The following is an excerpt from The Wickerwork tram by Nella Bielski (Viking Penguin, 1991), which appeared originally as Le Tramway d'osier (Editions Robert Laffont 1974) and Si belles et fraîches étaient les roses (Mercure de France 1908). The Wickerwork Tram was translated by myself with the participation of John Berger

The Barber's Hand, chapter XXI