She pierced the pincushion

and laid her feathered yellow hat on the bed.

Aunt Helena never liked discussion of
anything. (When Sally gave her William
Morris, it had to be wrapped in brown
paper.)

Sally went out, picked hollyhocks,
dahlias - all sorts of flowers that
had never been seen together --

cut their heads off

and made them swim on the top of water in bowls.

The effect was extraordinary coming into dinner in the sunset

Of course thought it wicked to treat flowers like that.

Sally said to herself, as if she had known
all along that something would
interrupt, would embitter her moment of happiness.