Lucilla employed a much longer time in examining him than she had occupied in examining me.
While the investigation was proceeding, I had leisure to think again over what had passed between Nugent and me on the subject of Lucilla's blindness, before she entered the room.

My mind had by this time recovered its balance.

I was able to ask myself what this young fellow's daring idea was really worth.

Was it within the range of possibility that a sense so delicate as the sense of sight, lost for one-and-twenty years, could be restored by any means short of a miracle?
It was monstrous to suppose it: the thing could not be.

If there had been the faintest chance of giving my poor dear back the blessing of sight, that chance would have been tried by competent persons years and years since.