She suffered when she felt her day was diminished, she felt she had missed her life.

She seemed to grip the hours by the throat, to force her life from them.

She was rather pale and ghastly, as if left behind, in the morning.

Yet she had her power, her will was strangely pervasive.

With the entrance of the two young men a sudden tension was felt.
She lifted her face, and said, in her amused sing-song: 'Good morning! Did you sleep well?
I'm so glad.' And she turned away, ignoring them.