The secret garden

THE SECRET GARDENFRANCES HODGSON BURNETT

NYPUBL C L BRARY THE BRANCH L.BRAR.ES3 3333 08107 8459REFERENCE

THE SECRET GARDEN

1A *"'ITSEEMED SCARCELY BEARABLE TO LEAVE SUCH DEHGHTKUI.NESS'Page 23!

THESECRET GARDENBYFRANCES HODGSON BURNETTA uthor of"The Shuttle? " The Making ofa Marchioness? "The Methods ofLadyWalderhurst? "That Lass o' Loiuries? "Through One Administration?"Little Lord Fauntleroy? "A Lady ofQuality? etc.NEW YORKFREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANYPUBLISHERS

Copyright, 1911, byFRANCES HODGSON BURNETTCopyright, igiot ign, byTHE PHILLIPS PUBLISHING Co.rights reserved, including that of translation into foreignlanguages, including the Scandinavian.Printed in the United States of America,

PROPERTY OF THECITY OF NEW YORK^ ^CHAPTERCONTENTSPAGEI THERE is No ONE LEFT . III MISTRESS MARY QUITE CONTRARY . 10III ACROSS THE MOOR 23IV MARTHA 30V THE CRY IN THE CORRIDOR .... 55VI" THERE WAS SOME ONE CRYING'THERE WASVII THE KEY OF THE GARDEN ... 75VIII THE ROBIN WHO SHOWED THE WAY .85IXTHE STRANGEST HOUSE ANY ONE EVERLIVED IN ........ 97X DICKON inXI THE NEST OF THE MISSEL THRUSH . 128XIIMIGHT I HAVE A BIT OF EARTH? " .140XIII "I AM COLIN" 153XIV A YOUNG RAJAH 172XV NEST BUILDING 189XVI "I WON'T!" SAID MARY . . . .207XVII A TANTRUM 218XVIIITHA' MUNNOT WASTE No TIME " .229XIX "!T HAS COME!" . ..23965

CHAPTERCONTENTSPAGEXX " I SHALL LIVE FOREVER AND EVERAND EVER!' 255XXI BEN WEATHERSTAFF . 268XXII WHEN THE SUN WENT DOWN . .284XXIII MAGIC 292XXIV " LET THEM LAUGH " ..... 310XXV THE CURTAIN ........ 328XXVI "IT'S MOTHER!" ....... 339XXVII IN THE GARDEN . . . ., ., . .353

THE SECRET GARDEN

THE SECRET GARDENCHAPTER ITHERE ISNO ONE LEFTA X 7HEN Mary Lennox was sent to Missel-* *thwaite Manor to live with her uncle everybodysaid she was the most disagreeable-lookingchild ever seen. It was true, too. She had alittle thin face and a little thin body, thinlight hair and a sour expression. Her hairwas yellow, and her face was yellow becauseshe had been born in India and had alwaysbeen ill in one way or another. Her fatherhad held a position under the English Governmentand had always been busy and ill himself, and hermother had been a great beauty who cared onlyto go to parties and amuse herself with gay people.She had not wanted a little girl at all, and whenwas born she handed her over to the care ofMary an Ayah, who was made to understand that ifshewished to please the Mem Sahib she must keep thethildout of sight as much as possible.she was a sickly, fretful, ugly little babyiSo whenshe was

2 THE SECRET GARDENkept out of the way, and when she became a sickly,fretful, toddling thing she was kept out of the wayalso. She never remembered seeing familiarlyanything but the dark faces of her Ayah and theother native servants, and as they always obeyedher and gave her her own way in everything, becausethe Mem Sahib would be angryif she wasdisturbed by her crying, by the time she was sixyears old she was as tyrannical and selfish a littlepig as ever lived. The young English governesswho came to teach her to read and write dislikedher so much that she gave up her place inthreemonths, and when other governesses came to tryto fill itthey always went away in a shorter timethan the first one. So ifMary had not chosento really want to know how to read books shewould never have learned her letters at all.One frightfully hot morning, when she wasabout nine years old, she awakened feeling verycross, and she became crosser still when she sawthat the servant who stood by her bedside was nother Ayah.Why did you come? " she said to the strangewoman." I will not let you stay. Send my Ayahto me.'The woman looked frightened, but she onlystammered that the Ayah could not come andwhen Mary threw herself into a passionand beat

and kicked her,THERE IS NO ONE LEFT 3she looked only more frightenedand repeated that it was not possible for the Ayahto come to Missie Sahib.There was something mysterious in the air thatmorning. Nothing was done in itsregular orderand several of the native servants seemed missing,while those whom Mary saw slunk or hurried aboutwith ashy and scared faces. But no one wouldtell her anything and her Ayah did not come. Shewas actually left alone as the morning went on,and at last she wandered out into the garden andbegan to play by herself under a tree near theveranda. She pretended that she was makinga flower-bed, and she stuck big scarlet hibiscusblossoms into littleheaps of earth,all the timegrowing more and more angry and muttering toherself the things she would say and the namesshe would call Saidie when she returned."Pig! Pig! Daughter of Pigs!" she said,because to call a native a pigis the worst insultof all.She was grinding her teeth and saying this overand over again when she heard her mother comeout on the veranda with some one. She was witha fair young man and they stood talking togetherin low strange voices. Mary knew the fair youngman who looked like a boy. She had heard thathe was a very young officer who had just come

4 THE SECRET GARDENfrom England. The child stared at him, but shestared most at her mother. She always did thiswhen she had a chance to see her, because theMem Sahib Mary used to call her that oftenerthan anything else was such a tall, slim, prettyperson and wore such lovely clothes. Her hairwas like curly silk and she had a delicate littlenose which seemed to be disdaining things, andshe had large laughing eyes. All her clotheswere thin and floating, and Mary said they were" full of lace." They looked fuller of lace thanever this morning, but her eyes were not laughingat all.They were large and scared and lifted imploringlyto the fair boy" Is it so very bad? Oh,her say.officer's face.is it?'Mary heardAwfully/' the young man answered in a trembling'voice. Awfully, Mrs. Lennox. You*ought to have gone to the hills two weeks ago."The Mem Sahib wrung her hands." Oh, I know I ought! " "she cried. I onlystayed to go to that silly dinner party. What a'fool I was !At that very moment such a loud sound of wailingbroke out from the servants' quarters that sheclutched the young man's arm, and Mary stoodshivering from head to foot. The wailing grewwilder and wilder.

THERE IS NO ONE LEFT 5"What is it? What is it?" Mrs. Lennoxgasped." Some one has died," answered the boy officer." You did not sayit had broken out amongyour servants."uI did not know!' the Mem Sahib cried.u'Come with me 1 and sheCome with me !turned and ran into the house.After that appalling things happened, and themysteriousness of the morning was explained toMary. The cholera had "broken out in its mostfatal form and people were dying like flies. TheAyah had been taken ill in the night, and it wasbecause she had just died that the servants hadwailed in the huts. Before the next day threeother servants were dead and others had run awayin terror.There was panic on every side, and dyingpeople in all the bungalows.During the confusion and bewilderment of thesecond day Mary hid herself in the nursery andwas forgotten by every one. Nobody thought ofMary alter-her, nobody wanted her, and strange things happenedof which she knew nothing.nately cried and slept through the hours. Sheonly knew that people were ill and that she heardmysterious and frightening sounds. Once shecrept into the dining-room and found itempty,though a partly finished meal was on the table and

6 THE SECRET GARDENchairs and plates looked as if they had been hastilypushed back when the diners rose suddenly forsome reason. The child ate some fruit and bis-and being thirsty she drank a glass of winecuits,which stood nearlyfilled.It was sweet, and shedid not know how strong it was. Very soon itmade her intensely drowsy, and she went back toher nursery and shut herself in again, frightened bycries she heard in the huts and by the hurryingsound of feet.The wine made her so sleepy thatshe could scarcely keep her eyes open and she laydown on her bed and knew nothing more for along time.Many things happened during the hours inwhich she slept so heavily, but she was not disturbedby the wails and the sound of things beingcarried in and out of the bungalow.When she awakened she lay and stared at thewall. The house was perfectlystill. She hadnever known it to be so silent before. She heardneither voices nor footsteps, and wondered ifeverybody had gotwell of the cholera and allthe trouble was over. She wondered also who

THERE IS NO ONE LEFT 7donate child and had never cared much for anyone. The noise and hurrying about and wailingover the cholera had frightened her, and she hadbeen angry because no one seemed to rememberthat she was alive. Every one was too panicstrickento think of a little girl no one was fond of.When people had the cholera it seemed that theyremembered nothing but themselves. But if everyone had got well again, surely some one wouldremember and come to look for her.But no one came, and as she lay waiting thehouse seemed to grow more and more silent. Sheheard something rustling on the matting and whenshe looked down she saw a little snake glidingalong and watching her with eyes like jewels. Shewas not frightened, because he was a harmlesslittle thing who would not hurt her and he seemedin a hurry to get out of the room. He slippedunder the door as she watched him."'How queer and quietit is," she said. Itsounds as if there was no one in the bungalow butme and the snake."Almost the next minute she heard footsteps inthe compound, and then on the veranda. Theywere men's footsteps, and the men entered thebungalow and talked in low voices. No one wentto meet or speak to them and they seemed toopen doors and look into rooms.

8 THE SECRET GARDENWhat desolation!'she heard one voice say.That pretty, pretty woman! I suppose thechild, too. I heard there was a child, though noone ever saw her."Mary was standing in the middle of the nurserywhen they opened the door a few minutes later.She looked an ugly, cross little thing and wasfrowning because she was beginning to be hungryand feel disgracefully neglected. The first manwho came in was a large officer she had once seento her father. He looked tired andtalkingtroubled, but when he saw her he was so startledthat he almost jumped back.1'Barney! he cried out. "There is a childhere! A child alone! In a place like thislMercy on 'us, who is she !" I am Mary Lennox," the little girl said, draw-She thought the man wasing herself up stiffly.very rude to call her father's bungalow " A place'like this ! "I fell asleep when every one hadthe cholera and I have only just wakened up.Why does nobody come ? '1It is the child no one ever saw !the man, turning to his companions.actually been forgotten !'1exclaimed" She has"Why was I forgotten? ' Mary said, stampingher foot. " Why does nobody come? "The young man whose name was Barney looked

THERE IS NO ONE LEFT 9at her very sadly. Mary even thought she sawhim wink his eyes as if to wink tears away.'" Poor'" little kid ! he said. There isnobodyleft to come."It was in that strange and sudden way thatMary found out that she had neither father normother left;had died and been carriedthat there was a Missie Sahib. Thatthat theyaway in the night, and that the few native servantswho had not died also had left the house as quicklyas they could get out of it, none of them even rememberingwas why the place was so quiet.there was no one in the bungalowthe little rustling snake.It was true thatbut herself and

MARYCHAPTER IIMISTRESS MARY QUITE CONTRARYhad liked to look at her mother from adistance and she had thought her very pretty,but as she knew verylittle of her she could scarcelyhave been expected to love her or to miss her verymuch when she was gone. She did not miss herat all, in fact, and as she was a self-absorbed childshe gave her entire thought to herself, as she hadalways done. If she had been older she wouldno doubt have been very anxious at being leftalone in the world, but she was very young, and asshe had always been taken care of, she supposedshe always would be. What she thought was thatshe would like to know if she was going to nicepeople, who would be polite to her and give herher own way as her Ayah and the other nativeservants had done.She knew that she was not going to stay at theEnglish clergyman's house where she was taken atfirst. She did not want to stay. The Englishclergyman was poor and he had five children nearlythe same age and they wore shabby clothes

MISTRESS MARYnand were always quarreling and snatching toysfrom each other. Mary hated their untidy bungalowand was so disagreeable to them that afterthe firstday or two nobody would play with her.By the second day they had given her a nicknamewhich made her furious.It was Basil who thought of it first. Basilwas a littleboy with impudent blue eyes and aturned-up nose and Mary hated him. She wasplaying by herself under a tree, just as she had beenplaying the day the cholera broke out. She wasmaking heaps of earth and paths for a garden andBasil came and stood near to watch her. Presentlyhe got rather interested and suddenly madea suggestion.Why don't you put a heap of stones there andpretend it is a "rockery? ' he said. There inthe middle," and he leaned over her to point.1" "Go away! cried Mary. I don't want boys.'Go away!For a moment Basil looked angry, and then hebegan to tease. He was always teasinghis sisters.He danced round and round her and madefaces and sang and laughed.'*Mistress Mary, quite contrary,How does your garden grow?With silver bells, and cockle shells.And marigolds all in a row ' 9

:12 THE SECRET GARDENHe sangit until the other children heard andlaughed, too; and the Grosser Mary got, the morethey sang " Mistress Mary, quite contrary "; andafter that as long as she stayed with them theycalled her Mistress Mary Quite Contrary''when they spoke of her to each other, and oftenwhen they spoke to her.You are going to be sent home," Basil saidto her, " at the end of the week. And we're gladof it."I am glad of it, too," answered Mary." Where is home?"4with seven-year-old scorn.She doesn't know where home is! " said Basil,It's England, ofOur grandmama lives there and our sis-course.ter Mabel was sent to her last year. You are notgoing to your grandmama. You have none.You are going to your uncle. His name is Mr.Archibald Craven."I don't know anything about him," snapped'Mary.'I know you don't," Basil answered." Youdon't know anything. Girls 'never do. I heardfather and mother talking about him.He livesin a great, big, desolate old house in the countryand no one goes near him. He's so cross hewon't let them, and they wouldn't come if he wouldlet them. He's a hunchback, and he's horrid."

MISTRESS MARY 13" I don't believe you," said Mary;turned her back and stuck her fingers inbecause she would not listen any more.and sheher ears,But she thought over it a great deal afterward;and when Mrs. Crawford told her that night thatshe was going to sail away to England in a fewdays and go to her uncle, Mr. Archibald Craven,who lived at Misselthwaite Manor, she looked sostony and stubbornly uninterested that they didnot know what to think about her. They tried tobe kind to her, but she only turned her face awaywhen Mrs. Crawford attempted to kiss her, andheld herself stifflywhen Mr. Crawford patted hershoulder." She is such a plain child," Mrs. Crawford said" And her mother was suchpityingly, afterward.a pretty creature. She had a very pretty manner,and Mary has the most unattractive ways Itoo,ever saw in a child. The children call her ' MistressMary Quite Contrary/ and though it'snaughty of them, one can't help understanding it."" Perhapsif her mother had carried her prettyface and her pretty manners oftener into the nurseryMary might have learned some pretty waystoo. It isvery sad, now the poor beautiful thingisgone, to remember that many people never evenknew that she had a child at all."" I believe she scarcely ever looked at her,"

1Mrs.14 THE SECRET GARDEN" When her Ayah wassighed Mrs. Crawford.dead there was no one to give a thought to thelittle thing. Think of the servants running awayand leaving her all alone in that deserted bungalow.Colonel McGrew said he nearly jumped outof his skin when he opened the door and foundher standing by herself in the middle of the room.' 1Mary made the long voyage to England underthe care of an officer's wife, who was taking herchildren to leave them in a boarding-school. Shewas very much absorbed in her own little boy andgirl, and was rather glad to hand the child overto the woman Mr. Archibald Craven sent to meether, in London. The woman was his housekeeperat Misselthwaite Manor, and her name was Mrs.Medlock. She was a stout woman, with very redcheeks and sharp black eyes. She wore a verypurple dress, a black silk mantle with jet fringe onit and a black bonnet with purple velvet flowerswhich stuck upand trembled when she moved herhead. Mary did not like her at all, but as shevery seldom liked people there was nothing remarkablein that; besides which it was very evidentMedlock did not think much of her."My word ! she's a plain little piece of goods ! 'she said." And we'd heard that her mother wasa beauty. She hasn't handed much of it down ?has she, ma'am? '

MISTRESS MARY15'Perhaps she will improve as she grows older/'"the officer's wife said good-naturedly. If shewere not so sallow and had a nicer expression, herfeatures are rather good. Children alter somuch."1She'll have to alter a good deal," answeredMrs. Medlock." And there's nothing likely toimprove children at Misselthwaite if you askme!"They thought Mary was not listening becauseshe was standing a little apart from them at thewindow of the private hotel they had gone to.She was watching the passing buses and cabs, andpeople, but she heard quite well and was made verycurious about her uncle and the place he lived in.What sort of a place was it, and what would he belike? What was a hunchback? She had neverseen one. Perhapsthere were none in India.Since she had been living in other people'shouses and had had no Ayah, she had begun tofeel lonely and to think queer thoughts which werenew to her. She had begun to wonder why shehad never seemed to belong to any one even whenher father and mother had been alive. Otherchildren seemed to belong to their fathers andmothers, but she had never seemed to really beany one's little girl.She had had servants, andfood and clothes, but no one had taken any notice

1 6 THE SECRET GARDENof her. She did not know that this was becauseshe was a disagreeable child; but then, of course,she did not know she was disagreeable. Sheoften thought that other people were, but she didnot know that she was so herself.She thought Mrs. Medlock the most disagreeableperson she had ever seen, with her common,highlycolored face and her common fine bonnet.When the next day they set out on their journeyto Yorkshire, she walked through the station to therailway carriage with her head up and trying tokeep as far away from her as she could, becauseshe did not want to seem to belong to her. Itwould have made her very angry to think peopleimagined she was her little girl.But Mrs. Medlock was not in the least disturbedby her and her thoughts. She was the kind ofwoman who would " stand no nonsense from youngones." At least, that is what she would have saidif she had been asked. She had not wanted togo to London just when her sister Maria's daughterwas going to be married, but she had a comfortable,well paid place as housekeeperat MisselthwaiteManor and the only way in which she couldkeepit was to do at once what Mr. ArchibaldCraven told her to do. She never dared even*o ask a question.*Captain Lennox and his wife died of the chol-

MISTRESS MARY 17era," Mr. Craven had said in his short, cold way." Captain Lennox was my wife's brother and Iam their daughter's guardian. The child is tobe brought here. You must go to London andbring her yourself."So she packedjourney.her small trunk and made theMary sat in her corner of the railway carriageand looked plain and fretful. She had nothing toread or to look at, and she had folded her thin littleblack-gloved hands in her lap. Her black dressmade her look yellower than ever, and her limplight hair straggled from under her black crepehat."A more marred-looking young one I neversaw in my life," Mrs. Medlock thought.(Marred isand pettish.)a Yorkshire word and means spoiledShe had never seen a child who satso still without doing anything; and at last she gottired of watching her and began to talk in a brisk,hard voice." I suppose I may as well tell you somethingabout where you are going to," she said.'Doyou know anything about your uncle ? '"No," said Mary." Never heard your father and mother talkabout him? '" No," said Mary frowning. She frowned be-

