1041. Alice’s finery

Alice had always dressed in a dowdy fashion. She would have loved to have dressed in slightly more brazen colours and perhaps cause a politically-incorrect wolf-whistle when she minced down the street. However, her husband was rather conservative and had sombre tastes, which he thought also better suited his wife.

Alice’s friend, Diana-Rose, told Alice to step out. “We’ll go shopping,” she said, “and we’ll buy the most gorgeous things for you to wear.” And they did just that.

The next day Alice donned her new clothes. It felt so good. It felt so right.

“How was it?” asked Diana-Rose a little later.

“I was spat on. I was scoffed at. I was ridiculed from head to toe.”

“Dear me,” said Diana-Rose.

“And tomorrow I’ll try it by leaving the house.”