"Who art thou? What dost thou want? Art thou a beggar? Dost thou expect
alms?"
The old woman made no answer. I bent down to her and perceived that both
her eyes were veiled with a semi-transparent, whitish membrane or film,
such as some birds have; therewith they protect their eyes from too
brilliant a light.
But in the old woman's case that film did not move and reveal the
pupils ... from which I inferred that she was blind.
"Dost thou want alms?" I repeated my question.--"Why art thou following
me?"--But, as before, the old woman did not answer, and merely shrank
back almost imperceptibly.