Матильда
A New Home
Shefeltcompletelycomfortableinherpresence,andthetwoofthemtalkedtoeachothermoreorlessasequals.
"Didyouknow",Matildasaidsuddenly,"thattheheartofamousebeatsattherateofsixhundredandfiftytimesasecond?"
"Ididnot,"MissHoneysaidsmiling."Howabsolutelyfascinating.Wheredidyoureadthat?"
"Inabookfromthelibrary,"Matildasaid."Andthatmeansitgoessofastyoucan’tevenheartheseparatebeats.Itmustsoundjustlikeabuzz."
"Itmust,"MissHoneysaid.
"Andhowfastdoyouthinkahedgehog’sheartbeats?"
Matildaasked.
"Tellme,"MissHoneysaid,smilingagain.
"It’snotasfastasamouse,"Matildasaid."It’sthreehundredtimesaminute.Butevenso,youwouldn’thavethoughtitwentasfastasthatinacreaturethatmovessoslowly,wouldyou,MissHoney?"
"Icertainlywouldn’t,"MissHoneysaid."Tellmeonemore."
"Ahorse,"Matildasaid."That’sreallyslow.It’sonlyfortytimesaminute."
Thischild,MissHoneytoldherself,seemstobeinterestedineverything.Whenoneiswithheritisimpossibletobebored.Iloveit.
Thetwoofthemstayedsittingandtalkinginthekitchenforanhourorsolonger,andthen,ataboutsixo’clock,Matildasaidgoodnightandsetouttowalkhometoherparent’shouse,whichwasaboutaneight-minutejourneyaway.Whenshearrivedatherowngate,shesawalargeblackMercedesmotor-carparkedoutside.Shedidn’ttaketoomuchnoticeofthat.Therewereoftenstrangecarsparkedoutsideherfather’splace.
