A shrill sound broke the silence of her room, and Constance jumped, dropping her sewing and stabbing herself with her needle. Then it sounded again, as she looked around to find the source. She had noticed some of the machines in the kitchen made similar sounds when the cook was using them, but she hadn't learned what they meant or how to use them.

This sound came from a smaller object on the nightstand, and as it rang out again, she noticed a light flashing. Flashing lights, she had discovered, usually meant you were supposed to do something with the device. She jabbed at one of the buttons with a finger, but she couldn't tell that it did anything. Frowning at the annoying sound, she wondered what else she could do to make it stop.

As she lifted the handle attached by a coiled cord, she complained in frustration, "Tais-toi, appareil agaçant!" and was surprised when the sound stopped.