IBTHE SECRET GARDENcause she remembered that her father and motherhad never talked to her about anything in particular.Certainly they had never told her things."Humph," muttered Mrs. Medlock, staring at,her queer, unresponsive little face. She did notsay any more for a few moments and then she beganagain." I suppose you might as well be told somethingto prepare you. You are going to a queerplace."Mary said nothing at all, and Mrs. Medlocklooked rather discomfited by her apparent indifference,but, after taking a breath, she went on." Not but that it's a grand big place in a gloomyway, and Mr. Craven's proud of it in his wayand that's gloomy enough, too. The house is sixhundred years old and it's on the edge of the moor,and there's near a hundred rooms in it, thoughmost of them's shut up and locked. And there'spictures and fine old furniture and things that'sbeen there for ages, and there's a big park roundit and gardens and trees with branches trailing tothe ground some of them." She paused and'took another breath. But there's nothing else,"she ended suddenly.Mary had begun to listen in spite of herself.It all sounded so unlike India, and anything newrather attracted her. But she did not intend to

MISTRESS MARY 19look as if she were interested. That was one ofher unhappy, disagreeable ways. So she sat still." Well," said Mrs. Medlock." What do youthink of it?""Nothing," she answered." I know nothingabout such places."That made Mrs. Medlock laugh a short sort oflaugh.'"Eh ! she said, but you are like an oldwoman. Don't you care? '" It doesn't matter," said Mary, " whether Icare or not."" You are right enough there," said Mrs. Medlock." It doesn't. What you're to be kept atMisselthwaite Manor for I don't know, unless becauseit's the easiest way. He's not going totrouble himself about you, that's sure and certain.He never troubles himself about no one."She stopped herself as if she had just rememberedsomething in time." He's got a crooked back," she said." Thatset him wrong. He was a sour young man and gotno good of all his money and big place till he wasmarried."Mary's eyes turned toward her in spite of herintention not to seem to care. She had neverthought of the hunchback's being married and shewas a trifle surprised. Mrs. Medlock saw this,

'20 THE SECRET GARDENand as she was a talkative woman she continuedwith more interest. This was one way of passingsome of the time, at any rate.u She was a sweet, pretty thing and he'd havewalked the world over to get her a blade o' grassshe wanted. Nobody thought she'd marry him,but she did, and people said she married him forhis money. But she didn't she didn't," posi-"tively."When she diedMary gave a little" involuntary jump.Oh! did she die! " she exclaimed, quite withoutmeaning to. She had just remembered aFrench fairy story she had once read called'Riqueta la Houppe." It had been about a poorhunchback and a beautiful princess and it had madeher suddenly sorry for Mr. Archibald Craven."Yes, she died," Mrs. Medlock answered." And it made him queerer than ever. He caresabout nobody. He won't see people. Most ofthe time he goes away, and when he isat Misselthwaitehe shuts himself up in the West Wing andwon't let any one but Pitcher see him. Pitcher'san old fellow, but he took care of him when hewas a child and he knows his ways."It sounded like something in a book and it didnot make Mary feel cheerful. A house witha hundred rooms, nearly all shut up and withtheir doors locked a house on the edge of a

MISTRESS MARY 21moor whatsoever a moor was soundeddreary. A man with a crooked back who shuthimself up also! She stared out of the windowwith her lips pinched together, and it seemedquite natural that the rain should have begun topour down in gray slanting lines and splash andstream down the window-panes. If the prettywife had been alive she might have made thingscheerful by being something like her own motherand by running in and out and going to partiesas she had done in frocks " full of lace." Butshe was not there any more.'"You needn't expect to see him, because tento one vou won't," said Mrs. Medlock.^ 7" Andyou mustn't expect that there will be people totalk to you. You'll have to play about and lookafter yourself. You'll be told what rooms youcan go into and what rooms you're to keep out of.There's gardens enough. But when you're in thehouse don't go wandering and poking about. Mr.Craven won't have it."" I shall not want to go poking about," saidsour little Mary; and just as suddenly as she hadbegun to be rather sorry for Mr. Archibald Cravenshe began to cease to be sorry and to thinkhe was unpleasant enough to deserve all that hadhappened to him.And she turned her face toward the streaming

22 THE SECRET GARDENpanes of the window of the railway carriage andgazed out at the gray rain-storm which looked asif it would go on forever and ever. She watchedit so long and steadily that the grayness grew heavierand heavier before her eyes and she fell asleep*

istationCHAPTER IIIACROSS THE MOORand when she awakenedSHE slept a long time,Mrs. Medlock had bought a lunchbasket atone of the stations and they had some chicken andcold beef and bread and butter and some hot tea.The rain seemed to be streaming down moreheavily than ever and everybody in the stationwore wet and glistening waterproofs. The guardlighted the lamps in the carriage, and Mrs. Medlockcheered up very much over her tea and chickenand beef. She ate a great deal and afterwardsat and stared at herfell asleep herself, and Maryand watched her fine bonnet slip on one side untilshe herself fell asleep once more in the cornerof the carnage, lulled by the splashing of therain against the windows. It was quite dark whenshe awakened again. The train had stopped at aand Mrs. Medlock was shaking her." " "You have had a sleep! she said. It's timeto open your eyes! We're at Thwaite Stationand we've got a long drive before us."Mary stood up and tried to keep her eyes open23

24 THE SECRET GARDENwhile Mrs. Medlock collected her parcels. Thelittle girl did not offer to help her, because in Indianative servants always picked up or carried thingsand it seemed quite proper that other people shouldwait on one.The station was a small one and nobody butthemselves seemed to be getting out of the train.The station-master spoke to Mrs. Medlock in arough, good-natured way, pronouncing his wordsin a queer broad fashion which Mary found outafterward was Yorkshire." I see tha's got back," he said." An' tha'sbrowt th' young 'un with thee.""Aye, that's her," answered Mrs. Medlock,speaking with a Yorkshire accent herself and jerkingher head over her shoulder toward Mary."How's thy Missus?"" Well enow. Th' carriageis waitin' outsidefor thee."A brougham stood on the road before the littleoutside platform. Mary saw that it was a smartcarriage and that it was a smart footman whohelped her in. His long waterproof coat and thewaterproof covering of his hat were shining anddripping with rain as everything was, the burlystation-master included.When he shut the door, mounted the box withthe coachman, and they drove off, the little girl

ACROSS THE MOOR 25found herself seated in a comfortably cushionedcorner, but she was not inclined to go to sleepagain. She sat and looked out of the window,curious to see something of the road over which shewas being driven to the queer place Mrs. Medlockhad spoken of. She was not at all a timidchild and she was not exactly frightened, but shefelt that there was no knowing what might happenin a house with a hundred rooms nearly all shutup a house standing on the edge of a moor." What is a moor? " she said suddenly to Mrs.Medlock." Look out of the window in about ten minutesand you'll see," the woman answered." We've got to drive five miles across Missel Moorbefore we get to the Manor. You won't see muchbecause it's a dark night, but you can see something."Mary asked no more questionsbut waited inthe darkness of her corner, keeping her eyes onthe window. The carriage lamps cast rays oflight a little distance ahead of them and she caughtglimpses of the things they passed. After theyhad left the station they had driven through atiny village and she had seen whitewashed cottagesand the lights of a public house. Then theyhad passed a church and a vicarage and a littleshop-window or so in a cottage with toys and

26 THE SECRET GARDENsweets and odd things set out for sale. Thenthey were on the highroad and she saw hedgesand trees. After that there seemed nothing differentfor a long time or at least it seemed along time to her.At last the horses began to go more slowly, asif they were climbing up-hill, and presently thereseemed to be no more hedges and no more trees.She could see nothing, in fact, but a dense darknesson either side. She leaned forward andpressed her face against the window justas thecarriage gave a big jolt." Eh ! We're on the moor now sure enough,' 1said Mrs. Medlock.The carriage lamps shed a yellow light on arough-looking road which seemed to be cut throughbushes and low growing things which ended in thegreat expanse of dark apparently spread out beforeand around them. A wind was rising andmaking a singular, wild, low, rushing sound." It's it's not the sea, is it? " said Mary, look*ing round at her companion." No, not it," answered Mrs. Medlock." Norit isn't fields nor mountains, it's just miles and milesand miles of wild land that nothing grows on butheather and gorse and broom, and nothing lives onbut wild ponies and sheep."" I feel as if itmight be the sea,if there were

ACROSS THE MOOR 27water on it," said Mary.sea just now/'" It sounds like theThat's the wind blowing through the bushes,"uMrs. Medlock said. It's a wild, dreary enoughplace to my mind, though there's plenty that likesit particularly when the heather's in bloom."On and on they drove through the darkness,and though the rain stopped, the wind rushed byand whistled and made strange sounds. Theroad went up and down, and several times thecarriage passed over a little bridge beneath whichwater rushed very fast with a great deal of noise.felt as if the drive would never come toMaryan end and that the wide, bleak moor was a wideexpanse of black ocean through which she waspassing on a strip of dry land." " I don't like it," she said to herself. Idon't like it," and she pinched her thin lips moretightly together.The horses were climbing up a hilly piece ofroad when she first caught sight of a light. Mrs.Medlock saw it as soon as she did and drew a longsigh of relief." Eh, I am glad to see that bit o' light twinkling,"she exclaimed. It's the light in the lodge"window. We shall get a good cup of tea after abit, at all events."It was " after a bit," as she said, for when the

28 THE SECRET GARDENcarriage passed through the park gates there wasstill two miles of avenue to drive through andthe trees (which nearly met overhead) made itseem as if they were driving through a long darkvault.They drove out of the vault into a clear spaceand stopped before an immensely long but lowbuilthouse which seemed to ramble round a stonecourt. At first Mary thought that there were nolights at all in the windows, but as she got out ofthe carriage she saw that one room in a cornerup-stairs showed a dull glow.The entrance door was a huge one made of massive,curiously shaped panels of oak studded withbig iron nails and bound with great iron bars. Itopened into an enormous hall, which was so dimlylighted that the faces in the portraits on the wallsand the figures in the suits of armor made Maryfeel that she did not want to look at them. Asshe stood on the stone floor she looked a verysmall, odd little black figure, and she felt as smalland lost and odd as she looked.A neat, thin old man stood near the manservantwho opened the door for them.You are to take her to her room," he saidin a husky voice.'He doesn't want to see her.He's going to London in the morning."" Very well, Mr. Pitcher," Mrs. Medlock an-

swered.ACROSS THE MOOR 29" So long as I know what's expected ofme, I can manage."" What's expected of you, Mrs. Medlock," Mr.Pitcher said,'isthat you make sure that he's notdisturbed and that he doesn't see what he doesn'twant to see."And then Mary Lennox was led up a broadstaircase and down a long corridor and up a shortflight of steps and through another corridor andanother, until a door opened in a wall and shefound herself in a room with a fire in it and asupper on a table.Mrs. Medlock said unceremoniously:Well, here you are This room and the next!are where you'll live and you must keep tothem.Don't you forget that! 'It was in this way Mistress Maryarrived atMisseithwaite Manor and she had perhaps neve*;felt quite so contraryin allher life.

CHAPTER IVMARTHAWHEN she opened her eyes in the morning itwas because a young housemaid had comeinto her room to light the fire and was kneelingon the hearth-rug raking out the cinders noisily.Mary lay and watched her for a few momentsand then began to look about the room. She hadnever seen a room at all like it and thoughtit curiousand gloomy. The walls were covered withtapestry with a forest scene embroidered on it.There were fantastically dressed people underthe trees and in the distance there was a glimpse ofthe turrets of a castle. There were hunters andhorses and dogs and ladies. Maryfelt as if shewere in the forest with them. Out of a deep windowshe could see a great climbing stretch of landwhich seemed to have no trees on it, and to lookrather like an endless, dull, purplish sea.What iswindow.that? " she said, pointing out of theMartha, the young housemaid, who had justrisen to her feet, looked and pointed also,30

"That there?" she said" Yes."MARTHA 31" That's th' moor," with a good-natured grin."Does tha' like it?"" " No," answered Mary. I hate it."" That's because tha'rt not used to it," Marthasaid, going back to her hearth. " Tha' thinksit's too big an' bare now. But tha' will likeit.'uDo you? ' 'inquired Mary.uAye, that I do," answered Martha, cheerfullypolishing away at the "grate. I just love it.It's none bare. It's covered wi' growin' things assmells sweet. It's fair lovely in spring an' summerwhen th' gorse an' broom an' heather's inflower. It smells o'honey an' there's such a loto' fresh air an' th' sky looks so high an' th' beesan' skylarks makes such a nice noise hummin' an'1singin'. Eh ! I wouldn't live away from thmoor for anythin'."Mary listened to her with a grave, puzzled expression.The native servants she had been usedto in India were not in the least like this. TheyWere obsequious and servile and did not presumeto talk to their masters as if they were their equals.They made salaams and called them " protectorof the poor " and names of that sort. Indian servantswere commanded to do things, not asked.

32 THE SECRET GARDENIt was not the custom to say " please " and " thankyou 'and Mary had always slapped her Ayah inthe face when she was angry. She wondered alittle what this girl would do if one slapped herin the face. She was a round, rosy, good-naturedlooking creature, but she had a sturdy way whichmade Mistress Mary wonder if she might noteven slap back if the person who slapped herwas only a little girl.You are a strange servant," she said from herpillows, rather haughtily.Martha sat up on her heels, with her blackingbrushin her hand, and laughed, without seemingthe least out of temper."'Eh! I know that," she said. If there wasa grand Missus at Misselthwaite I should neverhave been even one of th' under housemaids. Imight have been let to be scullery-maidbut I'dnever have been let up-stairs. I'm too commonan' I talk too much Yorkshire. But this is afunny house for all it's so grand. Seems likethere's neither Master nor Mistress except Mr.Pitcher an' Mrs. Medlock. Mr. Craven, hewon't be troubled about anythin' when he's here,an' he's nearly always away. Mrs. Medlock gaveme th' place out o' kindness. She told me shecould never have done it if Misselthwaite had beenlike other big houses."

MARTHA 33"Are you going to be my servant? 5Maryasked, still in her imperiouslittle Indianway.Martha began to rub her grate again." I'm Mrs. Medlock's servant," she said stoutly."An' she's Mr. Craven's but I'm to do thehousemaid's work up here an' wait on you a bit.But you won't need much waitin' on.""Who isgoing to dress me?' demandedMary.Martha sat up on her heels again and stared.She spoke in broad Yorkshire in her amazement." Canna' tha' dress thysenl ' she said." What do you mean? I don't understand yourlanguage," said Mary."Eh! I forgot," Martha said. "Mrs. Medlocktold me I'd have to be careful or you wouldn'tknow what I was sayin'. I mean can't you put onyour own clothes?'" 'No," answered Mary, quite indignantly. Inever did in my life. My Ayah dressed me, ofcourse."" Well," said Martha, evidently not in the least1"aware that she was impudent, it's time tha'should learn. Tha' cannot begin younger.It'lldo thee good to wait on thysen a bit. My motheralways said she couldn't see why grand people'schildren didn't turn out fair fools what witK

'34 THE SECRET GARDENnurses an' bein' washed an' dressed an' took outto walk as if they was puppies !" It is different in India, said MistressMary disdainfully.She could scarcely stand this.But Martha was not at all crushed.'Eh! I can see it's different," she answeredalmost sympathetically.'I dare sayit's becausethere's such a lot o' blacks there instead o'respectablewhite people.from India I thought you was a black too."bed furious.When I heard you was comin'Mary sat up in" "What " ! she said. What ! You thought Iwas a native. You you daughter of a pig! 1Martha stared and looked hot."Who are you callin' names?' she said.You needn't be so vexed. That's not th' wayfor a young ladyto talk. I'venothin' against th'blacks. When you read about 'em in tracts they'realways very religious. You always read as ablack's a man an' a brother. I've never seen ablack an' I was fair pleased to think I was goin'to see one close. When I come in to light yourfire this mornin' I crep' up to your bed an' pulledth' cover back careful to look at you. An' thereyou was," disappointedly, u no more black thanme for all you're so yeller."Mary did not even try to control her rage andhumiliation.

MARTHA 35"You thought I was a native! You dared!You don't know anything about natives! Theyare not people they're servants who must salaamto you. You know nothing about India.'You know nothing about anything!She was in such a rage and felt so helpless beforethe girl's simple stare, and somehow she suddenlyfelt so horribly lonely and far away fromshe understood and which understoodeverythingher,that she threw herself face downward on thepillows and burst into passionate sobbing. Shesobbed so unrestrainedly that good-natured YorkshireMartha was a little frightened and quitesorry for her. She went to the bed and bent overher.u Eh! you mustn't cry like that there!' shebegged." You mustn't for sure. I didn't knowyou'd be vexed. I don't know anythin' about anythin'just like you said. I beg your pardon,Miss. Do stop cryinVThere was something comforting and reallyfriendly in her queer Yorkshire speech and sturdyway which had a good effect on Mary. She graduallyceased crying and became quiet. Marthalooked relieved."It's time for thee to get up now," she said." Mrs. Medlock said I was to carrytha' breakfastan' tea an' dinner into th* room next to this.

