The General never came in at all till the last guest had gone. Then he sought his wife, and standing on the hearth-rug with his back to the fire he told her that Major Murray had been to see him, and had recounted Ger's visit of the morning, and the result of his investigations. Mrs Grantly, which was unusual, never interrupted once. "So you can understand," the General concluded, "I didn't feel like facing a lot of people." "I shall write at once to Margie," Mrs Grantly cried breathlessly, "and tell her she is a fool." "I wouldn't do that," the General said gently; "poor Margie, she has a good deal on her shoulders." "All the same--do you remember that that unfortunate child has been punished--punished because he was considered idle and obstinate over his lessons . . . punished . . . little Ger--friendly, jolly little Ger . . . I can't bear it," and Mrs Grantly burst into tears. The General looked very much as though he would like to cry too. "It's an unfortunate business," he said huskily, "but you see, none of us have ever had any eye trouble, and the other children have all such good sight . . . it never occurred to me . . . I must confess . . . of course it can be put right very easily; you're to take him to the oculist to-morrow; I've telephoned and made the appointment." Mrs Grantly dried her eyes. "We're all to blame," she exclaimed, "I'm just as much to blame as Margie . . . she'll be fearfully upset I don't know how to tell her." "Tell you what," exclaimed the General, "I'll write to Ffolliot . . . I'll do it now, this instant, and the letter will catch the 7.30 post . . ." At the door he paused and added more cheerfully, "I shall enjoy writing to Ffolliot." CHAPTER XVIII WHAT FOLLOWED As General Grantly had predicted, Mrs Ffolliot was very much upset when she heard about Ger's eyes, and was for rushing up to London herself, there and then to interview the oculist. But Mr Ffolliot dissuaded her. For one thing, he hated Redmarley without her even for a single night. For another, he considered such a journey a needless expense. This, however, he did not mention, but contented himself with the suggestion that it would seem a reflection upon Mrs Grantly's competence to do anything of the kind; and that consideration weighed heavily with his wife where the other would have been brushed aside as immaterial and irrelevant. "I can't understand it," the Squire remarked plaintively; "I did not know there had ever been any eye trouble in your family." "There never has, so far as I know; but surely," and Mrs Ffolliot spoke with something less than her usual gentle deference, "we needn't seek far to find where Ger gets his." "Do you mean that he inherits it from ME?" "Well, my dear Larrie, surely _you've_ got defective sight, else why the monocle?"