"I assure you, I will be perfectly capable of going directly to sleep once this conversation has finished." There is nothing at all in it which will keep her awake for an hour or two long after she has turned down the lamp's light and made herself as comfortable as she's able, in turns both very furious with herself and very pleased.

"In fact, I've become terribly tired as we've spoken and so am even going to refuse the impulse to tell you of all the beneficial things which proper sleep provides, particularly with respect to your eyesight." It was a perfectly legible representing symbol for a U. "I look forward to receiving your next letter, Monsieur. Good luck with it and your other bits of correspondence. Good night."

Having set aside the comb, she takes up the crystal so as to neatly sever the line to him. There. Done. And indeed her hair is all combed and ready to be stuffed into her felt sleeping cap, and she has only a few little things left to attend like cleaning her teeth and washing her face and reading the next three chapters of Chapdelaine before closing her eyes and going most directly to sleep. But first—

"He truly is entirely unbearable," she assures the mabari by the fire. Ruadh, evidently only half dozing, sniffs in apparent dismissal.