36 THE SECRET GARDENIt's been made into a nursery for thee. I'll helpthee on with thy clothes if tha'll get out o' bed. Ifth' buttons are at th' back tha' cannot button themup tha'self."When Mary at last decided to get up,the clothesMartha took from the wardrobe were not the onesshe had worn when she arrived the night beforewith Mrs. Medlock." *Those are not mine," she said. Mine arcblack."She looked the thick white wool coat and dressover, and added with cool approval:u Those are nicer than mine."" These are th' ones tha' must put on," Martha"answered. Mr. Craven ordered Mrs. Medlockto get 'em in London. He said ' I won't have achild dressed in black wanderin' about like a lostsoul,'he said.'It'd make the place sadder thanit is. Put color on her.' Mother she said sheknew what he meant. Mother always knows whata body means. She doesn't hold with black hersel'."" I hate black things," said Mary.The dressing process was one which taught thembofh something. Martha had " buttoned up " herlittle sisters and brothers but she had never seena child who stood still and waited for another per-

MARTHA 37son to do things for her as if she had neither handsnor feet of her own.Why doesn't tha' put on tha' own shoes ?"she said when Mary quietly held out her " foot.My Ayah did answered it," Mary, staring." It was the custom."She said that very often " It was the custom."The native servants were always sayingit. If onetold them to do a thing their ancestors had notdone for a thousand years they gazed at one mildly'and said, It is not the custom ' and one knewthat was the end of the matter.It had not been the custom that Mistress Maryshould do anything but stand and allow herselfto be dressed like a doll, but before she was readyfor breakfast she began to suspectthat her life atMisselthwaite Manor would end by teaching hera number of things quite new to her thingssuch as putting on her own shoes and stockings, andpicking up things she let fall. If Martha hadbeen a well-trained fine young lady's maid shewould have been more subservient and respectfuland would have known that it was her business tobrush hair, and button boots, and pick things upand lay them away. She was, however, only an untrainedYorkshire rustic who had been brought upin a moorland cottage with a swarm of little

38 THE SECRET GARDENbrothers and sisters who had never dreamed ofdoing anything but waiting on themselves and onthe younger ones who were either babies in armsor just learning to totter about and tumble overthings.If Mary Lennox had been a child wT ho was readyto be amused she would perhaps have laughed atMartha's readiness to talk, but Mary only listenedto her coldly and wondered at her freedom ofmanner. At first she was not at all interested, butgradually, as the girl rattled on in her good-tempered,homely way, Mary began to notice what shewas saying.'Eh! you should see 'em all," she said." There's twelve of us an' my father only getssixteen shilling a week. I can tell you my mother'sput to it to get porridge for 'em all.They tumbleabout on th' moor an' play there all day an'mother says th' air of th' moor fattens 'em. Shesays she believes they eat th' grass same as th'wild ponies do. Our Dickon, he's twelve yearsold and he's got a young pony he calls hisown.'Where did he get it? " asked Mary.'He found it on th' moor with its mother whenit was a little one an' he began to make friendswith it an' give it bits o' bread an' pluck younggrass for And it. it got to like him so it follows

MARTHA 39him about an' it lets him get on its back. Dickon'sa kind lad an' animals likes him."Mary had never possessed an animal pet of herown and had always thought she should like one.So she began to feel a slight interest in Dickon,and as she had never before been interestedin any one but herself, it was the dawning of ahealthy sentiment. When she went into the roomwhich had been made into a nursery for her, shefound that it was rather like the one she had sleptin. It was not a child's room, but a grown-upperson's room, with gloomy old pictures on thewalls and heavy old oak chairs. A table in thecenter was set with a good substantial breakfast.But she had always had a very small appetite, andshe looked with something more than indifferenceat the first plate Martha set before her." I don't want it," she said." Tha' doesn't want thy porridge!" Martha exclaimedincredulously." No."" Tha' doesn't know how goodit is. Put abit o' treacle on it or a bit o' sugar."" I don't want it," repeated Mary."Eh!" said Martha. "I can't abide to seegood victuals go to waste. If our children was atthis table they'd clean it bare in five minutes.""Why?" saidMary coldly.

40 THE SECRET GARDEN"Why!" echoed Martha. "Because theyscarce ever had their stomachs full in their lives.They're as hungry as young hawks an' foxes."" I don't know what it is to be hungry," saidMary, with the indifference of ignorance.Martha looked indignant." Well, it would do thee good to tryit. I cansee that plain enough," she said outspokenly.I've no patience with folk as sits an' just stares'at good bread an' meat. My word! don't I wishDickon and Phil an' Jane an' th' rest of 'em hadwhat's here under their" pinafores."Why don't 'you take it to them? suggestedMary." It's not mine," answered Martha stoutly." An' this isn't my day out. I get my day outonce a month same as th' rest. Then I go homean' clean up for mother an' give her a day's rest."Mary drank some tea and ate a little toast andsome marmalade." You wrap up warm an' run out an' play you,""said Martha. It'll do you good and give yousome stomach for your meat."Mary went to the window. There were gardensand paths and big trees, but everything lookeddull and wintry,"Out? Why should I go out on a day likethis?"

MARTHA 41" Well, if tha' doesn't go out tha'lt have to stayin, an' what has tha' 'got to do?Mary glanced about her. There was nothingto do. When Mrs. Medlock had prepared thenursery she had not thought of amusement. Perhapsit would be better to go and see what thegardens were like.Who will go with me? " she inquired.Martha stared." You'll go by yourself," she answered.You'll have to learn to play likeother childrenand brothers.does when they haven't got sistersOur Dickon goes off on th' moor by himself an'for hours. That's how he made friendsplayswith th' pony. He's got sheep on th' moor thatknows him, an' birds as comes an' eats out of hishand. However little there is to eat, he alwayssaves a bit o' his bread to coax his pets."It was really this mention of Dickon which madeMary decide to go out, though she was not awareof it. There would be birds outside though therewould not be ponies or sheep. They would bedifferent from the birds in India and itmightamuse her to look at them.Martha found her coat and hat for her and apairof stout littleway down-stairs." If tha' goes round that wayboots and she showed her hertha'll come to

42 THE SECRET GARDENth' gardens," she said, pointing to a gate in a wallof shrubbery. There's lots o' flowers in summer-time,but there's nothin' bloomin' now." Sheseemed to hesitate a second before she added," One of th' gardens is locked up. No one hasbeen in it for ten years."" 'Why? asked Mary in spite of herself.Here was another locked door added to the hundredin the strange house.'Mr. Craven had it shut when his wife died sosudden. He won't let no one go inside. It washer garden. He locked th' door an' dug a holeand buried th' key. There's Mrs. Medlock's bellringing I must run."After she was gone Mary turned down the walkwhich led to the door in the shrubbery. Shecould not help thinking about the garden whichno one had been into for ten years. She wonderedwhat it would look like and whether there wereany flowers still alive in When it.she had passedthrough the shrubbery gate she found herself ingreat gardens, with wide lawns and winding walkswith clipped borders. There were trees, and flower-beds,and evergreens clipped into strangeshapes, and a large pool with an old gray fountainin its midst. But the flower-beds were bare andwintry and the fountain was not playing. Thiswas not the garden which was shut up. How

MARTHA 43could a garden be shut up? You could alwayswalk into a garden.She was just thinking this when she saw that, atthe end of the path she was following, thereseemed to be a long wall, with ivy growing overit. She was not familiar enough with Englandto know that she was coming upon the kitchen-gardenswhere the vegetables and fruit were growing.She went toward the wall and found that therewas a green door in the ivy, and that it stood open.This was not the closed garden, evidently, andshe could go into it.She went through the door and found that itwas a garden with walls all round it and that itwas only one of several walled gardens whichseemed to open into one another. She saw anotheropen green door, revealing bushes and pathwaysbetween beds containing winter vegetables.Fruit-trees were trained flat against the wall, andover some of the beds there were glass frames.The place was bare and ugly enough, Marythought, as she stood and stared about her.It might be nicer in summer when things weregreen, but there was nothing pretty about itnow.Presently an old man with a spade over hisshoulder walked through the door leading fromthe second garden. He looked startled when he

44 THE SECRET GARDENsaw Mary, and then touched his cap. He hada surly old face, and did not seem at all pleased tosee her- -but then she was displeased with hisgarden and wore her u quite contrary " expression,and certainly did not seem at all pleased to see him." What is this place? " she asked.One o' th' kitchen-gardens," he answered.What is that? " said Mary, pointing through*the other green door.1Another of 'em," shortly." There's anotheron t'other side o' th' wall an' there's th' orchardt'other side o' that."'Can Igo in them? " asked Mary.'If tha' likes. But there's nowt to see."Mary made no response. She went down thepath and through the second green door. Thereshe found more walls and winter vegetables andglass frames, but in the second wall there was anothergreen door and it was not open. Perhapsit led into the garden which no one had seen forten years. As she was not at all a timid child andalways did what she wanted to do, Mary went tothe green door and turned the handle. She hopedthe door would not open because she wanted tobe sure she had found the mysterious gardenbut it did open quite easily and she walked throughit and found herself in an orchard. There werewalls all round it also and trees trained against

MARTHA 45them, and there were bare fruit-trees growing inthe winter-browned grass but there was nogreen door to be seen anywhere. Mary lookedfor it, and yet when she had entered the upper endof the garden she had noticed that the wall didnot seem to end with the orchard but to extend beyondit as if it enclosed a place at the other side.She could see the tops of trees above the wall, andwhen she stood still she saw a bird with a brightred breast sitting on the topmost branch of one ofthem, and suddenly he burst into his winter songalmost as if he had caught sight of her and wascalling to her.She stopped and listened to him and somehowhis cheerful, friendly little whistle gave her apleased feeling even a disagreeable little girlmay be lonely, and the big closed house and bigbare moor and big bare gardens had made thisone feel as if there was no one left in the worldbut herself. If she had been an affectionate child,who had been used to being loved, she would havebroken her heart, but even though she was " MistressMary Quite Contrary ' she was desolate,and the bright-breasted little bird brought a lookinto her sour little face which was almost a smile.She listened to him until he flew away. He wasnot like an Indian bird and she liked him and wonderedif she should ever see him again. Per-

'46 THE SECRET GARDENhaps he lived in the mysterious garden and knewall about it.Perhaps it was because she had nothing whateverto do that she thought so much of the desertedgarden. She was curious about it andwanted to see what it was like. Why had Mr.Archibald Craven buried the key? If he had likedhis wife so much why did he hate her garden?She wondered if she should ever see him, but sheknew that if she did she should not like him, andhe would not like her, and that she should onlystand and stare at him and say nothing, thoughshe should be wanting dreadfully to ask him whyhe had done such a queer thing."People never like me and I never like people,"she'thought. And I never can talk as the Crawfordchildren ^ould. They were always talkingand laughing ana making noises."She thought of the robin and of the way heseemed to sing his song at her, and as she rememberedthe tree-top he perched on she stopped rathersuddenly on the path.I believe that tree was in the secret garden"I feel sure it was," she said. There was a wallround the place and there was no door."She walked back into the first kitchen-gardenshe had entered and found the old man diggingthere. She went and stood beside him and

MARTHA 47watched him a few moments in her cold little way.He took no notice of her and so at last she spoketo him." I have been into the other gardens," shesaid." There was nothin' to prevent thee," he answeredcrustily." I went into the orchard."" There was no dog at th' door to bite thee,"he answered." There was no door there into the other garden,"said Mary."What garden?' he said in a rough voice,stopping his digging for a moment." The one on the other side of the wall," answeredMistressThere are trees" thereMary.I saw the tops of them. A bird with a redbreast was sitting on one of them and he sang."To her surprise the surly old weather-beatenface actually changed its expression. A slow smilespread over it and the gardener looked quitedifferent. It made her think that it was curioushow much nicer a person looked when he smiled.She had not thought of it before.He turned about to the orchard side of hisgarden and began to whistle a low soft whistle.She could not understand how such a surly mancould make such a coaxing sound.

48 THE SECRET GARDENAlmost the next moment a wonderful thing happened.She heard a soft little rushing flightthrough the air and it was the bird with the redbreast flying to them, and he actually alighted onthe big clod of earth quite near to the gardener'sfoot." Here he is," chuckled the old man, and thenhe spoke to the bird as if he were speaking to achild." Where has tha' been, tha' cheeky little beg*gar?'hesaid.'I've not seen thee before today.Has tha' begun tha' courtin' this early inth' season? Tha'rt too forrad."The bird put his tiny head on one side andlooked up at him with his soft bright eye whichwas like a black dewdrop. He seemed quite familiarand not the least afraid. He hopped aboutand pecked the earth briskly, looking for seeds andinsects.her heart,It actually gave Mary a queer feeling inbecause he was so pretty and cheerfuland seemed so like a person. He had a tinyplump body and a delicate beak, and slender delicatelegs." Will he always come when you call him?'she asked almost in a whisper." Aye, that he will. I've knowed him eversince he was a fledgling. He come out of th' nestin th' other garden an' when first he flew over th'

MARTHA 49wall he was too weak to flyback for a few daysan' we got friendly. When he went over th' wallagain th' rest of th' brood was gone an' he waslonely an' he come back to me."" What kind of a bird is he? " Mary asked." Doesn't tha' know? He's a robin redbreastan' they're th' friendliest, curiousest birds alive.They're almost as friendly as dogshow to get on with 'em. Watch him peckin' aboutifyou knowthere an' lookin' round at us now an' again.knows we're talkin' about him.' 3HeIt was the queerest thing in the world to seethe old fellow. He looked at the plump littlescarlet-waistcoated bird as if he were both proudand fond of him." 5He's a conceited one/ he chuckled." Helikes to hear folk talk about him. An' curiousbless me, there never was his like for curiosity an'meddlin'. He's always comin' to see what I'mplantin'.He knows all th' things M ester Cravennever troubles hissel' to find out. He's th' headhe is."gardener,The robin hopped about busily pecking the soiland now and then stopped and looked at them alittle. Mary thought his black dewdrop eyesgazed at her with great curiosity. It reallyseemed as if he were finding out all about her.The gueer feeling in her heart increased.

SOTHE SECRET GARDEN" Where did the rest of the brood fly to? " sheasked.There's no knowin'.The old ones turn 'emout o' their nest an' make 'em fly an' they're scatteredbefore you know it.This one was a knowin'one an' he knew he was lonely."Mistress Mary went a step nearer to the robinand looked at him very hard." I'm lonely," she said.She had not known before that this was one ofthe things which made her feel sour and cross.She seemed to find it out when the robin looked ather and she looked at the robin.The old gardener pushed his cap back on hisbald head and stared at her a minute."Art tha' th' little wench from India?" heasked.Mary nodded.Then no wonder tha'rt lonely. Tha'lt belonelier before tha's done," he said.He began to dig again, driving his spade deepinto the rich black garden soil while the robinhopped about very busily employed." What isyour name? " Mary inquired.He stood up to answer her.Ben Weatherstaff," he answered, and then he'added with a surly chuckle," I'm lonely mysel'

MARTHA 51except when he's with me," and he jerked his"thumb toward the robin. He's th' only friendI've got."''I have no friends at all," said Mary. Inever had. My Ayah didn't like me and I neverplayed with any one."It is a Yorkshire habit to say what you thinkwith blunt frankness, and old Ben Weatherstaffwas a Yorkshire moor man." Tha' an' me are a good bit alike," he said."We was wove out of th' same cloth. We'reneither of us good lookin' an' we're both of us assour as we look. We've got the same nasty tempers,both of us,I'll warrant."This was plain speaking, and Mary Lennox hadnever heard the truth about herself in her life.Native servants always salaamed and submittedto you, whatever you did. She had never thoughtmuch about her looks, but she wondered if she wasas unattractive as Ben Weatherstaff and she alsowondered if she looked as sour as he had lookedbefore the robin came. She actually began towonder also if she was * nasty tempered." Shefelt uncomfortable.Suddenly a clear rippling little sound broke outnear her and she turned round. She was standinga few feet from a young apple-tree and the robii>

52 THE SECRET GARDENhad flown on to one of itsbranches and had burstout into a scrap of a song. Ben Weatherstafflaughed outright." What did he do that for? " asked Mary." He's made up his mind to make friends withthee," replied Ben. 'aDang me ifhe hasn't tookfancy to thee."To me? " said Mary, and she moved towardthe little tree softly and looked up." Would you make friends with me? " she saidto the robin just as if she was speaking to a person.'And she did not sayit either in" Would you?her hard little voice or in her imperious Indianvoice, but in a tone so soft and eager and coaxingthat Ben Weatherstaff was as surprised as she hadbeen when she heard him whistle."Why," he cried u out, tha' said that as nicean' human as if tha' was a real child instead of asharp old woman. Tha' said it almost like Dickontalks to his wild things on th' moor."" Do you know Dickon? 'Mary asked, turninground rather in a hurry.Everybody knows him. Dickon's wanderin''about everywhere. Th' very blackberries an'heather-bells knows him. I warrant th' foxesshows him where their cubs lies an' th' skylarksdoesn't hide their nests from him."Mary would have liked to ask some more ques-

MARTHA 53tions. She was almost as curious about Dickonas she was about the deserted garden. But justthat moment the robin, who had ended his song,gave a little shake of his wings, spread them andaway. He had made his visit and had otherthings to do.He has flown over the wall !"Mary cried out,watching him. " He has flown into the orchardhe has flown across the other wall into the'garden where there is no door!He lives there/' said old Ben." He cameout o' th' egg there. If he's courtin', he's makin'up to some young madam of a robin that livesamong th' old rose-trees there."" "Rose-trees," said Mary. Are there rosetrees?"Ben Weatherstaff took up hisspade again andbegan to dig." There was ten year' ago," he mumbled." I should like to see them," said Mary.Where is the green door? There must be adoor somewhere."Ben drove his spade deep and looked as uncompanionableas he had looked when she first sawhim." There was ten year' ago, but there isn't now,"he said." No door! " cried Mary." There must be."

54 THE SECRET GARDEN'None as any one can find, an' none as is anyone's business. Don't you be a meddlesome.wench an' poke your nose where it's no cause togo. Here, I must go on with my work. Getyou gone an' play you. I've no more time."And he actually stopped digging, threw hisspade over his shoulder and walked off, withouteven glancing at her or saying good-by.

CHAPTER VTHE CRY IN THE CORRIDORA T first each day which passed by for Mary Len-** nox was exactly like the others. Everymorning she awoke in her tapestried room andfound Martha kneeling upon the hearth buildingtier fire; every morning she ate her breakfast inthe nursery which had nothing amusing in it; andafter each breakfast she gazed out of the windowacross to the huge moor which seemed to spreadout on all sides and climb up to the sky, and aftershe had stared for a while she realized that if shedid not go out she would have to stay in and donothing and so she went out. She did not knowthat this was the best thing she could have done,and she did not know that, when she began towalk quickly or even run along the paths and downthe avenue, she was stirring her slow blood andmaking herself stronger by fighting with the windwhich swept down from the moor. She ran onlyto make herself warm, and she hated the windwhich rushed at her face and roared and held herback as if it were some giant she could not see.55

56 THE SECRET GARDENBut the big breaths of rough fresh air blown overthe heather filled her lungs with something whichwas good for her whole thin body and whippedsome red color into her cheeks and brightenedher dull eyes when she did not know anythingabout it.But after a few days spent almost entirely outof doors she wakened one morning knowing whatit was to be hungry, and when she sat down to herbreakfast she did not glance disdainfully at herporridge and push it away, but took up her spoonand began to eat it and went on eatingit untilher bowl was empty.Tha' got on well enough with that thismornin', didn't tha'? " said Martha." It tastes nice to-day," said Mary, feeling alittle surprised herself." It's th' air of th' moor that's givin' theestomach for tha' victuals," answered Martha." It's lucky for thee that tha's got victuals as wellas appetite. There's been twelve in our cottageas had th' stomach an' nothin' to put in it. Yougo on playin' you out o' doors every day an' you'llget some flesh on your bones an' you won't be soyeller."" I don't play," said Mary.to play with."" Nothin' to play" I have nothingwith!" exclaimed Martha.

