"She is well punished for her greediness," said the girl, "but she will have time to come round again before I get to market, or else I should not be able to sell her; folks would fancy there was something the matter with her, and I want to get a good price for my fowls, that I may have something more than my mother reckons on: and then I shall be able to spend that in tea and sugar; for tea, she says, comforts her more than any thing." "Is anything the matter with your mother," asked Willy, "that she wants to be comforted?" "Oh dear, she is blind," said the girl, "and I am sure that's uncomfortable enough. Stone blind! and yet she is not an old woman neither, but she has got what the doctors call a cataract, and they say it can be cured, but that the time is not yet come to cure it; but when it does, we are to take her to Derby to the hospital, and there the doctors will do something to her eyes. Oh, I don't like to think of it," said she, shuddering, "but then they say she will see again, just as she did years ago." "You need not be afraid of the operation for your mother," said Willy's mother; "I assure you it is not painful." "Why, sure you have not had it done to your eyes, Ma'am?" "No; but I know from those who have: it is called _couching_, and if the eyes are carefully bound up afterwards till they get strong, she may see as well as ever." "But," said Willy, "I suppose you will stay with her at the hospital to take care of her." "No; I shall not be able," replied the market girl, "I must stay at home to take care of the house, and of my younger brother and sister, Johnny and Betsey, who go to school." "Then," asked Willy, "does no body stay with your poor blind mother when you go to market?" "It's lucky enough that one of the market days is of a Saturday, when there is a holiday at school, and on Thursdays, that's to-day, the little girl stays at home on purpose to attend to mother. Then, as for the hospital, she will want for no care there, for we have a grandmother living at Derby, and though she is old, she makes as good a nurse as anyone; and she will be sure to take care of her own daughter. Besides, there are plenty of doctors and nurses at the hospital," said she. "Oh, Derby's a famous place for poor folks; I suppose you know all about the fine gardens Mr. Joseph Strutt has made for the people to walk about and amuse themselves in?" "No, indeed," replied Willy's mother; "we do not know Mr. Joseph Strutt." "Not know him!" cried the girl, lifting up her hands with astonishment, "I thought every body knew Mr. Joseph Strutt. Well, you are going to Derby, where he lives; so pray go and see him and his house full of curiosities." "But as we are not acquainted with him, we cannot take the liberty of going to his house, or walking in his gardens."