Michael Cox by The Glass of Time (mobi) Read Free Book Online Page A

my excuses – not so that I might escape the punishment I knew I deserved, but to avoid causing Madame or Mr Thornhaugh to think ill of me. Afterwards I would resolve and swear never to be bad again. This, of course, despite my best intentions, would always prove impossible; but, gradually, discovering in myself a strong sense of duty, as well as an active conscience, I began to mend my ways somewhat, although even in later years Madame and I would sometimes fall out after some instance of waywardness on my part. Whilst I could no longer be sent up to my former place of correction, guilt for my ungrateful trespasses became an effective substitute.
Now I had heard the governing voice of Duty once more. Madame had set me this task – this Great Task – to perform. Whatever it was, whatever she asked of me, I was determined not to fail her.

    BACK IN MY room, after dressing my Lady, I was thinking of Amélie as I took out my note-book to write down the second (the first being the date and artist of the Corsair portrait in the vestibule) of what was soon to become a store-house of facts concerning the great house of Evenwood and its contents:

Lady T’s sitting-room. Small oval portrait. Young Cavalier boy in blue silk breeches. Beautiful long hair. Inscribed by Sir Godfrey Kneller .

Mem . Kneller a German.

My Lady having no need of me until dinner, I sat for a while wondering what I might do with myself for the remainder of the day. I must make myself known to the housekeeper, Mrs Battersby, and I had undertaken to write to Madame as soon as I could after my arrival. I also wished to resume my exploration of the house. With that final thought, I remembered that Mr Perseus Duport had offered to act as my guide. His even noticing me, let alone his engaging me in conversation, had taken me by surprise. Had he truly meant what he had said? Perhaps he had been teasing the new lady’s-maid, to see whether she would be foolish enough to believe him. Yet although his face had retained a severe and inscrutable expression, his voice had sounded sincere. Very well, then; I would go and seek him out in the Library, and be seen as a fool if I must.
As I closed my door, I heard the sound of someone coming up the stairs. In a moment, a small, panting figure, carrying a mop and a large bucket of slopping water, appeared on the landing below.
It was a freckle-faced girl of perhaps twenty-two or twenty-three, wearing a long striped apron and a strange species of domed cap, a little like a baker’s, pulled tightly down over her forehead, from which a few corkscrew curls of light chestnut hair had succeeded in escaping.
When she saw me she stopped, put down her mop and bucket, curtseyed, and smiled broadly.
‘Good-morning, miss,’ she said.
She moved aside as I made my way down to where she was standing.
‘And who are you?’ I asked with a smile, for she seemed a most winning little creature.
‘Sukie Prout, miss. Upper house-maid.’
‘Well, Sukie Prout, upper house-maid, I’m very pleased to meet you. I’m Miss Gorst, Lady Tansor’s new maid. But you may call me Alice.’
‘Oh no, miss,’ Sukie said, visibly alarmed. ‘I couldn’t do that. Mrs Battersby would never allow it. She’d think it too familiar for one of the servants to address her Ladyhip’s maid so, and would scold me if she heard me. I must call you “miss”, miss, if you don’t mind.’
I wanted to laugh, but she had such a serious look on her funny little face that I quickly checked myself. Not wishing to risk the wrath of Mrs Battersby (of whom I was already forming a distinctly unflattering impression), I therefore suggested that Sukie might address me as ‘Miss Alice’ out of the housekeeper’s hearing.
‘Are you afraid of Mrs Battersby, Sukie?’ I asked, seeing that she remained apprehensive.
‘Afraid? No, not exactly, miss. But she has a way about her that makes you careful to do what she asks. And her words can hurt sometimes, if she’s cross,