confidentially nearer to mine.

"How old is she ?" he asked.
I began to feel more than a little surprised; and I showed it, I suppose, on telling him Lucilla's age.
"As things are now," he explained, "there are reasons which make me hesitate to enter on the question of Miss Finch's blindness either with my brother, or with any members of the family.

I must wait to speak about it to _them,_ until I can speak to good practical purpose.

There is no harm in my starting the subject with _you._ When she first lost her sight, no means of restoring it were left untried, of course ?" "I should suppose not," I replied.

"It's so long since, I have never asked." "So long since," he repeated--and then considered for a moment.
His reflections ended in a last question.
"She is resigned, I suppose--and everybody about her is resigned--to the idea of her being hopelessly blind for life." Instead of answering him, I put a question on my side.