diff --git a/test/AlignmentSpec.hs b/test/AlignmentSpec.hs
index f34894089..3be415e4e 100644
--- a/test/AlignmentSpec.hs
+++ b/test/AlignmentSpec.hs
@@ -229,9 +229,11 @@ instance Show Child where
 instance Show BranchElement where
   show (Child' key contents) = showThese (showContents <$> contents)
     where showContents contents = "(" ++ key ++ contents ++ ")"
-          showThese = these (('<':) . show) (('>':) . show) (\ a b -> a ++ " | " ++ b) . runJoin
   show (Margin contents) = show contents
 
+showThese :: Join These String -> String
+showThese = these (('<':) . show) (('>':) . show) (\ a b -> a ++ " | " ++ b) . runJoin
+
 counts :: [Join These (Int, a)] -> Both Int
 counts numbered = fromMaybe 0 . getLast . mconcat . fmap Last <$> Join (unalign (runJoin . fmap Prelude.fst <$> numbered))