THE CRY IN THE CORRIDOR 57" Our children plays with sticks and stones. Theyjust runs about an' shouts an' looks at things."Mary did not shout, but she looked at things.There was nothing else to do. She walked roundand round the gardens and wandered about thepaths in the park. Sometimes she looked forBen Weatherstaff, but though several times shesaw him at work he was too busy to look at her

'58 THE SECRET GARDENperched Ben Weatherstaff's robin redbreast, tiltingforward to look at her with his small headon one side." Oh !'"she cried out, is ityouis ityou? 'And it did not seem at all queer to her that shespoke to him as if she was sure that he would understandand answer her.He did answer. He twittered and chirped andhopped along the wall as if he were telling herall sorts of things. It seemed to Mistress Maryas if she understood him, too, though he was notspeaking in words. It was as if he said:" Good morning! Isn't the wind nice? Isn'tthe sun nice ? Isn't everything nice ? Let us bothchirp and hop and twitter. Come on! Comeon!"Mary began to laugh, and as he hopped andtook littleflights along the wall she ran after him.Poor little thin, sallow, ugly Mary she actuallylooked almost pretty for a moment." I like you I like 'you she cried ! ! out,patteringdown the walk; and she chirped and triedto whistle, which last she did not know how todo in the least. But the robin seemed to be quitesatisfied and chirped and whistled back at her. Atlast he spread his wings and made a darting flightto the top of a tree, where he perched and sangloudly.

THE CRY IN THE CORRIDOR 59That reminded Maryof the firsttime she hadseen him. He had been swinging on a tree-topthen and she had been standing in the orchard.Now she was on the other side of the orchardand standing in the path outside a wall muchlower down and there was the same tree inside." It's in the garden no one can go into," she"said to herself. It's the garden without a door.He lives in there. How I wish I could see whatit is like!"She ran up the walk to the greendoor she hadentered the first morning. Then she ran downthe path throughthe other door and then into theorchard, and when she stood and looked up therewas the tree on the other side of the wall,and there was the robin just finishing his songand beginning to preen his feathers with hisbeak." It is the garden/' she said. " I am sure itis."She walked round and looked closely at thatside of the orchard wall, but she only found whatshe had found before that there was no doorin it. Then she ran through the kitchen-gardensagain and out into the walk outside the long ivycoveredwall, and she walked to the end of it andlooked at it, but there was no door; and then she

6oTHE SECRET GARDENwalked to the other end, looking again, but therewas no door.It's very queer," she said. " Ben Weathenstaffsaid there was no door and there is no door.But there must have been one ten years ago, becauseMr. Craven buried the key."This gave her so much to think of that she be-interested and feel that she wasgan to be quitenot sorry that she had come to MisselthwaiteManor. In India she had always felt hot andtoo languid to care much about anything. Thefact was that the fresh wind from the moor hadbegun to blow the cobwebs out of her young brainand to waken her up a little.She stayed out of doors nearly all day, and v/henshe sat down to her supper at night she felt hungryand drowsy and comfortable. She did not feelcross when Martha chattered away. She felt asif she rather liked to hear her, and at last shethought she would ask her a question.She askedit after she had finished her supper and had satdown on the hearth-rug before the fire."Why did Mr. Craven hate the garden? " shesaid.She had made Martha stay with her and Marthahad not objected at all. She was very young,and used to a crowded cottage full of brothers andsisters, and she found it dull in the great servants'

1THE CRY IN THE CORRIDOR 61hall down-stairs where the footman and upperhousemaidsmade fun of her Yorkshire speechand looked upon her as a common little thing, andsat and whispered among themselves. Marthaliked to talk, and the strange child who had livedin India, and been waited upon by " blacks," wasnovelty enough to attract her.She sat down on the hearth herself without waitingto be asked."Art tha' thinkin' about that garden yet? "u I knew tha' would. That was justshe said.with me when I first heard " about it-'Why did he hate it? " Mary persisted.Martha tucked her feet under her and madethe wayherself quite comfortable." Listen to th' wind wutherin' round the house,"she said.You could bare stand up on the moorif you was out on itto-night."Mary did not know what " wutherin' meantuntil she listened, and then she understood. Itmust mean that hollow shuddering sort of roarwhich rushed round and round the house as if thegiant no one could see were buffeting itand beatingat the walls and windows to try to break in.But one knew he could not get in, and somehow itmade one feel very safe and warm inside a roomwith a red coal fire." But why did he hate it so? '' she asked, after

62 THE SECRET GARDENshe had listened.She intended to know if Marthadid.Then Martha gave up her store of knowledge."Mind," she said," Mrs. Medlock said it's notto be talked about. There's lots o' things in thisplace that's not to be talked over. That's Mr.Craven's orders. His troubles are none servants'business, he says. But for th' garden he wouldn'tbe like he is. It was Mrs. Craven's garden thatshe had made when first they were married an'she just loved it, an ? they used to 'tend the flowersthemselves. An' none o' th' gardeners was everlet to go in.Him an' her used to goin an' shut th'door an' stay there hours an' hours, readin' antalkin'. An' she was just a bit of a girl an' therewas an old tree with a branch bent like a seat onit. An' she made roses grow over it an' she usedto sit there. But one day when she was sittin'there th' branch broke an' she fell on th' groundan' was hurt so bad that next dayshe died. Th'doctors thought he'd go out o' his mind an' die,too. That's why he hates it. No one's nevergone in since, an' he won't let any one talk aboutit."Mary did not ask any more questions. Shelooked at the red fire and listened to the wind1wutherin'." It seemed to belouder than ever." wutherin'

THE CRY IN THE CORRIDOR 63At that moment a very good thing was happeningto her. Four good things had happened toher, in fact, since she came to MisselthwaiteManor. She had felt as if she had understood arobin and that he had understood her; she hadrun in the wind until her blood had grown warm;she had been healthily hungry for the first time inher life; and she had found out what it was to besorry for some one. She was getting on.But as she was listening to the wind she beganto listen to something else. She did not knowwhat it was, because at first she could scarcely distinguishit from the wind itself. It was a curioussound it seemed almost as if a child were cryingsomewhere. Sometimes the wind soundedrather like a child crying, but presently MistressMary felt quite sure that this sound was insidethe house, not outside it. It was far away, butit was inside. She turned round and looked atMartha." Do you hear any one crying? ' she said.Martha suddenly looked confused." u No," she answered. It's th' wind. Sometimesit sounds like as if some one was lost on thVmoor an' wailin'. It's got all sorts o' sounds."" " But listen," said Mary. It's in the housedown one of those long corridors."And at that very moment a door must have been

64 THE SECRET GARDENopened somewhere down-stairs; for a great rushingdraft blew along the passage and the door ofthe room they sat in was blown open with a crash,and as they both jumped to their feet the light wasblown out and the crying sound was swept downthe far corridor so that it was to be heard moreplainlythan ever." There !" said Mary." I told youso ! It issome one crying and it isn't a grown-up person.1Martha ran and shut the door and turned thekey, but before she did it they both heard thesound of a door in some far passage shutting witha bang, and then everything was quiet, for eventhe wind ceased a wutherin' for a few moments." It was th' wind," said Martha stubbornly." An' if it wasn't, it was little Betty Butterworth,th' scullery-maid. She's had th' toothache allday."But something troubled and awkward in hermanner made Mistress Mary stare very hard ather. She did not believe she was speakingfehetruth.

CHAPTER VI" THERE WAS SOME ONE CRYING THERE"WAS I'"THE next day the rain poured down in torrentsagain, and when Mary looked out of her windowthe moor was almost hidden by gray mist andcloud. There could be no going out to-day.What do you do in your cottage when it rainsshe asked Martha.like this? 'Try to keep from under each other's feetumostly," Martha answered. Eh! there doesseem a lot of us then. Mother's a good-temperedwoman but she gets fair moithered. Thebiggest ones goes out in th' cow-shed and playsthere. Dickon he doesn't mind th' wet. Hegoes out just th' same as if th' sun was shinin'.He says he sees things on rainy days as doesn'tshow when it's fair weather. He once found alittle fox cub half drowned in its hole and hebrought home it in th' bosom of his shirt to keepit warm. Its mother had been killed nearby an'th' hole was swum out an' th' rest o' th' litter wasdead. He's gotit at home now. He found a65

66 THE SECRET GARDENhalf-drowned young crow another time an' hebrought it home, too, an' tamed it. It's namedSoot because it's so black, an' ithops an' flies aboutwith him everywhere."The time had come when Mary had forgottento resent Martha's familiar talk. She had evenbegun to find it interesting and to be sorry whenshe stopped or went away. The stories she hadbeen told by her Ayah when she lived in Indiahad been quite unlike those Martha had to tellabout themoorland cottage which held fourteenpeople who lived in four little rooms and neverhad quite enough to eat. The children seemed totumble about and amuse themselves like a litterMary wasof rough, good-natured collie puppies.most attracted by the mother and Dickon. WhenMartha told stories of what " mother ' said ordid they always sounded comfortable." If I had a raven or a fox cub I could play"with it," said Mary. But I have nothing."Martha looked perplexed." Can tha' knit?" she asked." No," answered Mary."Can tha' sew?"" No.""Can tha' read?"" Yes."" Then why doesn't tha' read something or

SOME ONE CRYING 67learn a bit o' spellin' ? Tha'st old enough vo belearnin' thy book a ngood bit now." " I haven't any books," said Mary. ThoseI had were left in India."" That's a pity," said Martha." If Mrs. Medlock'dlet thee go into th' library, there's thousandso' books there."Mary did not ask where the library was, becauseshe was suddenly inspired by a new idea. Shemade up her mind to go and find it herself. Shewas not troubled about Mrs. Medlock. Mrs.Medlock seemed always to be in her comfortabledown-stairs. In thishousekeeper's sitting-roomqueer place one scarcely ever saw any one at all.there was no one to see but the servants,In fact,and when their master was away they lived a luxuriouslife below stairs, where there was a hugekitchen hung about with shining brass and pewter,and a large servants' hall where there were fouror five abundant meals eaten every day, and wherea great deal of lively romping went on when Mrs.Medlock was out of the way.and Mar-Mary's meals were served regularly,tha waited on her, but no one troubled themselvesabout her in the least.Mrs. Medlock came andlooked at her every day or two, but no one inquiredwhat she did or told her what to do. Shesupposed that perhaps this was the English way

68 THE SECRET GARDENof treating children. In India she had alwaysbeen attended by her Ayah, who had followed herabout and waited on her, hand and foot. Shehad often been tired of her company. Now shewas followed by nobody and was learning to dressherself because Martha looked as though sheand stupid when she wantedthought she was sillyto have things handed to her and put on.'Hasn't tha' got good sense? ' she said once,when Mary had stood waiting for her to put on'her gloves for her. Our Susan Ann is twice a?sharp as thee an' she's only four year' old.Sometimes tha' looks fair soft in th' head."Mary had worn her contrary scowl for an hourafter that, but it made her think several entirelynew things.She stood at the window for about ten minutesthis morning after Martha had swept up the hearthfor the last time and gone down-stairs. She wasthinking over the new idea which had come toher when she heard of the library. She did notcare very much about the library itself, because shehad read very few books ;but to hear of itbroughtback to her mind the hundred rooms with closeddoors. She wondered ifthey were all reallylocked and what she would find if she could getinto any of them. Were there a hundred really?Why shouldn't she go and see how many doors

SOME ONE CRYING 69she could count? It would be something to doon this morning when she could not go out. Shehad never been taught to ask permission to dothings, and she knew nothing at all about authority,so she would not have thought it necessary toask Mrs. Medlock if she might walk about thehouse, even if she had seen her.She opened the door of the room and went intothe corridor, and then she began her wanderings.It was a long corridor and it branched into othercorridors and it led her up short flights of stepswhich mounted to others again. There weredoors and doors, and there were pictures on thewalls. Sometimes they were pictures of dark, curiouslandscapes, but oftenest they were portraitscostumes madeof men and women in queer, grandof satin and velvet.She found herself in one longgallery whose walls were covered with these portraits.She had never thought there could be somany in any house. She walked slowly down thisplace and stared at the faces which also seemed tostare at her. She felt as if they were wonderingwhat a little girl from India was doing intheir house. Some were pictures of childrenlittle girlsin thick satin frocks which reached totheir feet and stood out about them, and boys withpuffed sleeves and lace collars and long hair, orwith big ruffs around their necks. She always

70 THE SECRET GARDENstopped to look at the children, and wonder whattheir names were, and where they had gone, andwhy they wore such odd clothes. There was astiff, plain little girl rather like herself. Shewore a green brocade dress and held a green parroton her finger. Her eyes had a sharp, curiouslook.to her.'Where do you live now?u I wish you were here."said Mary aloudSurely no other little girl ever spent such a queermorning. It seemed as if there was no one inall the huge rambling house but her own smallself, wandering about up-stairs and down, throughnarrow passages and wide ones, where it seemedto her that no one but herself had ever walked.Since so many rooms had been built, people musthave lived in them, but it all seemed so empty thatshe could not quite believe it true.It was not until she climbed to the second floorthat she thought of turning the handle of a door.fill the doors were shut, as Mrs. Medlock hadsaid they were, but at last she put her hand on thehandle of one of them and turned it. She wasalmost frightened for a moment when she felt thatit turned without difficulty and that when shepushed upon the door itself it slowly and heavilyopened. It was a massive door and opened intoa big bedroom. There were embroidered hang-

SOME ONE CRYING 71ings on the wall, and inlaid furniture such as shehad seen in India stood about the room. A broadwindow with leaded panes looked out upon themoor; and over the mantel was another portraitof the stiff, plain little girl who seemed to stareat her more curiously than ever." Perhaps she slept here once," said Mary." She stares at me so that she makes me feelqueer."After that she opened more doors and more.She saw so many rooms that she became quitetired and began to think that there must be ahundred, thoughshe had not counted them. Inall of them there were old pictures or old tapestrieswith strange scenes worked on them. Therewere curious pieces of furniture and curious ornamentsin nearly allof them.were of differentIn one room, which looked like a lady's sittingroom,the hangings were all embroidered velvet,and in a cabinet were about a hundred little elephantsmade of ivory. Theysizes, and some had their mahouts or palanquinson their backs. Some were much bigger than theothers and some were so tiny that they seemed onlybabies. Mary had seen carved ivory in India andshe knew all about elephants. She opened thedoor of the cabinet and stood on a footstool andplayed with these for quite a long time. When

72 THE SECRET GARDENshe got tired she set the elephants in order and shutthe door of the cabinet.In all her wanderings through the long corridorsand the empty rooms, she had seen nothingalive; but in this room she saw something. Justafter she had closed the cabinet door she heard atiny rustling sound. It made her jump and lookaround at the sofa by the fireplace, from which itseemed to come. In the corner of the sofa therewas a cushion, and in the velvet which coveredit there was a hole, and out of the holepeeped a tiny head with a pair of frightenedin it.eyesMary crept softlyacross the room to look.The bright eyes belonged to a littlegray mouse,and the mouse had eaten a hole into the cushionand made a comfortable nest there. Six baby micewere cuddled up asleep near her. If there wasno one else alive in the hundred rooms there wereseven mice who did not look lonely at all.'If they wouldn't be so frightened I wouldtake them back with me," said Mary.She had wandered about long enough tofeeltoo tired to wander any farther, and she turnedback. Two or three times she lost her way byturning down the wrong corridor and was obligedto ramble up and down until she found the rightone; but at last she reached her own floor again,

SOME ONE CRYING 73though she was some distance from her own roomand did not know exactly where she was." I believe I have taken a wrong turning again, "she said, standingstill at what seemed the end ofa short passage with tapestry on the wall. 'Idon't know which way to go. How stilleverythingis! "It was while she was standing here and justafter she had said this that the stillness was brokenby a sound. It was another cry, but not quite likethe one she had heard last night; it was only ashort one, a fretful, childish whine muffled by passingthrough walls." It's nearer than it was," said Mary, her heartbeating rather faster. 'And it iscrying."She put her hand accidentally upon the tapestrynear her, and then sprang back, feeling quitestartled.of a doorThe tapestry was the coveringwhich fell open and showed her that there wasanother part of the corridor behind it, and Mrs.Medlock was coming up it with her bunch of keysin her hand and a very cross look on her face." What are you doing here?' she said, andshe took Mary by the arm and pulled her away."What did I tellyou?"" I turned round the wrong corner," explained"Mary. I didn't know which way to go and Iheard some one crying."

74 THE SECRET GARDENShe quite hated Mrs. Medlock at the moment,but she hated her more the next.u You didn't hear anything of the sort," said thehousekeeper. You come along back to your ownnursery or I'll box your ears."And she took her by the arm and half pushed,half pulled her up one passage and down anotheruntil she pushed her in at the door of her ownroom."you stay where you're toldNow," she said,*to stay or you'll find yourself locked up. Themaster had better get you a governess, same ashe said he would. You're one that needs someone to look sharp after you. I've got enoughtodo."She went out of the room and slammed the doorand Mary went and sat on the hearth-after her,rug, pale with rage. She did not cry, but groundher teeth.There was some one crying there wasthere was! " she said to herself.She had heard it twice now, and sometime shewould find out. She had found out a great dealthis morning. She felt as if she had been on along journey, and at any rate she had had somethingto amuse her all the time, and she hadplayed with the ivory elephants and had seen thegray mouse and its babies in their nest in the velvetcushion.

CHAPTER VIITHE KEY OF THE GARDEN'TWO days after this, when Mary opened her*eyes she sat upright in bed immediately, andcalled to Martha." Look at the moor! Look at the moorl "The rain-storm had ended and the gr*y mist andclouds had been swept away in the night by thewind. The wind itself had ceased and a brilliant,deep blue sky arched high over the moorland.Never, never had Mary dreamed of a sky so blue.In India skies were hot and blazing; this Was ofa deep cool blue which almost seemed to sparklelike the waters of some lovely bottomless lake,and here and there, high, high in the arched bluenessfloated small clouds of snow-white fleece.The far-reaching world of the moor itself lookedsoftly blue instead of gloomy purple-blackor awfuldreary gray.uAye," said Martha with a cheerful grin.Th' storm's over for a bit. It does like this atthis time o' th' year. It goes off in a night likeit was pretendin'it had never been here an' nevel7*.

76 THE SECRET GARDENmeant to come again. That's because th' springtime'son itsway. It's a long way off yet,comin'.but it's'I thought perhaps it always rained or lookeddark in England," Mary said.'"Eh ! no ! said Martha, sitting up on her heelsamong her black lead brushes. " Nowt o' th'soart! "What does that mean?' asked Mary seriously.In India the natives spoke different dialectswhich only a few people understood, so shewas not surprised when Martha used words shedid not know.Martha laughed as she had done the first morning." There now," she said." I've talked broadYorkshire again like Mrs. Medlock said I mustn't.1Nowt o' th' soart ' means "' nothin'-of-the-sort,'slowly and carefully,'but it takes so long to sayit. Yorkshire's th' sunniest place on earth whenit issunny. I told thee tha'd like th' moor aftera bit. Just you wait till you see th' gold-coloredgorse blossoms an' th' blossoms o' th' broom, an',th' heather flowerin', all purple bells, an' hundredso' butterflies flutterin'skylarks soarin' up an' singin'.an' bees hummin' an'You'll want to getout on it at sunrise an' live out on it allday likeDickon does."

