She put on her spectacles and looked at the clock. It was ten minutes to nine. She opened the cupboard and took out a piece of bread and butter and sat down to eat it slowly. As she ate, she thought of the things she had to do. The day would be a long one. There was the washing to be done, and the cleaning, and the ironing. Then she would go to the hospital to see Joe. She hoped he would be pleased to see her.