skitter

As Miss Mortimer left her standing there alone, Penelope’s heart skittered like a bird’s.

After freeing himself from the nest of yellow curls on Lady Constance’s head, the surprised squirrel leaped onto Cassiopeia’s shoulder for a quick nuzzle and a biscuit crumb before skittering away.

He hopped off the seat and skittered away to the bakery, leaving Penelope in possession of what she now suspected was a stolen velocipede.

But the road there is littered with skittering, fascinating ideas.

The striking “Porcelana,” about enduring pain for fleeting pleasure, has a woozy, dissonant arrangement that mixes woodwinds, shrieking strings, and skittering percussion.