Read Angels and Insects for Free Online Page B

eased her headaches. When these were very bad, Miriam would apply cold compresses, and wipe her mistress’s eyelids with witch hazel.
    William felt that this immobile, vacantly amiable presence was a source of power in the household. The housekeeper came and went for her instructions, Miss Mead brought the little girls to recite their poems and tables, the butler carried in documents, Cook came and went, the gardener, wiping his boots, brought in pots of bulbs, little posies, designs for new plantings. These people were often ushered in and out by Matty Crompton, and it was Matty who came to seek William in his stable for what turned out to be his instructions.
    She stood in the shadows in the doorway, a tall, thin dark figure, in a musty black gown with practical white cuffs and collar. Her face was thin and unsmiling, her hair dark under a plain cap, her skin dusky too. She spoke quietly, clearly, with little expression. Lady Alabaster would be glad if he would take a cup of tea with her when his work was finished. He had undertaken quite a labour of love, it appeared. What was that he had in his hand? It looked quite alarming.
    ‘It has become detached from whatever specimen it was attached to, I think. Several parts of several specimens have become detached. I keep a special box for the most puzzling. This hand and arm obviously belong to some fairly large quadrumane. I see you might suppose they were those of some human infant. I can assure you they are not. The bones are far too light. I must look to you as if I were practising witchcraft.’
    ‘Oh no,’ said Matty Crompton. ‘I did not mean to make any such suggestion.’
    Lady Alabaster gave him tea, and sponge fingers, and warm scones with jam and cream, and said she hoped he was comfortable, and that Harald was not overburdening him with work. No, said William, he had a great deal of spare time. He opened his mouth to say that it had been agreed that he should have some spare time, to write his book, when Matty Crompton said, ‘Lady Alabaster expressed the hope that you might be able to spare a little time to help Miss Mead and myself with the scientific education of the younger members of the family. She feels that they should profit from the presence amongst us of such a distinguished naturalist.’
    ‘Naturally, I should be happy to do what I can—’
    ‘Matty has
such
good ideas, Mr Adamson. So ingenious, she is. Tell him, Matty.’
    ‘It is nothing much really. We already go on collecting rambles, Mr Adamson—we fish in the ponds and brooks, we collect flowers and berries, in a
very
disorganised way. If you would only accompany us, once or twice, and suggest a kind of
aim
for our aimless poking about—show us what is to be discovered. And then there is the schoolroom. It has long been my ambition to set up a glass-sided beehive, such as Huber had, and also some kind of viable community of ants, so that the little ones could observe the workings of insect societies with their own eyes. Could you do this? Would you do this? You would know how we should set about it. You would tell us what to look for.’
    He said he would be delighted to help. He had no idea how to talk to children, he thought to himself, and even believed he did not like them, much. He disliked hearing their squeals when they ran out over the lawn, or through the paddock.
    ‘Thank you so very much,’ said Lady Alabaster. ‘We shall truly profit from your presence amongst us.’
    ‘Eugenia likes to come on our nature rambles,’ said the quietMatty Crompton. ‘She brings her sketchbooks whilst the young ones go fishing, or collect flowers for the press.’
    ‘Eugenia is a good girl,’ said Lady Alabaster vacantly. ‘They are all good girls, they are none of them any trouble. I am much blessed in my daughters.’
    He went on nature rambles. He felt coerced into doing this, reminded of his dependent status by the organisation of Miss Mead and Matty Crompton, and yet at the same