When Mr Dawes finally appeared in my parlour in the hot days of our first January, it was clearly because Tench had waylaid him in the street and more or less dragged him in.
– May I introduce our resident genius, Mrs M, Tench exclaimed. Our scholarly stargazer, Mr Dawes the astronomer. Mr Dawes, may I introduce Mrs John Macarthur, our very own Madame d’Epinay.
Mr Dawes was frowning in response to Tench’s raillery and looking about with an air of desperation. I was going to ask who Madame d’Epinay was—the quickest way to tell Mr Dawes that I did not see myself in any such company—when Tench spoke again in his amiable, amused way.
– Mrs M has expressed a great desire to learn some easy astronomy, Dawes, he said. I told her, I had no doubt but that you would be delighted to give her some instruction in a few basic matters, stars, planets and so on.
Mr Dawes shot me a startled look.
– Delighted, he said. I would be delighted, Mrs Macarthur. Some basic stars, yes, I would be delighted. Yes.
In spite of so many words of delight, it was easy to see that yes was purely for lack of immediate reason to say no. In Tench’s mouth my wish sounded frivolous, even insulting, and I tried to explain.
– I am a woman of scanty education, Mr Dawes, but great curiosity, I said. Here we are, in a place so strange that the very stars are unfamiliar. It would seem a missed opportunity to remain ignorant of them.
All the same, I was wondering if the idea of astronomy was a mistake.
He slid me an oblique glance at the word curiosity. What train of thought took place I could not guess, and what he might have said will remain a blank, because Tench did not wait.
– That is settled then, he said. Next Thursday, let us say, in the afternoon, for the first lesson! And I will be most interested to hear what progress you make, Mrs Macarthur, so Dawes, do not fail to inform me.
Mr Dawes raised a hand like an awkward benediction, murmured something I did not catch, turned away and was gone.
– Never think our Mr Dawes is impolite, Mrs M, Tench said. But his orbit is a fraction eccentric as it passes through our merely human sphere.