The question is what to do before she is caught and hurried to bed again.

Her fingers are tingling to prepare the breakfast; she would dearly love to black-lead the grate, but that might rouse her daughter from whose side she has slipped so cunningly.

She catches sight of the screen at the foot of the bed, and immediately her soft face becomes very determined.

To guard her from draughts the screen had been brought here from the lordly east room, where it was of no use whatever.

But in her opinion it was too beautiful for use; it belonged to the east room, where she could take pleasant peeps at it; she had objected to its removal, even become low-spirited.