Only a woman writer would know that girls would giggle at "the curse" as used in The Lady of Shallot.
Strange you should mention this old poem - I am Edinburgh born, as was my late mother, and even in her early 80's, could still recite the poem which she learned by rote at school.
She could also recall impressive verses of Song of Hiawatha, and Funeral of Sir John Moore.
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yes it is all about circumstances, and I recall how as a teenage boy with your girlfriend 2 or even 3 weeks overdue for the curse [or more commonly "George"] and both of you worried sick [which only made the whole thing worse delay wise] the confirmation she was not pregnant would be announced as "friends came today".
but human nature being as it is, despite all those vows of "never again dear God if you will only help us now" you would both be back into it [as it were] as soon as possible.
but methinks not our Sandy - I would say she was so smart [remember Brodie talks about birth control methods, so would have told her gals] she kept away from the artist on her "productive days".
http://www.kindleflippages.com/ablog/