TPIE KEY OF THE GARDEN 77,'Could I ever get there? ' asked Mary wistfully,looking through her window at the far-offblue.It was so new and big and wonderful andsuch a heavenly color." I don't know," answered Martha.never used tha 7 legs since tha' was born," Tha'sit seemsto me. Tha' couldn't walk five mile. It's fivemile to our cottage."" I should like to see your cottage/ 5Martha stared at her a moment curiously beforeshe took up her polishing brush and began to rubthe grate again. She was thinking that the smallplain face did not look quite as sour at this momentas it had done the first morning she saw it. Itlooked just a trifle like little Susan Ann's when shewanted something very much." I'll ask my mother about it," she said.'She's one o'them that nearly always sees a wayto do things. It's my day out to-day an' I'm goin'home. Eh! I am glad. Mrs. Medlockthinks a lot o' mother. Perhaps she could talk toher."" I like your mother," said Mary." I should think tha' did," agreed Martha, polishingaway." I've never seen her," said Mary." No, tha' hasn't," replied Martha.She sat up on her heels again and rubbed the

78 THE SECRET GARDENend of her nose with the back of her hand aspuzzled fora moment, but she ended quite positively." Well, she's that sensible an' hard workin' an'good-natured an' clean that no one could help likin'her whether they'd seen her or not. When I'mgoin' home to her on my day out I just jump forjoy when I'm crossin' th' moor.""I like Dickon," added Mary." And I'venever seen him."" " Well," said Martha stoutly, I've told theethat th' very birds likes him an' th' rabbits an'wild sheep an' ponies, an' th' foxes themselves. Iwonder," staring at her "reflectively, what Dickonwould think of thee?'" He wouldn't like me," said Mary in her stiff,cold littleway." No one does."Martha looked reflective again."How does tha' like thysel' ? ' she inquired,really quite as if she were curious to know.Mary hesitated a moment and thought it over." Not at all really," she answered. " ButI never thought of that before."Martha grinned a little as if at some homely recollection." Mother said that to me once," she said." She was at her wash-tub an' I was in a bad temperan' talkin' ill of folk, an' she turns round on meif

THE KEY OF THE GARDEN 79an' says: Tha' young vixon, tha' ! There tha'stands sayin' tha' doesn't like this one an' tha'doesn't like that one. How does tha' like thysel'? 'It made me laugh an' itbrought me to mysenses in a minute.'She went away in high spiritshad given Mary her breakfast.as soon as sheShe was goingto walk five miles across the moor to the cottage,and she was going to help her mother with thewashing and do the week's baking and enjoy herselfthoroughly.felt lonelier than ever when she knewMaryshe was no longer in the house. She went outinto the garden as quickly as possible, and the firstthing she did was to run round and round the fountainflower garden ten times. She counted thetimes carefully and when she had finished she feltin better spirits. The sunshine made the wholeplace look different. The high, deep, blue skyarched over Misselthwaite as well as over themoor, and she kept lifting her face and lookingup into it, trying to imagine what it would be liketo lie down on one of the little snow-white clouds,/and float about. She went into the first kitchengardenand found Ben Weatherstaff working therewith two other gardeners. The change in theweather seemed to have done him good. Hespoke to her of his own accord.

80 THE SECRET GARDEN"Springtime's comin'," he said.smell it?"Mary sniffed and thought she could.'Cannot" I smell something nice and fresh and damp/she said." That's th' good rich earth," he answered,"digging away. It's in a good humor makin'ready to grow things. It's glad when plantin'time comes. It's dull in th' winter when it'sgotnowt to do. In th' flower gardens out therewill be stirrin' down below in th' dark.thingsTh' sun's warmin' 'em. You'll see bits o' greenspikesstickin' out o' th' black earth after a bit.""What willthey be?" asked Mary." Crocuses an' snowdrops an' daffydowndillys.'Has tha' never seen them?" No. Everything is hot, and wet, and greenafter the rains in India," said 'Mary. And Ithink things grow up in a night."" These won't grow up in a night,"said Weatherstaff." Tha'll have to wait for 'em. They'llpoke up a bit higher here, an' push out a spikemore there, an' uncurl a leaf this day an' anotherthat. You watch ? em."" I am going to," answered Mary.Very soon she heard the soft rustling flight ofwings again and she knew at once that the robinhad come again. He was very pert and lively,1

THE KEY OF THE GARDEN 81and hopped about so close to her feet, and puthis head on one side and looked at her so slylythat she asked Ben Weatherstaff a question.'Do you think he remembers me? " she said." 'Remembers thee!said Weatherstaff indig-knows every cabbage stump in th'nantly.'Hegardens, let alone th' people. He's never seen alittle wench here before, an' he's bent on findin'out all about thee. Tha's no need to try to hide'anything from him."Are things stirring down below in the dark4in that garden where he lives? Mary inquired." What garden?' grunted Weatherstaff, becoming" surly again.The one where the old rose-trees are." Shecould not help asking, because she wanted so much'to know. Are all the flowers dead, or do someof them come again in the summer? Are thereever any roses? 'u Ask him," said Ben Weatherstaff, hunching"his shoulders toward the robin. He's the onlyone as knows. No one else has seen inside it for'tenyear'."Ten years was a long time, Mary thought.She had been born ten years ago.She walked away, slowly thinking. She hadbegun to like the garden just as she had begun tolike the robin and Dickon and Martha's mother.

62 THE SECRET GARDENShe was beginning to like Martha,seemed a good many people to like when youwere not used to liking. She thought of the robinas one of the people. She went to her walk outsidethe long, ivy-covered wall over which she couldtoo. Thatsee the tree-tops; and the second time she walkedup and down the most interesting and excitingthing happened to her, and it was all through BenWeatherstaff's robin.She heard a chirp and a twitter, and when shelooked at the bare flower-bed at her left side therehe was hopping about and pretending to peckthings out of the earth to persuade her that he hadnot followed her. But she knew he had followedher and the surprise so filled her with delight thatshe almost trembled a little." You do remember me !'she cried out." You do ! You are prettier than anything elsein the world !'She chirped, and talked, and coaxed and hehopped, and flirted his tail and twittered. Itwas as if he were talking. His red waistcoat waslike satin and he puffed his tiny breast out and wasso fine and so grand and so pretty that it was reallyas if he were showing her how important and likea human person a robin could be.Mistress Maryforgot that she had ever been contrary in her lifewhen he allowed her to draw closer and closer to

THE KEY OF THE GARDEN 83him, and bend down and talk and try to makesomething like robin sounds.Oh ! to think that he should actually let her comeas near to him as that! He knew nothing in theworld would make her put out her hand towardhim or startle him in the least tiniest way. Heknew it because he was a real person only nicerthan any other person in the world.happy that she scarcelydared to breathe.She was soThe flower-bed was not quite bare. It wasbare of flowers because the perennial plants hadbeen cut down for their winter rest, but there weretallshrubs and low ones which grew together atthe back of the bed, and as the robin hopped aboutunder them she saw him hop over a small pile offreshly turned up earth. He stopped on it to lookfor a worm. The earth had been turned up becausea dog had been trying to dig up a mole andhe had scratched quite a deep hole.Mary looked at it, not really knowing why thehole was there, and as she looked she saw somethingalmost buried in the newly-turnedwas something like a ring of rusty iron or brassand when the robin flew up into a tree nearbysoil. Itshe put out her hand and picked the ring up. Itwas more than a ring, however; it was an old keywhich looked as if it had been buried a long time.Mistress Mary stood up and looked at it with

84 THE SECRET GARDENan almost frightened face as ithung from herfinger.'Perhaps it has been buried for ten years," shesaid in a "whisper. Perhapsit is the key to the"garden !

CHAPTER VIIITHE ROBIN WHO SHOWED THE WAYSHE looked at the key quite a long time. Sheturned it over and over, and thought about it.As I have said before, she was not a child who hadbeen trained to ask permission or consult her eldersabout things. All she thought about the key wasthat if it was the key to the closed garden, andshe could find out where the door was, she couldperhaps open it and see what was inside the walls,and what had happened to the old rose-trees. Itwas because it had been shut up so long that shewanted to see it. It seemed as if it must be differentfrom other places and that somethingstrange must have happened to it during ten years.Besides that, if she liked it she could go into itevery day and shut the door behind her, and shecould make up some play of her own and playitquite alone, because nobody would ever knowwhere she was, but would think the door was stilllocked and the key buried in the earth. Thethought of that pleased her very much.Living as it were, all by herself in a house with85

86 THE SECRET GARDENa hundred mysteriously closed rooms and havingnothing whatever to do to amuse herself, had sether inactive brain to working and was actuallyawakening her imagination. There is no doubtthat the fresh, strong, pure air from the moor had agreat deal to do with it. Just as it had given heran appetite, and fighting with the wind had stirredher blood, so the same things had stirred her mind.In India she had always been too hot and languidand weak to care much about anything, but in thisplace she was beginning to care and to want to donew things. Already she felt less " contrary,"though she did not know why.She put the key in her pocket and walked upand down her walk. No one but herself everseemed to come there, so she could walk slowly andlook at the wall, or, rather, at the ivy growing onit. The ivy was the baffling thing. Howsoevercarefully she looked she could see nothing butthickly-growing, glossy, dark green leaves. Shewas very much disappointed. Something of hercontrariness came back to her as she paced thewalk and looked over it at the tree-tops inside. Itseemed so silly,she said to herself, to be near itand not be able to get in. She took the key in herpocket when she went back to the house, and shemade up her mind that she would always carryit with her when she went out, so that if she

THE ROBIN 87ever should find the hidden door she would beready.Mrs. Medlock had allowed Martha to sleep allbut she was back at her worknight at the cottage,in the morning with cheeks redder than ever andin the best of spirits."I got up at four o'clock/' she said. "Eh!it was pretty on th' moor with th' birds gettin' upan' th' rabbits scamperin' about an' th' sun risin'.I didn't walk all th' way.A man gave me a ridein his cart an' I can tellyou I did enjoy myself."She was full of stories of the delights of herday out. Her mother had been glad to see herand they had got the baking and washing all outof the way. She had even made each of the childrena dough-cake with a bit of brown sugar init."I had 'em all pipin' hot when they came infrom playin' on th' moor. An' th' cottage allsmelt o' nice, clean hot bakin' an' there was a goodfire, an' they just shouted for joy. Our Dickonhe said our cottage was good enough for a kingto live in."In the evening they had all sat round the fire,and Martha and her mother had sewed patcheson torn clothes and mended stockings and Marthahad told them about the little girl who hadcome from India and who had been waited on all

THE SECRET GARDENher life by what Martha called " blacks ' untilshe didn't know how to put on her own stockings."Eh! they did like to hear about you," saidMartha. They wanted to know all about th'blacks an' about th' ship you came in. I couldn'ttell'em enough."Maryreflected a little."I'll tellyou a great deal more before your next"day out," she said, so that you will have moreto talk about.I dare say they would like to hearabout riding on elephants and camels,and aboutthe officers going to hunt tigers.""My word!" cried delighted Martha. "ItWould set 'em clean off their heads. Would tha'really do that, Miss? It would be same as a wildbeast show like we heard they had in York once."'India isquite different from Yorkshire,"Mary said slowly, as she thought the matter over." I never thought of that. Did Dickon and yourmother like to hear 'you talk about me?"Why, our Dickon's eyes nearly started out o 5his head, they got that round," answered Martha." But mother, she was put out about your seemin'to be allby yourself like. She said, ' Hasn't Mr.Craven got no governess for her, nor no nurse? 'and I said, ' No, he hasn't, though Mrs. Medlocksays he will when he thinks of it, but she says hemayn't think of it for two or three years.'

THE ROBIN 89" I don't want a governess," said Mary sharply.'But mother says you ought to be learnin' yourbook by this time an' you ought to have a womanto look after you, an' she says: 'Now, Martha,you just think how you'd feel yourself, in a bigplace like that, wanderin' about all alone, an' nomother. You do your best to cheer her up,' shesays, an' I said I would."Mary gave her a long, steady look." You do cheer me up," she said." I like tohear you talk."Presently Martha went out of the room andcame back with something held in her hands underher apron." What does tha' think," she said, with a cheerfulgrin. I've brought thee a present."" '"A present! exclaimed Mistress Mary.How could a cottage full of fourteen hungrypeople give any one a present!"A man was drivin' across the moor peddling"Martha explained." An' he stopped his cart atour door. He had pots an' pans an' odds an" vends, but mother had no money to buy anythin'.Just as he was goin' away our 'Lizabeth Ellencalled out, Mother, he's got skippin'-ropes with'red an' blue handles.' An' mother she calls outmuchquite sudden, * Here, stop, mister How !are they? ''j\n' he says Tuppence,' an' mother

90 THE SECRET GARDENshe began fumblin' in her pocket an' she says to me,'Martha, tha's brought me thy wages like a goodlass, an' I've got four places to put every penny,.but I'm just goin' to take tuppence out of it to buy\ that child a skippin'-rope,' an' she bought one an*here it is."She broughtitout from under her apron andexhibited itquite proudly. It was a strong,slender rope with a striped red and blue handle ateach end, but Mary Lennox had never seen a skipping-ropebefore. She gazed at it with a mystifiedexpression.What is it for? " she asked curiously." For!" cried out Martha." Does tha' meanthat they've not got skippin'-ropes in India, forall they've got elephants and tigers and camels !No wonder most of 'em's black. This is whatit's for; just watch me."And she ran into the middle of the room and 7taking a handle in each hand, began to skip, andskip,turned in her chair toand skip, while Marystare at her, and the queer faces in the old portraitsseemed to stare at her, too, and wonder whaton earth this common little cottager had the impudenceto be doing under their very noses. ButMartha did not even see them. The interest andcuriosity in Mistress Mary's face delighted her,

THE ROBIN 91and she went on skipping and counted as sheskipped until she had reached a hundred." I could skip longer than that," she said whenshe stopped.'I've skipped as much as five hundredwhen I was twelve, but I wasn't as fatthen as I am now, an' I was in practice."Mary got up from her chair beginning to feelexcited herself..'It looks nice,"she said." Your mother is akind woman. Do you think I could ever skiplike that?"" You just try it," urged Martha, handing herthe " skipping-rope. You can't skip a hundred atfirst, but if you practise you'll mount up. That'slwhat mother said. She says, Nothin' will do hermore good than skippin' rope. It's th' sensiblesttoy a child can have. Let her play out in th' freshair skippin' an' it'll stretch her legs an' arms an*give her some 7strength in 'em.It was plain that there was not a great deal ofMistress Mary's arms and legs whenstrength inshe firstbegan to skip. She was not very clever at ,it,but she liked it so much that she did not want tostop.'Put on tha* things and run an' skip out o'doors," said Martha." Mother said I must tellyou to keep out o' doors as much as you could, even

92 THE SECRET GARDENwhen it rains a bit, so as tha' wrap up warm.' 1Mary put on her coat and hat and took her skipping-ropeover her arm. She opened the door togo out, and then suddenly thought of somethingand turned back rather slowly.Martha," she said, they were your wages.''It was your twopence really. Thank you." Shesaid it stifflybecause she w r as not used to thankingpeople or noticing that they did things for her." Thank you," she said, and held out her handbecause she did not know what else to do.Martha gave her hand a clumsy little shake, asif she was not accustomed to this sort of thingeither. Then " she laughed.Eh ! tha' art a queer, old-womanish thing,""she said. If tha'd been our 'Lizabeth Ellentha'd have give me a kiss."Mary looked stiffer than ever." Do you want me to kiss you? 'Martha laughed again.*Nay, not me," she answered." If tha' wasdifferent, p'raps tha'd want to thysel'. But tha'isn't. Run off outside an' play with thy rope."Mistress Mary felt a little awkward as shewent out of the room. Yorkshire people seemedstrange, and Martha was always rather a puzzleto her. At first she had disliked her very much,but now she did not.

THE ROBIN 93The skipping-rope was a wonderful thing.She counted and skipped, and skipped and counted,until her cheeks were quite red, and she was moreinterested than she had ever been since she wasborn. The sun was shining and a little wind wasblowing not a rough wind, but one which camein delightful little gusts and brought a fresh scentof newly turned earth with it. She skipped roundthe fountain garden, and up one walk and downanother.She skipped at last into the kitchen-gardenand saw Ben Weatherstaff digging and talkingto his robin, which was hopping about him. Sheskipped down the walk toward him and he liftedhis head and looked at her with a curious expression.She had wondered if he would notice her.She really wanted him to see her skip."Well!' he exclaimed. "Upon my word!P'raps tha' art a young 'un, after all, an' p'rapstha's got child's blood in thy veins instead of sourbuttermilk. Tha's skipped red into thy cheeksas sure as my name's Ben Weatherstaff. Iwouldn't have believed tha' could do it."" " I never skipped before," Mary said. I'mjust beginning. I can only go up to twenty."" Tha'" keep on," said Ben. Tha' shapes wellenough at it for a young 'un that's lived withheathen. Just see how he's watchin' thee," jerkinghis head toward the robin. " He followed

94 THE SECRET GARDENafter thee yesterday. He'll be at itagain to-dayHe'll be bound to find out what th' skippin'-ropeis. He's never seen one. Eh! " shaking his head"at the bird, tha' curosity will be th' death of theesometime if tha' doesn't look sharp."Mary skipped round all the gardens and oundthe orchard, resting every few minutes. At lengthshe went to her own special walk and made upher mind to try if she could skip the whole lengthof it. It was a good long skip and she beganslowly, but before she had gone half-way downthe path she was so hot and breathless that shewas obliged to stop. She did not mind much,because she had already counted up to thirty. Shestopped with a little laugh of pleasure, and there,lo and behold, was the robin swaying on a longbranch of ivy. He had followed her and heAs Mary had skippedgreeted her with a chirp.toward him she felt something heavy in her pocketstrike against her at each jump,and when she sawthe robin she laughed again." You showed me where the key was yesterday,"she said. You ought to show me the door today;but I don't believe 'you know !The robin flew from his swinging spray of ivyon to the top of the wall and he opened hio beakand sang a loud, lovely trill, merely to sh

THE ROBIN 95as a robin when he shows off and they arenearly always doing it.Mary Lennox had heard a great deal aboutMagic in her Ayah's stones, and she always saidthat what happened almost at that moment wasMagic.One of the nice little gusts of wind rushed downthe walk, and it was a stronger one than the rest.It was strong enough to wave the branches of thetrees, and it was more than strong enough to swaythe trailing sprays of untrimmed ivy hanging fromthe wall. Mary had stepped close to the robin,and suddenly the gust of wind swung asidesome loose ivy trails, and more suddenlystill shejumped toward it and caughtit in her hand.This she did because she had seen somethingunder it a round knob which had been coveredby the leaves hanging over it.a door.It was the knob ofShe put her hands under the leaves and beganto pull and push them aside. Thick as the ivyhung, it nearly all was a loose and swinging curtain,though some had crept over wood and iron.Mary's heart began to thump and her hands toshake a little in her delight and excitement. Therobin kept singing and twittering away and tiltinghis head on one side, as if he were as excited asshe was. What was this under her hands which

96 THE SECRET GARDENwas square and made of iron and which her fin*gers found a hole in?It was the lock of the door which had beenclosed ten years and she put her hand in herpocket, drew out the key and found it fitted thekeyhole. She put the key in and turned it. Ittook two hands to do it, but it did turn.And then she took a long breath and looked behindher up the long walk to see ifany one wascoming. No one was coming. No one ever didcome, it seemed, and she took another long breath,because she could not help it, and she held backtheswinging curtain of ivy and pushed back thedoor which opened slowly slowly.Then she slipped through it, and shut it behindher, and stood with her back against it,lookingabout her and breathing quite fast with excitement,and wonder, and delight.was standing inside the secret garden.

