(He has a wooden stump, not a smart footed thing like mine, but I shall change all that now!).
Antoine could not contain himself, and heaven knows what the underservants did!
I told them all to run out and see what was happening, but Pierre said no, the déjeuner of Monsieur must not be neglected. Time enough in the afternoon!
Eleven came, and with it the oculist, and by luncheon time I had a second blue eye! But Oh! the shouting in the streets and the passionate joy in the air!
The two men preened themselves upon keeping this appointment upon so great a day, and indeed my gratitude was deep. But the same gladness did not hold me as when my leg was given back to me. Everything was now swallowed up in an overwhelming suspense.
I walked to the glass soberly when the doctors had gone, eager to get away and join the rejoicers. And what I saw startled me. How astonishing the art of these things is now! Unless I turn my glance in some impossible way I have apparently two bright blue eyes, with the same lids and lashes, the scrap of shrapnel only injured the orb itself, and did not touch the lid, fortunately, and the socket had healed up miraculously in the last month. I am not now a disgusting object. Perhaps, possibly—Yes, can I induce her to love me soon?
But what is the good of it all? She has not returned, and now something must be done.
But on this day of days no one could be found to attend to anything! Shops were shut, post offices did not work. The city was mad with rejoicing.
At luncheon I ate,—gulped down my food. Burton's calm reassured me.