Monday noon
`` We 're going to be tre-men-dous-ly busy , '' Patience began , but her sister cut her short . `` As soon as I can , Hilary . Mind you go on getting better . '' By Monday noon , the spare room had lost its look of prim order . In the afternoon , Pauline and her mother went down to the store to buy the matting . There was not much choice to be had , and the only green and white there was , was considerably beyond the limit they had allowed themselves . `` Never mind , '' Pauline said cheerfully , `` plain white will look ever so cool and pretty -- perhaps , the green would fade .