“These are the mother-queens of the dimak,” said Robin gaily, “which the natives, with a sublime contempt for grammatical rules about gender, call badshahs (kings). Whether kings or queens, they are the source of all the mischief done by white ants; and since these are ‘in captive held,’ we may get rid of their troublesome subjects.”
“What am I to do with the horrid creatures?” said Alicia.
“Put them in spirits, and keep them as curiosities, or trophies, if you like the word better. Now, I must be off, for I have other work to do besides digging;” and with quick step Robin quitted the veranda.
“Robin dug deep,” observed Mr. Hartley after a pause; “so he came to the root of the mischief.”
“I am sure that you are thinking of something besides white ants,” said Alicia. “Perhaps you would suggest that if we dig down deep enough in our consciences we may find out the source of our so-called little sins.”
“Can you not divine them?” said Mr. Hartley. “There are many; but to preserve our analogy, let us unearth but three—selfishness, self-righteousness, and self-will. I have traced most of my own errors to one or other of these.”
The conversation was not continued. Alicia took away the unsightly creatures, and her father resumed his translation. Mr. Hartley paused, however, ere he had written half a page. “Was I too hard on the dear child?” he said to himself.
Alicia flung away the queen-ants; she did not care to preserve them. She felt humbled and a little distressed by the conversation which had just taken place. It was a new thing for her to have her faults so closely dealt with, for her good-natured, easy-going father had never been aware that she had any; and Harold, though less blind, was just as indulgent. The brief talk with an experienced Christian had opened Alicia’s eyes to the fact that she had a great deal to learn, and a good deal of discipline perhaps to undergo, before her self-will should be dug up, and she should become worthy to be called a missionary’s wife.