daughter. She has suffered a shock that will probably
render her blind as long as she lives."

Mr. and Mrs. Hardy listened, pale-faced and troubled. It was hard to
think of the girl, so strong-willed, so passionate, and yet so capable
of noble impulses and loving desires, as all her life shut up within
the darkness thus. It was bitter to think of this for her. What would
it be to _her_ when, she awoke to the whole consciousness of it?

The doctor spoke again slowly: "There is another thing you ought to be
prepared for. In rare cases like this, it happens sometimes that a
loss of hearing accompanies the loss of sight." Then, after a pause,
"And with the loss of sight and hearing it is possible the peculiar
shock has deprived your daughter of the power of speech. I do not know
yet whether this has happened, but I prepare you for the worst."

"Blind, and deaf, and dumb," murmured Mr. Hardy, while his wife sat
down and buried her face in the bedclothes and sobbed. It seemed
terrible to them.

The doctor, after a little further examination, said nothing more could
be done at present. He gave directions for certain necessary
treatment, and departed, after giving a look at Will and Bess, and
prescribing for them.

Mr. Hardy went downstairs and quietly told James all that the doctor
had said. To a man living on the verge of eternity, as Mr. Hardy was,
there was no time for evasions or the postponing of bad news or the
utterance of soft speeches.

James took the news more calmly than Mr. Hardy thought he would. It
was evident he did not realise all that was meant by it.

"Can you love Clara under these conditions?" asked Mr. Hardy, looking
at James with a sympathy that the young man could not help feeling.

"Yes, sir, more than ever. Why, is she not more in need of it than
ever?"

"True; but what can you do with a helpless creature like that?"

"God help us, sir! If she were my wife now, and were dependent on me,
don't you think I could care for her more tenderly than anyone else in
the world?"

Mr. Hardy shook his head. "This is a hard blow to me, James. I don't
know just what to say yet. But it is possible the poor girl may not
have to suffer all that. Let us hope the doctor is not justified in
his supposition. Indeed, he said he could not tell for certain that
loss of hearing and speech would follow. If they do I cannot see how
Clara can retain her reason when she recovers from the shock. Jame