She answered the question put to her and then stopped dead.

I called downstairs to her on one occasion, before I understood her peculiarities, to ask her if she knew the time.
She replied, "Yes, sir," and disappeared into the back kitchen.

At the end of thirty seconds or so, I called down again.

"I asked you, Amenda," I said reproachfully, "to tell me the time about ten minutes ago." "Oh, did you ?" she called back pleasantly.

"I beg your pardon.