Not to be cold, not to be uncomfortable, not to strike her toes against the furniture because she could not quite see what she was about, would to her have been to be wicked.

When her daughter came into the parlour, she had been about the house for more than an hour, and had had a conference both with the cook and with the gardener.

The cook was of opinion that not a word should be said, or an unusual bolt drawn, or a thing removed till the Wednesday.
'She can't carry down her big box herself, ma'am; and the likes of Miss Hester would never think of going without her things;--and then there's the baby.' A look of agony came across the mother's face as she heard her daughter called Miss Hester;--but in truth the woman had used the name from old association, and not with any reference to her late young mistress's present position.

'I should just tell her flat on Wednesday morning that she wasn't to stir out of this, but I wouldn't say nothing at all about any of it till then.' The gardener winked and nodded his head, and promised to put a stake into the ground behind the little wicket-gate which would make the opening of it impossible.

'But take my word for it, ma'am, she'll never try that.