The lank man came into the parlour, set his hat on a chair, and looked at Sidney very intently. His vacuity of expression vanished, and a keen intelligence took its place.
"Good morning, sir," he said, in fair English; "you are the blind gentleman Mr. Hinchford has requested me to see?"
"The same, sir."
"You are sure you're blind?"
"Maurice, this man is a——"
"Yes, very clever. You have heard of Dr. Bario—he has been resident in Paris some years now."
"Ah!" said Sidney, listlessly.
"There is a blindness that be not blindness, sir—that's my theory," said the Italian; "a something that comes suddenly like a blight—the off-spring of much excitement, very often."
"Mine had been growing upon me for years—I was prepared for it by a man as skilful as yourself."
"May I put to you his name."