They greeted her with such a burst of applause as might have frightened a grown actress.

But not a note from those cheering voices, not a breath of sound from those loudly clapping hands could reach her; she could see that they were welcoming her kindly, and that was all! When the applause had subsided, Mr.Jubber asked for the loan of a handkerchief from one of the ladies present, and ostentatiously bandaged the child's eyes.

He then lifted her upon the broad low wall which encircled the ring, and walked her round a little way (beginning from the door through which he had entered), inviting the spectators to test her total deafness by clapping their hands, shouting, or making any loud noise they pleased close at her ear.

"You might fire off a cannon, ladies and gentlemen," said Mr.Jubber, "and it wouldn't make her start till after she'd smelt the smoke!" To the credit of the Rubbleford audience, the majority of them declined making any practical experiments to test the poor child's utter deafness.

The women set the example of forbearance, by entreating that the handkerchief might be taken off so that they might see her pretty eyes again.