But she restrained herself.

Somehow, before Ricky-ticky, Poppy never played any of those tricks that delighted Mr.
Pilkington and other gentlemen of her acquaintance.

She merely sat on the table.

She was in her ballet-dress, and before sitting on the table she arranged her red skirts over her black legs with a prodigious air of propriety.

Poppy herself did not know whether this meant that she wanted Ricky-ticky to think her nice, or whether she wanted to think Ricky-ticky nice.