Interest and suspense is maintained a little longer by the brevity of the two paragraphs that introduces us to eighteen year old Gerta Petersen, a Swedish immigrant. She is also sobbing, convulsed in agony' in her poorly furnished chamber'. The description of Gerta's room as being uncarpeted, thin curtained', echoes the exact opposite to Mrs Marroner's soft-carpeted, thick-carpeted and richly furnished chamber'. This contrast highlights and confirms Gerta's status as a servant in the household and that Mrs Marroner is her mistress. .
The cause of the women's distress is suggested by their relationship and the term mistress is ironic because the narrator reveals that Gerta wept for two' and that a looming present' filled her with unreasoning terror'. Any suspicions that Gerta is pregnant and that Mr Marroner is the father are put into question by the fact Mrs Marroner is jealous' for the first time in her life. This is not the expected reaction of a wife who has just discovered that her husband has been unfaithful with a much loved servant who is carrying his looming present'. This is confirmed much later in the story when the long absent Mr Marroner sends each woman a letter but puts the wrong ones in the envelope and his wife reads both letters and learns the truth, the father is not one of the admiring tradesmen' as she had first thought. .
The opening paragraphs immediately follow this discovery. The fact the story starts in the middle of things explains the ambiguities in the beginning of the text. The chance discovery naturally marks the changes in the husband and wife relationship or rather Marion's perception of her absentee husband. .
Until this point the relationship is portrayed as being very close and loving. This unity is shown by the use of the words they' and their' to describe their relationship with Gerta, who as a foreigner, had learned their ways'.