She was to be Enid in one of her dearly loved Arthurian legends--Enid, where, clad in her faded gown, she met Queen Guinevere for the first time, who, "descending, met them at the gates, Embraced her with all welcome as a friend, And did her honour as the prince's bride." And Kitty was to wear a wig such as she had always longed for, with golden plaits reaching to her knees, and she was almost beside herself with joy.
On the evening that the storm broke, she, little dreaming of what was coming, was doing her home work and taking occasional dips into her volume of Tennyson.

Betty had finished her home lessons and was curled up in a chair reading.

Anna was not in the room; in fact, she had left it almost as soon as they had settled down to their work after tea as usual.

It was now nearly supper-time.
Mrs.Pike was absent at a Shakespeare reading.

Dr.Trenire had been out all day, a long round over bleak country, and had not been home more than an hour.