Page:Rowland--The Mountain of Fears.djvu/296

  How soon will you be able to tell with certainty?' asked Dalton, calmly.

" 'Probably when I dress your eyes to-morrow,' said the Doctor, adding, 'at the worst, you will never be in the dark. . . .'

"'I know. . . .' Dalton's voice was very low, very quiet; . . . 'you mean that I will live behind ground glass. . . .'

"The firm mouth stiffened and the triangular space which it occupied beneath the band ages grew suddenly white. At a sign from the doctor we picked him up and carried him to his berth and left him there to fight his fight alone.

"That night I sat late with Burton and the pious old chief had a sharp tussle to remain within the bounds of Christian submission as we discussed the accident. I soon discovered that he knew more of Dalton than he cared to tell, but I asked no questions. When I left him at eleven o'clock I passed the open door of Dalton's room, and as I did so I was conscious of one of those long, deep, shuddering [ 280 ]