Lady Grebe blurted out what Sir John and Barbara had thought, but
had had too much delicacy to express.
'Sure, 'tis mighty hard for you, poor Barbara, that the one little
gift he had to justify your rash choice of him--his wonderful good
looks--should be taken away like this, to leave 'ee no excuse at all
for your conduct in the world's eyes . . . Well, I wish you'd
married t'other--that do I!' And the lady sighed.
'He'll soon get right again,' said her father soothingly.
Such remarks as the above were not often made; but they were
frequent enough to cause Barbara an uneasy sense of self-
stultification. She determined to hear them no longer; and the
house at Yewsholt being ready and furnished, she withdrew thither
with her maids, where for the first time she could feel mistress of
a home that would be hers and her husband's exclusively, when he
came.
After long weeks Willowes had recovered sufficiently to be able to
write himself; and slowly and tenderly he enlightened her upon the
full extent of his injuries. It was a mercy, he said, that he had
not lost his sight entirely; but he was thankful to say that he
still retained full vision in one eye, though the other was dark for
ever. The sparing manner in which he meted out particulars of his
condition told Barbara how appalling had been his experience. He
was grateful for her assurance that nothing could change her; but
feared she did not fully realize that he was so sadly disfigured as
to make it doubtful if she would recognize him.
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