"Oh, no, indeed!" Rupert assured him. "She's such a merry girl—you should hear her laugh!"
"But never to be able to see anything or any one! It must be awful. And you say she has always been blind? Couldn't a doctor make her see?"
"No. Father and mother have taken her to several very clever doctors, and they all say the same, that she will always be blind," Nellie replied.
Bob looked inexpressibly shocked. He asked several more questions about Lilian, and finally said:
"Well, I should think you must always be trying to do things to please her to make up for her being blind."
His companions greeted this remark in silence, both being conscious that, on the contrary, it was generally Lilian who tried to please them. Then, by way of changing the conversation, Rupert spoke of the preparations which were being made for Christmas, to all of which Bob listened with great interest, wondering if he would be allowed a sight of the Christmas tree.
By-and-by Bob suggested that they should go into the house, and have some lunch; so they left the orchard, strolled through the farm-yard, and entered the large kitchen with its red-tiled floor. Only Sally was there, so they made their way to the dairy, where they found Mr. Coker in conversation with the mistress of the establishment, who was packing butter and eggs for market.
"Well, young people, have you made friends, eh?" Mr. Coker asked, as the children entered.
"Yes," assented Bob. "I was in an apple-tree in the orchard, and they didn't see me at first; but I let them know where I was by shying an apple at him," he said, indicating Rupert with a nod. "It was a true shot. You would have laughed to have seen how silly he looked, and how astonished!"
Rupert coloured and was vexed, for he was unaccustomed to being ridiculed. He had intended to be very kind to Bob; but, all the same, he had meant to give him to understand that he did not desire to be on too familiar terms with him immediately.