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THE START OF BEING FINISHED

Sophronia intended to pull the dumbwaiter up froround floor, where Mrs Barnaclegoose was taking tea Mrs Barnaclegoose had arrived with a stranger in tow Meddling old battle-ax With the hallways patrolled by siblings and householdwas out of the question The only way of overhearing her er was frooose had decided opinions on reforhters Sophronia did not want to be reformed So she had pressed the due

The duround floor, and instead kept on going--up all four stories Sophronia exaths of india-rubber strapping made up part of the drivewas reht shake loose?

The du; it was simply a bit of platfor cable on the outside Sophronia reached up and liberated the strapping Nothing happened, so she took more

It hile she wrapped the india rubber protectively around her boots--herabout the state of Sophronia’s shoes of late--that the du

Sophronia squir cable, but before she had a chance to grab it, the duan to descend--fast Very fast Too fast The loading door on the third floor sped past, and then the one on the second Perhaps re the rubber was not such a brilliant plan

As the top of the next loading door appeared, Sophronia dove forward, tuh it and into the faht on the lip of the door andsound

Unfortunately, Sophronia’s grand escape coincided with one of thea half-eaten trifle into the du on her dismount Thecustard, cake, and strawberries all over the blue brocade and creas of the well-appointed parlor

The bowl landed, in glorious perfection, atop the head of Mrs Barnaclegoose, as not the kind of wo crowned by trifle Nevertheless, it made for quite the spectacle as the bowl upended the last of its contents over that good lady’s bonnet Until that moment, the bonnet had been rather smart--red with black velvet ribbons and crimson ostrich feathers The addition of a trifle, it reat restraint, held back a triule That’ll teach her to e woressive inclinations--which is to say she supported vaood deal of whist, kept a ghost in her country cottage, and even wore the occasional French gown She accepted that dirigibles would be the next great h the aether She was not, however, so progressive as to accept flying food She squealed in horror

One of Sophronia’s older sisters, Petunia, was playing at hostess White with mortification, Petunia rushed to the aid of the older wo her in the removal of the trifle bowl Mother was nowhere to be seen This made Sophronia more nervous than the fact that she had just assaulted an aristocrat with a trifle

Mrs Barnaclegoose stood, with as nity as possible under the circumstances, and looked down at Sophronia, sprawled on the plush rug Most of Sophronia’s top skirt had ripped off Sophronia was mortified to realize she was in public with her underskirt on display!

"Your oing to await her leisure But for this, I shall disturb her It is 1851, and I believed we lived in a civilized world! Yet you are as bad as a ra oose h Sophronia alone were responsible for the disreputable state of the entire British E Sophronia a rebuttal, the lady waddled fro down her fluffy skirts

Sophronia flopped over onto her back with a sigh She should check herself for injuries, or see to finding the rest of her dress, but flopping was more dramatic She closed her eyes and contemplated the possible recriminations soon to es were interrupted "Sophronia Angelina Temminnick!"

Uh-oh She cracked a cautious eyelid "Yes, Petunia?"

"How could you? Poor Mrs Barnaclegoose!" Stepping in as understudy mother today, we have elder sister Fantastic

"As if I could plan such a thing" Sophronia was annoyed by the childish petulance in her own voice She was unable to control it when around her sisters

"I daresay you would if you could What were you doing inside the du there in your petticoats with india rubber wrapped around your feet?"

Sophronia hedged "Uh, um, well, you see…"

Petunia looked inside the open cavity of the duled oodness’ sake, Sophronia You’ve been cliain! What are you, a ten-year-old apple boy?"

"Actually, I’ht in theoff until I’m finished, I’d appreciate it"

Petunia, who, at sixteen, considered herself all grown up, was having none of it "Look at this mess you’ve created Poor Eliza"

Eliza, the now trifle-lessto put so an unexpected Sophronia departing the dumbwaiter

Sophronia crawled over to help with the strawberries and cake that now covered the room "Sorry, Eliza I didn’t mean it"

"You never do, miss"

Petunia was not to be distracted "Sophronia!"

"Well, sister, to be perfectly correct, I did nothing"

"Tell that to the poor woman’s lovely bonnet"

"The trifle did it"

Petunia’s perfect rosebud pout twisted into a griht have been an attempt to hide a smile "Really, Sophronia, you’re fourteen years old and simply unfit for public consu-out ball You’ll do so dreadful, like spill the punch on the only nice-looking boy there"

"I would never!"

"Oh, yes, you would"