>>And the piece of furniture was a mirror?
>
> YES.
>
>Like, the maid understood her master would lift the veil, see the symptoms and kill herself immediately?
>
>YES.
>
>That's practically it. Do I now need to tell the whole story, or you would tell it, and I just correct the details?

I have heard several stories like this back home - they were sort of popular on the night radio - bu have generally mixed them all up and couldn't remember. It's been more than 15 years ago, anyway, so this was more of a hunch than remembering.

Anyway, the maid probably knew her master is ill, and kept her away from mirrors, knowing that once the lady realized she's caught it, she may kill herself - those things were incurable in XVIII century. Seeing a mirror in her room (or bathroom?) she understood there's mirrors in her lady's room (or her lady's ladies' room :), so she knew what followed.

Burning the clothes and other belongings of a disease bearer was a common disinfection technique at the time. What I don't understand is how she got undressed, but then it's possible she chose the favorite suicide technique of the age - slashing veins while having a hot bath.