In anticipation of Ethan and Mattie's evening together during Zeena's trip to Bettsbridge, Wharton has Ethan recall Mattie's background and the details of how she came to live with the Fromes. If Mattie's accomplishments such as making candy and trimming hats seem frivolous in the face of the hard work she is required to do for Zeena, these abilities represent a youthful and happy personality which is able to entertain itself with frivolity instead of moping in self-pity about imagined ills as Zeena does.
Mattie is in most ways the opposite of Zeena; Mattie is happy, healthy, pretty and young, while Zeena is unhappy, sickly, ugly, and seven years older than Ethan. In Mattie, Wharton creates a character who is naturally appealing while presenting Zeena as an unlikable and cold woman. Zeena is whining and petulant and her presence must be endured.
When describing Zeena sitting at the table, Wharton uses bleak and cold imagery. Zeena sits in "the pale light reflected from the banks of snow," which makes "her face look more than usually drawn and bloodless," and makes her other unattractive features more apparent.
Ethan's first thought about Zeena's trip is that such trips have cost him a lot of money in the past, and the remedies have not had a positive effect on Zeena's illness. He disregards these unpleasant recollections when he realizes that he will be able to spend the night alone with Mattie. Ethan's fears that Zeena may suspect his love for Mattie are allayed when he realizes that Zeena was indeed feeling ill the previous night. Ethan, who is normally rather honest, comes up with a story to tell Zeena about why he can't drive her to the train station.
