“No, thank you, mother. She’ll only laugh all the time at everything.”
“Letizia, do not be so ridiculous. It’s only during the last fortnight that you’ve not been laughing at everything all the time yourself.”
“I don’t think I shall ever laugh again,” Letizia groaned.
“Why on earth not?”
“Because I want so dreadfully to be grown up.”
“Well, you can’t go on moping for the next seven years, my dear.”
“Will I be grown up in seven years?” Letizia asked, brightening. “That isn’t so very long, is it? I’m more than half-way already.... Mother?” she resumed.
“Yes?”
“When does a bearded lady begin to grow a beard? I couldn’t suddenly become a bearded lady, could I, when I was grown up?”
“Of course not, you noodle.”