grey would dearly have liked to know what lay behind miss twelvetrees 's animosity for the governor , but he could n't well inquire directly , and instead guided the conversation smoothly away , inquiring of philip regarding the operations of the plantation , and of miss twelvetrees regarding the natural history of jamaica , for which she seemed to have some feeling , judging by the rather good watercolours of plants and animals that hung about the room , all neatly signed 'n .