CHAPTER IXTHE STRANGEST HOUSE ANY ONE EVER LIVED JNiIT was the sweetest, most mysterious-lookingplace any one could imagine. The high wallswhich shut it in were covered with the leaflessstems of climbing roses which were so thick thatthey were matted together. Mary Lennox knewthey were roses because she had seen a great manyroses in India. All the ground was covered withgrass of a wintry brown and out of itgrew clumpsof bushes which were surely rose-bushes if theywere alive. There were numbers of standardroses which had so spread their branches that theywere like little trees. There were other trees inthe garden, and one of the things which made theplace look strangest and loveliest was that climbingroses had run all over them and swung downlong tendrils which made light swaying curtains,and here and there they had caught at each otheror at a far-reaching branch and had crept from onetree to another and made lovely bridges of themselves.There were neither leaves nor roses onthem now and Mary did not know whether they97

98 THE SECRET GARDENwere dead or alive, but their thin graybranches and sprays looked like a sort of hazyor brownmantle spreading over everything, walls, and trees,and even brown grass, where they had fallen fromtheir fastenings and run along the ground. Itwas this hazy tangle from tree to tree which madeit all look so mysterious. Mary had thought itmust be different from other gardens which hadnot been left all by themselves so long; and indeedit was different from any other place she had everseen inher life."How still it is !'shewhispered."Howstill I"Then she waited a moment and listened at thestillness. The robin, who had flown to his treetop,was still as all the rest. He did not even flutterhis wings; he sat without stirring, and lookedat " Mary.No wonder it is still," she whispered again.in here" I am the first person who has spokenfor ten years."She moved away from the door, stepping assoftly as if she were afraid of awakening someone. She was glad that there was grass under herfeet and that her steps made no sounds. Shewalked under one of the fairy-like gray arches betweenthe trees and looked up at the sprays andtendrilswhich formed them.

THE STRANGE HOUSE 99" I wonder if they are all quite dead," she said.'Is it all a quite dead garden? I wish it wasn't.' 1If she had been Ben Weatherstaff she couldhave told whether the wood was alive by lookingat it, but she could only see that there were onlygray or brown sprays and branches and noneshowed any signs of even a tiny leaf-bud anywhere.But she was inside the wonderful garden and shecould come through the door under the ivy anytime and she felt as ifshe had found a world allher own.The sun was shining inside the four walls andthe high arch of blue sky over this particular pieceof Misselthwaite seemed even more brilliant andsoft than it was over the moor. The robin flewdown from his tree-top and hopped about or flewafter her from one bush to another. He chirpeda good deal and had a very busy air, as if he wereshowing her things. Everything was strange andsilent and she seemed to be hundreds of miles awayfrom any one, but somehow she did not feel lonelyat all. All that troubled her was her wish thatshe knew whether all the roses were dead, or ifperhaps some of them had lived and might putout leaves and buds as the weather got warmer.She did not want it to be a quite dead garden. Ifit were a quite alive garden, how wonderful it

iooTHE SECRET GARDENwould be, and what thousands of roses would growon every side !Her skipping-rope had hung over her arm whenshe came in and after she had walked about fora while she thought she would skip round the wholegarden, stopping when she wanted to look atthings. There seemed to have been grass pathshere and there, and in one or two corners therewere alcoves of evergreen with stone seats or tallmoss-covered flower urns in them.As she came near the second of these alcoves shestopped skipping. There had once been a flowerbedin it, and she thought she saw something stickingout of the black earth some sharp little palegreen points. She remembered what Ben Weatherstaffhad said and she knelt down to look atthem."Yes, they are tiny growing things and theymight be crocuses or snowdrops or daffodils," shewhispered.She bent very close to them and sniffed the freshstent of the damp earth. She liked it very much." Perhaps there are some other ones comingup in other "places/' she said. I will go all overthe garden and look."She did not skip, but walked. She went slowlyand kept her eyes on the ground. She looked inthe old border beds and among the grass, and after

THE STRANGE HOUSE 101she had gone round, trying to miss nothing, shehad found ever so many more sharp, pale greenpoints, and she had become quite excited again." It isn't a quite dead garden," she cried outsoftly to herself. " Even if the roses are dead,there are other things alive/ 5She did not know anything about gardening,but the grass seemed so thick in some of the placeswhere the green points were pushing their waythrough that she thought they did not seem to haveroom enough to grow. She searched about untilshe found a rather sharp piece of wood and kneltdown and dug and weeded out the weeds and grassuntil she made nice little clear places around them." Now they look as if they could breathe," shesaid, after she had finished with the first ones." I am going to do ever so many more. I'll doall I can see. If I haven't time to-day I cancome to-morrow.She went from place to place, and dug andweeded, and enjoyed herself so immensely that shewas led on from bed to bed and into the grassunder the trees. The exercise made her so warmthat she first threw her coat off, and then her hat,and without knowing it she was smiling down onto the grass and the pale green points all the time.The robin was tremendously busy. He wasvery much pleased to see gardening begun on his

102 THE SECRET GARDENown estate. He had often wondered at BenWeatherstaff. Where gardeningis done all sortsof delightful things to eat are turned upwith thesoil. Now here was this new kind of creature whowas not half Ben's size and yet had had the senseto come into his garden and begin at once.Mistress Mary worked in her garden until it wastime to go to her midday dinner. In fact, shewas rather late in remembering, and when she puton her coat and hat, and picked up her skippingrope,she could not believe that she had been workingtwo or three hours. She had been actuallyhappy all the time; and dozens and dozens of thetiny, pale green points were to be seen in clearedplaces, looking twice as cheerful as they had lookedbefore when the grass and weeds had been smotheringthem." I shall come back this afternoon," she said,looking all round at her new kingdom, and speakingto the trees and the rose-bushes as if theyheard her.Then she ran lightly across the grass, pushedopen the slow old door and slipped through itunder the ivy. She had such red cheeks and suchbright eyes and ate such a dinner that Martha wasdelighted." Two pieces o' meat an' two helps o' rice puddin'I'shesaid." Eh !mother will be pleased

THE STRANGE HOUSE 103when I tell her what th' skipping-rope'sthee."In thedone forcourse of her digging with her pointedstick Mistress Mary had found herself diggingup a sort of white root rather like an onion. Shehad putit back in its place and patted the earthcarefully down on it and just now she wondered ifMartha could tell her what it was.'"Martha," she said, what are those whiteroots that look like onions? '" " They're bulbs," answered Martha. Lotso' spring flowers grow from 'em. Th' verylittleones are snowdrops an' crocuses an' th' big onesare narcissusis an' jonquils an' daffydowndillys.Th' biggest of all is lilies an' purple flags. Eh!they are nice. Dickon's got a whole lot of 'emplanted in our bit o' garden."" Does Dickon know all about them?' askedof her.Mary, a new idea taking possession" Our Dickon can make a flower grow out of abrick walk.out o' th'Mother says he just whispers thingsground."" Do bulbs live a long time? Would they liveyears and years if no one helped them? " inquiredMary anxiously.They're things as helps themselves," said"Martha. That's why poor folk can afford tohave 'em. If you don't trouble 'em, most of 'em 1 !!

104 THE SECRET GARDENwork away underground for a lifetime an'spreadout an' have little 'uns. There's a place in th'park woods here where there's snowdrops by thousands.They're the prettiest sight in Yorkshirewhen th ? spring comes. No one knows when theywas first planted."" I wish the spring was here now," said Mary." I want to see all the things that grow in En-gland."She had finished her dinner and gone to herfavorite seat on the hearth-rug." I wish I wish I had a littlespade," shesaid."Whatever does tha' want a spade for?'"asked Martha, laughing. Art tha' goin' to taketo diggin' ? I must tell mother that, too."looked at the fire and pondered a little.MaryShe must be careful if she meant to keepher secretkingdom. She wasn't doing any harm, but if Mr.Craven found out about the open door he would befearfully angry and get a new key and lock itupforevermore. She really could not bear that.This is such a big lonely place," she saidslowly, as if she were turning matters over in hermind." The house is lonely, and the park islonely, and the gardens are lonely. So manyplaces seem shut up.I never did many things inIndia, but there were more people to look at.natives and soldiers marching byand sometimes

THE STRANGE HOUSE 105bands playing, and my Ayah told me stories.There is no one to talk to here except you and BenWeatherstaff. And you have to do your workand Ben Weatherstaff won't speak to me often. Ithought if I had a little spade I could dig somewhereas he does, and I might make a littlegardenif he would give me some seeds."Martha's face quite lighted up.There now! " she exclaimed, " if that wasn'tone of th' things mother said.'She says, There'ssuch a lot o' room in that big place, why don'tthey give her a bit for herself, even if she doesn'tplant nothin' but parsley an' radishes? She'ddigan' rake away an' be right down happy over it.'Them was the very" Were they?'words she said."saidMary."How manythings she knows, doesn't she? '""Eh!" said Martha. It's like she says:*A woman as brings up twelve children learnssomething besides her ABC. Children's as goodas 'rithmetic to set you findin' out things.'"How much would a spade cost a littleone? 'Mary asked." Well," was Martha's reflective answer, " atThwaite village there's a shop or so an' I sawlittle garden sets with a spade an' a rake an' afork all tied together for two shillings. An' theywas stout enough to work with, too."" I've got more than that in my purse," said

io6THE SECRET GARDEN'Mary. Mrs. Morrison gave me five shillingsand Mrs. Medlock gave me some money from Mr.Craven."" Did he remember thee that much?" exclaimedMartha.1Mrs. Medlock said I was to have a shilling aweek to spend. She gives me one every Saturday.I didn't know what to spendit on.""My word! that's riches," said Martha." Tha' can buy anything in th' world tha 7 wants.Th' rent of our cottage isonly one an' threepencean' it's like pullin' eye-teeth to getit. Now I'vejust thought of somethin'," putting her hands onher hips.uWhat? " said Mary eagerly.In the shop at Thwaite they sellnpackages o'flower-seeds for a penny each, and our Dickon heknows which is th'ones an' how to makeprettiest'em grow. He walks over to Thwaite many a dayjust for th' fun of it. Does tha' know how toprint letters?' suddenly.'I know how to write," Mary answered.Martha shook her head.*Our Dickon can only read printin'. If tha'could print we could write a letter to him an' askhim to go an' buy th' garden tools an' th' seedsat th' same time."u Oh! you're a good girl!' Mary cried.

THE STRANGE HOUSE 107You are, really! I didn't know you were sonice. I know I can print letters if I try. Let'sask Mrs. Medlock for a pen and ink and somepaper."" I've got some of my own," said Martha.bought 'em so I could print a bit of a letter tomother of a Sunday.I'llgo and get it."fireShe ran out of the room, and Mary stood by theand twisted her thin little hands together withsheer pleasure." If I have a spade," she whispered, " I car>make the earth nice and soft and dig up weeds.I have seeds and can make flowers grow the gardenwon't be dead at all it will come alive."She did not go out again that afternoon becausewhen Martha returned with her pen and ink andpaper she was obliged to clear the table and carrythe plates and dishes down-stairs and when she gotinto the kitchen Mrs. Medlock was there and toldher to do something, so Mary waited for whatseemed to her a long time before she came back.Then it was a serious piece of work to write toDickon. Mary had been taught very little becauseher governesses had disliked her too much tostay with her. She could not spell particularlywell but she found that she could print letterswhen she tried. This was the letter Martha dietatedto her:'IIf

feMy Dear Dickon:THE SECRET GARDENThis comes hoping to find youwell as it leaves meat present. Miss Mary has plenty of money and willyou go to Thwaite and buy her some flower seeds anda set of garden tools to make a flower-bed. Pickthe prettiest ones and easy to grow because she hasnever done it before and lived in India which is different.Give my love to mother and every one of you.Miss Mary is going to tell me a lot more so that on mynext day out you can hear about elephants and camelsand gentlemen going hunting lions and tigers.Your loving sister,'MARTHA PHCEBE SOWERBY."" We'll put the money in th' envelope an' I'llget th' butcher's boy to take it in his cart. He's agreat friend o' Dickon's," said Martha."How shall I get the things when Dickon buysthem?' asked Mary." He'll bring 'em to you himself. He'll like towalk over " this way.""Oh ! exclaimed Mary, " then I shall see him !I never thought I should see Dickon."" Does tha' want to see him? ' asked Marthasuddenly, she had looked so pleased.Yes, I do. I never saw a boy foxes and crowsloved. I want to see him very much."Martha gave a little start, as if she suddenlyremembered something.

self."ufHE STRANGE HOUSE 109"Now to think," she broke out," to think o' mef orgettin' that there an' I ; thought I was goin' totellyou first thing this mornin'. I asked motherand she said she'd ask Mrs. Medlock her own"Do you meanuMary began.What I said Tuesday. Ask her ifyou mightbe driven over to our cottage some day and havea bit o' mother's hot oat cake, an' butter, an' aglasso' milk,"It seemed as if all the interesting things werehappening in one day. To think of going overthe moor in the daylight and when the sky wasblue ! To think of going into the cottage whichheld twelve children!" Does she think Mrs. Medlock would let mego ? 'she asked, quite anxiously.*Aye, she thinks she would. She knows whata tidy woman mother is and how clean she keepsthe cottage."" If I went I should see your mother as well asDickon," said Mary, thinking it over and liking theidea very much.'She doesn't seem to be like themothers in India."Her work in the garden and the excitement ofthe afternoon ended by making her feel quiet andthoughtful. Martha stayed with her until teatime,but they sat in comfortable quiet and talked

novery little.THE SECRET GARDENBut justbefore Martha wentstairs for the tea-tray, Mary asked a question." Martha," she said," has the scullery-maid hadthetoothache again to-day?'Martha certainly started slightly." What makes thee ask that? ' she said.'Because when I waited so long for you tocome back I opened the door and walked down thecorridor to see ifyou were coming. And I heardas we heard it thethat far-off crying again, justother night. There isn't a wind to-day, so yousee it couldn't have been the wind."" Eh !" said Martha restlessly." Tha' mustn'twalkin' about in corridors an' listenin'. Mr.goCraven, would be that there angry there's noknowin' what he'd do."I wasn't listening," said Mary." I was just*waiting for you and I heard it. That's threetimes.'"My word! There's Mrs. Medlock's bell,"said Martha, and she almost ran out of the room.'It's the strangest house any one ever lived in,"said Mary drowsily, as she dropped her head onthe cushioned seat of the armchair near her.Fresh air, and digging, and skipping-rope hadmade her feel so comfortably tired that she fellasleep.

CHAPTER XDICKON"^HE sun shone down for nearly a week on the* secret garden. The Secret Garden was whatthat when its beautiful old walls shut her in noMary called it when she was thinking of it. Sheliked the name, and she liked still more the feelingone knew where she was. It seemed almost likebeing shut out of the world in some fairy place.The few books she had read and liked had beenfairy-story books, and she had read of secret gardensin some of the stories. Sometimes peoplewent to sleep in them for a hundred years, whichshe had thought must be rather stupid. She hadno intention of going to sleep, and, in fact, shewas becoming wider awake every day which passedat Misselthwaite. She was beginning to like tobe out of doors; she no longer hated the wind, butenjoyed it. She could run faster, and longer, andshe could skip up to a hundred. The bulbs in the'/secret garden must have been much astonished.Such nice clear places were made round them thatthey had all the breathing space they wanted, andreally, if Mistress Mary had known it, they beganin

112 THE SECRET GARDENto cheer up under the dark earth and work tremendously.The sun could get at them and warmthem, and when the rain came down it could reachthem at once, so they began to feel very muchalive.Mary was an odd, determined little person, andnow she had something interesting to be determinedabout, she was very much absorbed, indeed.She worked and dug and pulled up weeds steadily,only becoming more pleased with her work everyhour instead of tiring of it. It seemed to her likea fascinating sort of play. She found many moreof the sprouting pale green points than she hadever hoped to find. They seemed to be startingup everywhere and each day she was sure shefound tiny new ones, some so tiny that they barelypeeped above the earth. There were so manythat she remembered what Martha had said about'the snowdrops by the thousands," and aboutbulbs spreading and making new ones. These hadbeen left to themselves for ten years and perhapsthey had spread, like the snowdrops, into thousands.She wondered how longit would be beforethey showed that they were flowers.Sometimesshe stopped digging to look at the gardenand try to imagine what it would be like when itwas covered with thousands of lovely things inbloom.

