Greta's eyes were swimming in tears.
"Rest quiet, Mercy. Everything may be lost if you disturb yourself now, my dear."
The doctors were wrapping bandage over bandage, and fixing them firmly at the back of their patient's head.
"Now listen again," said one of them. "This bandage must be kept over your eyes for a week."
"A week—a whole week? Oh, doctor, you might as well say forever!"
"I say a week. And if you should ever remove it—"
"Not for an instant? Not raise it a little?"
"If you ever remove it for an instant, or raise it ever so little, you will assuredly lose your sight forever. Remember that."
"Oh, doctor, it is terrible! Why did you not tell me so before? Oh, this is worse than blindness! Think of the temptation, and I have never seen my boy!"
The doctor had fixed the bandage, and his voice was less stern, but no less resolute.