In silence
they passed through the baize door at the end of the corridor, so into
the addition at the back of the house, which contained Mrs. Ellsworth's
room and bath, with another small room suitable for a maid, and occupied
by Annesley. This addition had been built a year or two before Annesley's
arrival, and saved Mrs. Ellsworth the necessity of mounting and
descending the stairs, as she used the dining room to sit in and seldom
went into the drawing room on the floor above. Annesley was not surprised
to see that the fire in her mistress's room was still a bank of glowing
coals, for one of Mrs. Ellsworth's pleasures was to represent herself in
the light of a martyr. The girl made no remark, however: she was far too
experienced for such mistakes in tact.
Still in silence, she peeled the stout figure of its dressing gown and
helped it into a short, knitted bed-jacket.
"When you get the dining-room scuttle, put out the light there and in the
corridor," Mrs. Ellsworth said. "If you leave this door open you can see
your way with the coals. No use your creaking back and forth just as I've
settled down to rest.
Pages:
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83