She began even to express a kind of pleasure in the gradual encroachments of the lovely plants.

Once she had said, "It is my hope, when I am gone, as none of you will ever disturb them." Whatever visions of a happy youth, whatever mournful recollections of the sports of her own children, might belong to them, those now with her knew not of them, but they thought that her long and pathetic watch had at last become more a habit with her than any conscious recalling of the past, and they hoped it might be so.
The one sitting-room used by the family opened into the gallery, and was a good deal darkened by its roof.

On one side of it was Peter's nursery, on the other his great-grandmother's chamber, and no other part of the house was open excepting some kitchen offices, and two or three bedrooms in the roof.

The servants consisted of a nurse (herself an old woman), who sat nearly all day in the parlour, because her far more aged mistress required much attendance, a grey-headed housemaid, a cook, and a man, the husband of this last.

His chief business was to groom the one horse of the establishment, and ride on it to the nearest town for meat, grocery, and other marketings.
The floor of the parlour was oak, which had once been polished; all the furniture was to the last degree quaint and old fashioned; the two large windows opened like double doors upon the gallery, and were shaded by curtains of Madras chintz.