DICKON 113During that week of sunshine, she became moreintimate with Ben Weatherstaff. She surprisedhim several times by seeming to start up besidehim as if she sprang out of the earth. The truthwas that she was afraid that he would pick up histools and go awayif he saw her coming, so she alwayswalked toward him as silently as possible.But, in fact, he did not object to her as stronglyas he had at first. Perhaps he was secretly ratherflattered by her evident desire for his elderly company.Then, also, she was more civil than she hadbeen. He did not know that when she first sawhim she spoke to him as she would have spoken toa native, and had not known that a cross, sturdyold Yorkshire man was not accustomed to salaamto his masters, and be merely commanded by themtodo things.u Tha'rt like th' robin," he said to her one morningwhen he lifted his head and saw her standingby him. " I never knows when I shall see theeor which side tha'll come from."" He's friends with me now," said Mary." That's like him," snapped Ben Weatherstaff." Makin' up to th' women folk just for vanity an*flightiness. There's nothin' he wouldn't do forth' sake o' showin' off an' flirtin' his tail-feathers.He's as full o' pride as an egg's full o' meat."He very seldom talked much and sometimes

THE SECRET GARDENdid not even answer Mary's questions except bya grunt, but this morning he said more than usual.He stood up and rested one hobnailed boot on thetop of his spade while he looked her over."How long has tha' been here?' he jerkedout.'I think it's about a month," she answered." Tha's beginnin'to do Misselthwaite credit,"he said." Tha's a bit fatter than tha' was an'tha's not quite so yeller. Tha' looked like ayoung plucked crow when tha' first came into thisgarden. Thinks I to myself I never set eyes onan uglier, sourer faced young 'un."Mary was not vain and as she had neverthought much of her looks she was not greatlydisturbed." I know I'm fatter," she said.My stock-used to makeings are getting tighter. Theywrinkles. There's the robin, Ben Weatherstaff."There, indeed, was the robin, and she thoughthe looked nicer than ever. His red waistcoatwas as glossy as satin and he flirted his wings andtail and tilted his head and hopped about with allsorts of lively graces. He seemed determined to,.,make Ben Weatherstaff admire him. But Ben'was sarcastic." " "Aye, there tha' art ! he said. Tha' can

put upDICKON 1 1 5with me for a bit sometimes when tha'sgot no one better. Tha's been reddinin' up thywaistcoat an' polishin' thy feathers this two weeks.I know what tha's up to. Tha's courtin' somebold young madam somewhere, tellin' thylies toher about bein' th' finest cock robin on MisselMoor an' ready to fight all th' rest of 'em."" 'Oh ! look at him exclaimed !Mary.The robin was evidently in a fascinating, boldmood. He hopped closer and closer and lookedat Ben Weatherstaff more and more engagingly.He flew on to the nearest currant bush and tiltedhis head and sang a little song right at him." Tha' thinks tha'll get over me by doin' that,"said Ben, wrinkling his face up in such a way thatMary felt sure he was trying not to look pleased." Tha' thinks no one can stand out against theethat's what tha' thinks."The robin spread his wings Mary couldscarcely believe her eyes. He flew right up to thehandle of Ben Weatherstaff's spade and alightedon the top of it.Then the old man's face wrinkleditself slowly into a new expression. He stoodstill as if he were afraid to breathe as if hewould not have stirred for the world, lest his robinshould start away. He spoke quite in a whisper.'I'm danged he said as !softly as if

n6THE SECRET GARDENhe were saying something quite different.does know how to get at a chap - -tha' does 1Tha's fair unearthly, tha's so knowin'."And he stood without stirring almost withoutdrawing his breath until the robin gave anotherflirt to his wings and flew away. Then hestood looking at the handle of the spade as if theremight be Magic in it, and then he began to digagain and said nothing for several minutes.But because he kept breaking into a slow grinnow and then, Mary was not afraid to talk to him." Have you a garden of your own? " she asked." No. I'm bachelder an' lodge with Martinat th' gate."" If you had one," said Mary, " what would youplant?"'Cabbages an' 'taters an' onions."" But ifyou wanted to make a flower garden,"persisted Mary, "what would you plant?'" Bulbs an' sweet-smellin' things but mostlyroses.'Mary's face lighted up." Do you like roses? " she said.itBen Weatherstaff rooted up a weed and threwaside before he answered." Well, yes, I do. I was learned that by ayoung lady I was gardener to. She had a lot in aplace she was fond of, an' she loved 'em like they

DICKON 117was children or robins. IVe seen her bendover an' kiss 'em." He dragged out another weedand scowled at it. 'That were as much as tenyear' ago.""Where is she now?" asked Mary, much interested."Heaven," he answered, and drove his spadedeep into the soil,"'cording to what parson says.""What happened to the roses?" Mary askedagain,more interested than ever."They was left to themselves."Mary was becoming quite excited."Did they quite die? Do roses quite die whenthey are left to themselves?" she ventured."Well, I'd got to like 'em an' I liked heran' she liked 'em," Ben Weatherstaff admittedreluctantly. "Once or twice a year I'd go an'work at 'em a bit prune 'em an' Tdig about throots. They run wild, but they was in rich soil rso some of 'em lived.""When they have no leaves and look gray andbrown and dry, how can you tell whether they aredead or alive?" inquired Mary."Wait till th' spring gets at 'em wait till th'sun shines on th' rain and th' rain falls on th'shine an' then tha'll find out.""How how?" cried Mary, forgettingcareful.sunto be

Ii8THE SECRET GARDEN" Look along th' twigsan' branches an' if tha*sees a bit of a brown lump swelling here an' there,watch it after th' warm rain an' see what happens."He stopped suddenly and looked curiously at hereager face. Why does tha' care so muchall of a sudden?' he de-about roses an' such,manded.Mistress Mary felt her face growwas almost afraid to answer."I I want to play that that I have agarden of my own," she stammered. "Ithere isnothing for me to do. I have nothingand no one."" Well," said Ben Weatherstaff slowly, as hered. She"watched her, that's true. Tha' hasn't."He said it in such an odd way that Mary wonderedif he was actually a little sorry for her.She had never felt sorry for herself; she had onlyfelt tired and cross, because she disliked peopleand things so much. But now the world seemedto be changing and getting nicer.If no one foundout about the secret garden, she should enjoy herselfalways.She stayed with him for ten or fifteenminutesas shelonger and asked him as many questionsdared. He answered every one of them in hisqueer grunting way and he did not seem reallycross and did not pick up his spade and leave her.

DICKON 119He said something about roses just as she was goingaway and it reminded her of the ones he hadsaid he had been fond of.'Do you go and see those other roses now? 'she asked.'Not been thismade me too stiffyear. Myrheumatics hasin th' joints."He said it in his grumbling voice, and thenquite suddenly he seemed to get angry withher, though she did not see why he " should.'"Now look here ! he said sharply. Don'ttha' ask so many questions. Tha'rt th' worstwench for askin' questions I've ever come across.Get thee gone an' play thee. I've done talkin'for to-day.1 'And he said: it so crossly that she knew therewas not the least use in staying another minute.She went skipping slowly down the outside walk,thinking him over and saying to herself that, queeras it was, here was another person whom sheliked in spite of his crossness.She liked old BenWeatherstaff. Yes, she did like him. She alwayswanted to try to make him talk to her. Alsoshe began to believe that he knew everything inthe world about flowers.There was a laurel-hedged walk which curvedround the secret garden and ended at a gate whichopened into a wood, in the park. She thought

i20THE SECRET GARDENshe would skip round this walk and look into thewood and see if there were any rabbits hoppingabout. She enjoyed the skipping very much andwhen she reached the little gate she openedit andwent through because she heard a low, peculiarwhistling sound and wanted to find out what itwas.It was a very strange thing indeed.She quitecaught her breath as she stopped to look at it.A boy was sitting under a tree, with his backagainst it, playing on a rough wooden pipe. Hewas a funny looking boy about twelve. He lookedvery clean and his nose turned up and his cheekswere as red as poppies and never had MistressMary seen such round and such blue eyes in anyboy's face. And on the trunk of the tree hea brown squirrel was clinging andleaned against,watching him, and from behind a bush nearbya cock pheasant was delicately stretching his neckto peep out, and quite near him were two rabbitssitting up and sniffing with tremulous nosesand actuallyitappeared as if they were all drawingnear to watch him and listen to the strange lowlittle call his pipe seemed to make.hand andWhen he saw Mary he held up hisspoke to her in a voice almost as low as and ratherlike his piping." Don't tha' move," he said.

MaryDICKON 121remained motionless. Hestopped playinghis pipe and began to rise from the ground.He moved so slowly that it scarcely seemed asthough he were moving at all, but at last he stoodon his feet and then the squirrel scampered backup into the branches of his tree, the pheasant withdrewhis head and the rabbits dropped on all foursand began to hop away, though not at all as if theywere frightened." I'm Dickon," the boy said. " I know tha'rtMiss Mary."Then Mary realized that somehow she Aadknown at first that he was Dickon. Who elsecould have been charming rabbits and pheasantsas the natives charm snakes in India? He hada wide, red, curving mouth and his smile spread'all over his face." " I got up slow," he explained, because if tha*makes a quick move it startles 'em. A body 'asto move gentle an' speak low when wild thingsis about."He did not speak to her as if they had neverseen each other before but as if he knew her quitewell. Mary knew nothing about boys and shespoketo him a little stifflybecause she felt rathershy. " Did you get Martha's letter? " she asked.He nodded his curly, rust-colored head.

122 THE SECRET GARDEN" That's whyI come."He stooped to pick up something which hadbeen lying on the ground beside him when hepiped." I've got th' gardentools. There's a littlespade an 7 rake an' a fork an' hoe. Eh !they aregood 'uns. There's a trowel, too. An' th'woman in th' shop threw in a packet o' whitepoppy an' one o' blue larkspur when I bought th'other seeds."" Will you show the seeds to me? " Mary said.She wished she could talk as he did. Hisspeech was so quick and easy. It sounded as ifhe liked her and was not the least afraid she wouldnot like him, though he was only a common moorboy, in patched clothes and with a funny face anda rough, rusty-red head. As she came closer tohim she noticed that there was a clean fresh scentof heather and grass and leaves about him, almostas if he were made of them. She liked itverymuch and when she looked into his funny facewith the red cheeks and round blue eyes she forgot'that she had felt shy.she said.Let us sit down on this log and look at them,"They sat down and he took a clumsypaper package out of his coat pocket. He untiedthe string and inside there were ever so manylittle brown

DICKON 123neater and smaller packages with a picture of aflower on each one." There's a lot o' mignonette an' poppies," hesaid." Mignonette's th' sweetest smellin' thingas grows, an' it'll grow wherever you cast it, samean' bloomas poppies will. Them as'll come upif you just whistle to 'em, them's th' nicest of all."He stopped and turned his head quickly, hispoppy-cheeked face lighting up." Where's that robin as is callin' us?''he said.The chirp came from a thick holly bush, brightwith scarlet berries, and Mary thought she knewwhose it was.aIs it really calling us? " she asked.aAye," said Dickon, as if it was the most naturalthing in the world, " he's callin' some one he's'friends with. That's same as sayin' Here Iam. Look at me. I wants a bit of a chat.'There he is in the bush. Whose is he ? '" He's Ben Weatherstaff's, but I think he knowsme a little,"answered Mary."Aye, he knows thee," said Dickon in his lowvoice again." An' he likes thee. He's took theeon. He'll tell me all about thee in a minute."He moved quite close to the bush with the slowmovement Mary had noticed before, and then hemade a sound almost like the robin's own twitter.The robin listened a few seconds, intently, and

124 1HE SECRET GARDEINthen answered quite as if he were replying to ^question."Aye, he's a friend o' yours,"chuckled Dickon." Do you think he is? ' cried Mary eagerly.She did so want to know." Do you think hereally likes me?'" He wouldn't come near thee if he didn't," answeredDickon.'Birds is rare choosers an' arobin can flout a body worse than a man. See,'he's making up to thee now. Cannot tha' see'a chap? he's sayinVAnd it really seemed as if it must be true. Heso sidled and twittered and tilted as he hopped onhis bush." Do you understand everything birds say? 'said Mary.Dickon's grin spread until he seemed all wide,red, curving mouth, and he rubbed his rough head." I think I do, and they think I do," he said.fI've lived on th' moor with 'em so long. I'vewatched 'em break shell an' come out an' fledgean' learn to an' fly begin to sing, till I think I'mone of 'em. Sometimes I think p'raps I'm a bird,or a fox, or a rabbit, or a squirrel, or even a beetle,an' I don't know it."He laughed and came back to the log and beganto talk about the flower seeds again. He told herwhat they looked like when they were flowers;

DICKON 125he told her how to plant them, and watch them,and feed and water them." See here," he said suddenly, turning round to"look at her. I'llplant them for thee myself.Where is tha' garden? 'Mary's thin hands clutched each other as theyShe did not know what to say, solay on her lap.for a whole minute she said nothing. She hadnever thought of this. She felt miserable. Andshe felt as if she went red and then pale."Tha's got a bit o' garden, hasn't tha'?"Dickon said.It was true that she had turned red and thenpale. Dickon saw her do it, and as she still saidnothing, he began to be puzzled." Wouldn't they give thee a bit?' he asked."Hasn't tha' got any yet?"She held her hands even tighter and turned hereyes toward him." I don't know anything about boys," she said"slowly. Could you keep a secret, if I told youone? It's a great secret. I don't know what Ishould do if any one found it out. I believe Ishould die!" She said the last sentence quitefiercely.Dickon looked more puzzled than ever and evenrubbed his hand over his rough head again, buthe answered quite good-humoredly.

1126 THE SECRET GARDEN" I'm keepin' secrets all th' time," he said." IfI couldn't keep secrets from th' other lads, secretsabout foxes' cubs, an' birds' nests, an' wildthings' holes, there'd be naught safe on th' moor.Aye, I can keep secrets."out her handMistress Mary did not mean to putand clutch his sleeve but she did it." I've stolen a garden," she said very fast. " Itisn't mine. It isn't anybody's. Nobody wantsinto it.it, nobody cares for it, nobody ever goesPerhaps everything is dead in it already; I don'tknow."She began to feel hot and as contrary as she hadever felt in her life.I don't care, I don't care !Nobody has any-to take it from me when I care about it andrightthey don't. They're letting it die, all shut in byitself," she ended passionately, and she threw herarms over her face and burst out crying poorlittle Mistress Mary.Dickon,' s curious blue eyes grew rounder androunder.''Eh-h-h ! he said, drawing his exclamationout slowly, and the way he did it meant both wonderand sympathy." I've nothing to do," said Mary." Nothingbelongs to me. I found it myself and I got intoitmyself. I was only just like the robin, andthey wouldn't take itfrom the robin."

DICKON 127" Where is it?' asked Dickon in a droppedvoice.Mistress Mary got up from the logat once.She knew she felt contrary again, and obstinate,and she did not care at all. She was imperiousand Indian, and at the same time hot and sorrowful." Come with me and I'll show you," she said.She led him round the laurel path and to thewalk where the ivy grew so thickly. Dickon followedher with a queer, almost pitying, look on hisface. He felt as if he were being led to look atsome strange bird's nest and must move softly.When she stepped to the wall and lifted the hang-he started. There was a door and Marying ivypushed it slowly open and they passed in together,and then Mary stood and waved her hand rounddefiantly." It's this," she said." It's a secret garden,and I'm the onlyone inthe world who wants it'to be alive."Dickon looked round and round about it, andround and round again." Eh ! he almost whispered,"it is a queer,pretty place! It's like as if a body was in adream."

CHAPTER XITHE NEST OF THE MISSEL THRUSHCOR two or three minutes he stood lookinground him, while Mary watched him, and thenhe began to walk about softly, even more lightlythan Mary had walked the first time she had foundherself inside the four walls. His eyes seemed tobe taking in everythingthe gray trees with thegray creepers climbing over them and hangingfrom their branches, the tangle on the walls andamong the grass, the evergreen alcoves with thestone seats and tall flower urns standing in them." I never thought I'd see this place," he said atlast,in a whisper.u Did you know about it? " asked Mary.She had spoken aloud and he made a sign toher."We must talk low," he said," or some one'llhear us an' wonder what's to do in here."" Oh I "!forgot said ! Mary, feeling frightenedand putting her hand quickly against her mouth." 'Did you know about the garden? she askedagain when she had recovered herself.128

THE MISSEL THRUSH 129Dickon nodded." Martha told me there was one as no one everwent inside," he answered." Us used to wonderwhat it was like."He stopped and looked round at the lovely graytangle about him, and his round eyes lookedqueerly happy." Eh !the nests as'll be here come springtime,""he said. It'd be th' safest nestin' place in England.No one never comin' near an' tangles o'trees an' roses to build in. I wonder all th' birdson th' moor don't build here."Mistress Mary puther hand on his armagainwithout knowing it." Will there be roses?" she whispered." Canyou tell? I thought perhaps they were all dead.""Eh! No! Not them not all of 'em!" he''answered. Look here !He stepped over to the nearest tree an old,old one with gray lichen all over its bark, but upholdinga curtain of tangled sprays and branches.He took a thick knife out of his pocket and openedone of its blades." There's lots o' dead wood as ought to be cut"out," he said. An' there's a lot o' old wood,but it made some new last year. This here's anew bit," and he touched a shoot which lookedbrownish green instead of hard, dry gray.

''130 THE SECRET GARDENMary touched it herself in an eager, reverentway."That one?' she said. "Is that one quitealive -quite?Dickon curved his wide smiling mouth." It's as wick as you or me," he said; and Maryremembered that Martha had told her that" " " " uwick meant alive or lively.''" 'I'm gladit's wick! she cried out in herwhisper.'I want them all to be wick. Let usgo round the garden and count how many wickones there are."She quite panted with eagerness, and Dickonwas as eager as she was. They went from treeto tree and from bush to bush. Dickon carriedhis knife in his hand and showed her things whichshe thought wonderful.They've run wild,'" he said," but th' strongestones has fair thrived on it. The delicatestones has died out, but th' others has growed an'growed, an' spread an' spread, till they's a wonder.'See here ! and he pulled down a thick gray, drylookingbranch. 'A body might think this wasdead wood, but I don't believe it is down toth' root. I'll cut it low down an' see."He knelt and with his knife cut the lifelesslookingbranch through, not far above the earth." There!" he said exultantly. "I told thee

THE MISSEL THRUSH 131so. There's green in that wood yet. Look atit'Mary was down on her knees before he spoke,gazing with all her" might.When it looks a bit greenish an' juicy likethat, it's wick," he explained. When th' insideisdry an' breaks easy, like this here piece I'vecut off, it's done for. There's a bigroot hereas all this live wood sprung out of, an' if th' oldwood's cut off an' it'sdug round, an' took care"of there'll be he stopped and lifted his faceto look up at the climbing and hanging sprays"above him there'll be a fountain o' roses herethis summer/'They went from bush to bush and from tree totree. He was very strong and clever with hisknife and knew how to cut the dry and dead woodaway, and could tell when an unpromising boughor twig had stillgreen life in it. In the course ofhalf an hour Mary thought she could tell too, andwhen he cut through a lifeless-looking branch shewould cry out joyfully under her breath whenshe caught sight of the least shade of moist green.The spade, and hoe, and fork were very useful.He showed her how to use the fork while hedug about roots with the spadeearth and let the air in.They were working industriouslyand stirred theround one

1132 THE SECRET GARDENof the biggest standard roses when he caughtsight of something which made him utter an exclamationof surprise."Why! he cried, pointing to the grass a"few feet away. Who did that there ? 'It was one of Mary's own little clearings roundthe pale green points." I did it," said Mary."Why, I thought tha' didn't know nothin' aboutgardenin','''he exclaimed.I don't," she answered, " but they were solittle, and the grass was so thick and strong, andthey looked as if they had no room to breathe.So I made a place for them. I don't even knowwhat they are."Dickon went and knelt down by them, smilinghis wide smile.Tha' was "right," he said. A gardenercouldn't have told thee better. They'll grow nowlike Jack's bean-stalk. They're crocuses an 7snowdrops, an' these here is narcissuses," turningto another patch," an' here's daffydowndillys.Eh !they will be a sight."He ran from one clearing to another.Tha' has done a lot o' work for such a li-ttlewench," he said, looking her over.'I'm growing fatter," said Mary, " and I'mgrowing stronger. I used alwaysto be tired.

;When I digTHE MISSEL THRUSH 133I'm not tired at all. I like to smellthe earth when it's turned up."" It's rare good for thee," he said, nodding his"head wisely. There's naught as nice as th' smello' good clean earth, except th' smell o' freshgrowin' things when th' rain falls on 'em. I getout on th' moor many a day when it's rainin' an'I lie under a bush an' listen to th' soft swish o'sniff an' sniff.drops on th' heather an' I justMy nose end fair quivers like a rabbit's, mothersays."" Do you never catch cold?' inquired Mary,gazing at him wonderingly. She had never seensuch a funny boy, or such a nice one.I never" Not me," he said, grinning.ketched cold since I was born. I wasn't broughtup nesh enough. I've chased about th' moor inall weathers same as th' rabbits does. Mothersays I've sniffed up too much fresh air for twelveyear' to ever get to sniffin' with cold. I'm astough as a white-thorn knobstick."He was working all the time he was talking andMary was following him and helping him with herfork or the trowel." 'There's a lot of work to do here ! he saidonce, looking about quite exultantly." Will you come again and help me to do it? 'Mary begged." I'm sure I can help, too. I can

134 THE SECRET GARDENdig and pull up weeds, and do whatever youtell'me. Oh! do come, Dickon!" I'll come every dayif tha' wants me, rain orshine," he answered stoutly." It's th' best funI ever had inmy lifeshut in here an' wakenin'up a garden."*If you will come," said Mary, " if you willhelp me to make it alive I'll I don't know whatI'll do," she ended helplessly. What could youdo for a boy like that?"I'll tell thee what tha'll do," said Dickon,with his happy grin. Tha'll get fat an' tha'llget as hungry as a young fox an' tha'll learn howwe'll haveto talk to th' robin same as I do. Eh !a lot o' fun."He began to walk about, looking up in the treesand at the walls and bushes with a thoughtfulexpression.I wouldn't want to make it look like a gardener's'garden, all clipped an' spick an' span,wouldhe said.you? ''It's nicer like this with thingsrunnin' wild, an' swingin' an' catchin' hold of eachother."Don't let us make it tidy," said Mary anx-" It wouldn't seem like a secret gardeniously.'if it was tidy."Dickon stood rubbing his rusty-red head witha rather puzzled look.

THE MISSEL THRUSH 135'It's a secret garden sure enough," he said," but seems like some one besides th' robin musthave been in it since it was shut up ten year' ago."'But the door was locked and the key was buried,"said Mary." No one could get in.""That's true," he answered. It's a queerplace. Seems to me as if there'd been a bit o'prunin' done here an' there, later than ten year'ago."'But how could it have been done?' saidMary.He was examining a branch of a standard roseand he shook his head." "how could it ! he murmured. With"Aye!th' door locked an' th' key buried."Mistress Mary always felt that however manythat firstyears she lived she should never forgetmorning when her garden began to grow. Ofcourse, it did seem to begin to grow for her thatmorning. When Dickon began to clear places toplant seeds, she remembered what Basil had sungat her when he wanted to tease her." Are"there any flowers that look like bells?sheinquired.'Lilies o' th' valley does," he answered, diggingaway with the trowel, " an' there's Canterburybells, an' campanulas."" Let us plant some," said Mary.

136 THE SECRET GARDEN"There's lilies o' th' valley here already; Isaw 'em. They'll have growed too close an' we'llhave to separate 'em, but there's plenty. Th'other ones takes two years to bloom from seed,but I can bring you some bits o' plants from ourcottage garden. Why does tha' want 'em?'Then Mary told him about Basil and his brothersand sisters in India and of how she had hatedthem and of their calling her ' Mistress MaryQuite Contrary.""They used to dance round and sing at me.They sang*Mistress Mary, quite contrary,How does your garden grow?With silver bells, and cockle shells,And marigolds all in a row.'1 just remembered it and it made me wonder ifthere were really flowers like silver bells."She frowned a little and gave her trowel arather spiteful dig into the earth.'I wasn't as contrary as they were."But Dickon laughed." 'Eh 1 he said, and as he crumbled the richblack soil she saw he w r as sniffing up the scent of'there doesn't seem to be no need for noit,one to be contrary when there's flowers an' suchlike, an' such lots o j friendly wild things runnin'

THE MISSEL THRUSH 137about makin' homes for themselves, or buildin'nests an' singin' an' whistlin', does there?'Mary, kneeling by him holding the seeds, lookedat him and stopped frowning." Dickon," she said. You are as nice asI like you, and you makeMartha said you were.the fifth person. I never thoughtfiveI should likepeople."Dickon sat up on his heels as Martha didwhen she was polishing the grate. He did lookfunny and delightful, Mary thought, with hisround blue eyes and red cheeks and happy lookingturned-up nose." Only five folk as tha' likes " ? he said." Whois th' other four? "" Your mother and Martha," Mary checked"them off on her fingers, and the robin and BenWeatherstaff."Dickon laughed so that he was obliged tostifle the sound by putting his arm over hismouth." I know tha' thinks I'm a queer lad," he said," but I think tha' art th' queerest little lass I eversaw.'Then Mary did a strange thing. She leanedforward and asked him a question she had neverdreamed of asking any one before. And she triedto ask it in Yorkshire because that was his Ian-

'138 THE SECRET GARDENguage, and in India a native was always pleasedif you knew his speech." Does tha' like me?" Eh !'she said."he answered heartily, that I does.I likes thee wonderful, an' so does th' robin, I dobelieve !" That's two, then," said Mary." That's two'for me."And then they began to work harder than everand more joyfully. Mary was startled and sorrywhen she heard the big clock in the courtyard strikethe hour of her midday dinner.'I shall have to go," she said mournfully.'And you will have to go too, won't you ? 'Dickon grinned.'My dinner's easy to carry about with me," he'said. Mother always lets me put a bit o' somethin'in my pocket."He picked up his coat from the grass andbrought out of a pocket a lumpy little bundle tiedup in a quiet clean, coarse, blue and white handkerchief.It held two thick pieces of bread with3 slice of something'laid between them.It's oftenest naught but bread," he said," butI've got a fine slice o' fat bacon with it to-day."Mary thought it looked a queer dinner, but heseemed ready to enjoy it." Run on an' get thy victuals," he said."I'll

THE MISSEL THRUSH 139be done with mine first. I'll get some more workdone before I start back home."He sat down with his back against a tree." "I'll call th' robin up," he said, and givehim th' rind o' th' bacon to peck at. They likesa bit o' fat wonderful."Mary could scarcely bear to leave him. Suddenlyit seemed as if he might be a sort of woodfairy who might be gone when she came into thegarden again. He seemed too good to be true.She went slowly half-way to the door in the walland went back.and then she stopped" Whatever happens, you you never wouldtell? " she said.His poppy-colored cheeks were distended withhis first big bite of bread and bacon, but he managedto smile encouragingly." If tha' was a missel thrush an' showed mewhere thy nest was, does tha' think I'd tell any"one?Tha' art as safe asNot me," he said.a missel thrush."And she was quite sure she was.

MARYCHAPTER XII" MIGHT I HAVE A BIT OF EARTH? 'ran so fast that she was rather out ofbreath when she reached her room. Her hairwas ruffled on her forehead and her cheeks werebright pink. Her dinner was waiting on the table,and Martha was waiting near it." Tha's a bit late," she said." Where has tha'been?"" I've seen Dickon!" said Mary." I've seenDickon!"" I knew he'd come," said Martha exultantly."How does tha' like him?"" I think I think he's beautiful !" said Maryin a determined voice.Martha looked rather taken aback but shelooked pleased, too." " Well," she said, he's th' best lad as ever wasborn, but us never thought he was handsome. Hisnose turns up too much."" I like it to turn up," said Mary." An' his eyes is so round," said Martha, atrifledoubtful."Though they're a nice color."140

A BIT OF EARTH 141" I like them round," said Mary." Andthey are exactly the color of the sky over themoor.'Martha beamed with satisfaction." Mother says he made 'em that color with alwayslookin' up at th 1 birds an' th' clouds. Buthe has got a 'big mouth, hasn't he, now?" I love his big mouth," said Mary obstinately." I wish mine were just like it."Martha chuckled delightedly." It'd look rare an' funny in thy bit of a face,"'she said. But I knowed it would be that waywhen tha' saw him. How did tha' like th' seedsan' th' garden tools? '*How did you know he brought them? " askedMary.*Eh ! I never thought of him not bringin' 'em.He'd be sure to bring 'em if they was in Yorkshire.He's such a trusty lad."Mary was afraid that she might begin to askdifficult questions, but she did not. She was verymuch interested in the seeds and gardening tools,and there was only one moment when Mary wasfrightened. This was when she began to askwhere the flowers were to be planted."Who did tha' ask about it? ' she inquired." I haven't asked anybody yet," said Mary, hesitating.

142 THE SECRET GARDEN" Well, I wouldn't ask th' head gardener.He's too grand, Mr. Roach is."" I've never seen him/' said Mary." I've onlyseen under-gardeners and Ben Weatherstaff."u 1If I was you, I'd ask Ben Weatherstaff,' advisedMartha. He's not half as bad as'helooks, for all he's so crabbed. Mr. Craven letshim do what he likes because he was here whenMrs. Craven was alive, an' he used to make herlaugh. She liked him. Perhaps he'd find you acorner somewhere out o' the way."'If it was out of the way and no one wanted it,no one could mind my having it, could they?'Mary said anxiously.There wouldn't be no reason," answeredMartha." You wouldn't do no harm."Mary ate her dinner as quickly as she couldand when she rose from the table she was going torun to her room to put on her hat again, but Marthastopped her.'got somethin' to tell you," she said." Ithought I'd let you eat your dinner first. Mr.Craven came back this mornin' and I think hewants to see you."" Mary turned quite pale.uOh !" she said. Why! Why! He didn'twant to see me when I came.he didn't."I heard Pitcher say

A BIT OF EARTH 143"Well," explained Martha, " Mrs. Medlocksaysit's because o' mother. She was walkin' toThwaite village an' she met him. She'd neverspoke to him before, but Mrs. Craven had beento our cottage two or three times. He'd forgot,but mother hadn't an' she made bold to stop him.I don't know what she said to him about you butshe said somethin' as put him in th' mind to seeyou before he goes away again, to-morrow."* "Oh ! cried Mary, " is he going away to-morrow? I am so 'glad !" He's goin' for a long time. He mayn't comeback till autumn or winter. He's goin' to travelin foreign places. He's always doin' it.""Oh! I'm so glad so glad!" said Marythankfully.If he did not come back until winter, or evenautumn, there would be time to watch the secretgarden come alive. Even if he found out thenand took itaway from her she would have hadthat much at least.When do you think he will want to see"She did not finish the sentence, because the dooropened, and Mrs. Medlock walked in. She hadon her best black dress and cap, and her collarwas fastened with a large brooch with a picture ofa man's face on it. It was a colored photographof Mr. Medlock who had died years ago, and she

144 THE SECRET GARDENalways wore it when she was dressed up. Shelooked nervous and excited." Your hair's rough," she said quickly. Go'and brush it. Martha, help her to slip on herbest dress. Mr. Craven sent me to bring her tohim in his study/ 1All the pink left Mary's cheeks. Her heartbegan to thump and she felt herself changing intoa stiff, plain, silent child again. She did not evenanswer Mrs. Medlock, but turned and walked intoher bedroom, followed by Martha. She said nothingwhile her dress was changed, and her hairbrushed, and after she was quite tidy she followedMrs. Medlock down the corridors, in silence.What was there for her to say? She was obligedto go and see Mr. Craven and he would not likeher, and she would not like him. She knew whathe would think of her.She was taken to a part of the house she had notbeen into before. At last Mrs. Medlock knockedat a door, and when some one " said, Come in,"they entered the room together. A man was sit-and Mrs. Med-ting in an armchair before the fire,lock spoke to him.This is Miss Mary, sir," she said.You can go and leave her here. I will ringfor you when I want you to take her away," saidMr. Craven.

A BIT OF EARTH 145When she went out and closed the door, Marycould only stand waiting, a plain little thing, twistingher thin hands together. She could seethat the man in the chair was not so much ahunchback as a man with high, rather crookedshoulders, and he had black hair streaked withwhite. He turned his head over his high shouldersand spoke to her.'Come here! " he said.Mary went to him.He was not ugly.His face would have beenhandsome if it had not been so miserable. Helooked as if the sight of her worried and frettedhim and as if he did not know what in the worldto do with her." Are you well? ' he asked." Yes," answered Mary." Do they take good care of you? '" Yes."He rubbed his forehead fretfully as he lookedher over.You are very thin," he said.'I am getting fatter/' Mary answered in whatshe knew was her stiffest way.What an unhappy face he had! His black eyesseemed as if they scarcely saw her, as if they wereseeing something else, and he could hardly keephis thoughts upon her.

'146 THE SECRET GARDEN" I forgot you," he said. "How could I rememberyou?I intended to send you a governessor a nurse, or some one of that sort, but I forgot."" " "Please," began Mary. Please andthen the lump in her throat choked her." What do you want to say? ' he inquired." I am I am too big for a nurse," said Mary." And please please don't make me have a governessyet."He rubbed his forehead again and stared at her." That was what the Sowerby woman said," hemuttered absent-mindedly.Then Mary gathered a scrap of courage." Is she is she Martha's mother? " she stammered.Yes, I think so," he replied.'She knows about children," said Mary." She has twelve. She knows."He seemed to rouse himself.What do you want to do ? ''I want to play out of doors," Mary answered,hoping that her voice did not tremble. I neverliked it in India. It makes me hungry here, andI am getting fatter."He was watching her.'Mrs. Sowerby said it would do you good."Perhaps it will," he said. She thought you had

A BIT OF EARTH 147better get stronger before you had a governess. 1 '" It makes me feel strong when I play and thewind comes over the moor," argued Mary." "Where do you play? he asked next." "Everywhere," gasped Mary. Martha'smother sent me a skipping-rope. I skip and runand I look about to see if things are beginningto stick up out of the earth. I don't do anyharm."" Don't look so frightened," he said in a worriedvoice." You could not do any harm, a childlike you You may do what you like."!Mary put her hand upto her throat because shewas afraid he might see the excited lump whichshe felt jump into it. She came a step nearer tohim." May I " ? she said tremulously.Her anxious little face seemed to worry himmore than ever." Don't look so frightened," he exclaimed." Of course you may.I am your guardian, thoughI am a poor one for any child. I cannot give youtime or attention. I am too ill, and wretched anddistracted; but I wish you to be happy and comfortable.I don't know anything about children,but Mrs. Medlock is to see that you have all youneed. I sent for you to-day because Mrs. Sow-

148 THE SECRET GARDENerby said I ought to see you. Her daughter hadtalked about you. She thought you needed freshair and freedom and running about."" She knows all about children," Mary saidagain in spite of herself." She ought to," said Mr. Craven." I thought^her rather bold tostop me on the moor, but she'said Mrs. Craven had been kind to her." Itseemed hard for him to speak his dead wife's*name. She is a respectable woman. Now Ihave seen you I think she said sensible things.Play out of doors as much as you like.place and you may go where you likeIt's a bigand amuseyourself as you like. Is there anything you'want? as if a sudden thought had struck him." Do you want toys, books, dolls? ''Might I," quavered Mary, " might I have abit of earth? "In her eagerness she did not realize how queerthe words would sound and that they were not theones she had meant to say. Mr. Craven lookedquite startled."Earth!" he repeated. "What do you'mean?To plant seeds in to make things growito see them come alive," Mary faltered.He gazed at her a moment and then passed hishand quickly over his eyes.

,A BIT OF EARTH 149" Do you care about gardens so much," hesaid slowly." I didn't know about them in India," said"Mary. I was alwaysill and tired and it wastoo hot. I sometimes made little beds in the sandand stuck flowers in them. But here it is different."Mr. Craven got up and began to walk slowlyacross the room."A bit of earth," he said to himself, and Marythought that somehow she must have remindedhim of something. When he stopped and spoketo her his dark eyes looked almost soft and kind." You can have as much earth as you want,"he said." You remind me of some one else wholoved the earth and things that grow. When yousee a bit of earth you want," with something likea smile, " take it, child, and make it come alive.""May I take it from anywhereif it's not'wanted?"Anywhere," he answered. There! You1must go now, I am tired." He touched the bell"to call Mrs. Medlock. Good-by. I shall beaway all summer."Mrs. Medlock came so quickly that Marythe corri-thought she must have been waiting indor." Mrs. Medlock," Mr. Craven said to her,

150 THE SECRET GARDENu now I have seen the child I understand whatMrs. Sowerbymeant. She must be less delicatebefore she begins lessons. Give her simple,healthy food. Let her run wild in the garden.Don't look after her too much. She needs libertyand fresh air and romping about. Mrs. Sowerbyis to come and see her now and then and she maysometimes go to the cottage."Mrs. Medlock looked pleased. She was relievedto hear that she need not " look after 'Marytoo much. She had felt her a tiresomecharge and had indeed seen as little of her as shedared. In addition to this she was fond of Martha'smother.Thank you, sir," she said." Susan Sowerbyand me went to school together and she's as sensibleand good-hearted a woman as you'dfind ina day's walk. I never had any children myselfand she's had twelve, and there never was healthieror better ones. Miss Mary can get no harmfrom them. I'd always take Susan Sowerby's adviceabout children myself. She's what you mightcall healthy-minded ifyou understand me."'I understand," Mr. Craven answered.Take Miss Mary away now and send Pitcher tome.'When Mrs. Medlock left her at the end of herown corridor Mary flew back to her room. She

A BIT OF EARTH 151found Martha waiting there. Martha had, infact,hurried back after she had removed the dinnerservice."I can have my garden!' cried Mary. "Imay have it where I like I am not going!to have a governess for a long time ! Yourmother is coming to see me and I may go to yourcottage ! He says a little girl like me could notdo any harm and I may do what I like anywhere'!"Eh!" said Martha delightedly," that wasnice of him wasn't it? '" Martha," said Mary solemnly, " he is reallya nice man, only his face is so miserable and hisforehead is all drawn together."She ran as quickly as she could to the garden.She had been away so much longer than she hadthought she should and she knew Dickon wouldhave to set out early on his five-mile walk.Whenshe slipped through the door under the ivy, shesaw he was not working where she had left him.The gardening tools were laid together undera tree. She ran to them, lookingall round theplace, but there was no Dickon to be seen. Hehad gone away and the secret garden was emptyexcept for the robin who had just flown acrossthe wall and sat on a standard rose-bush watchingher.

152 THE SECRET GARDEN" He's gone," she said " wofully. Oh ! was he-r- was hewas he only a wood fairy?'Something white fastened to the standard rosebushcaught her eye. It was a piece of paperin fact, it was a piece of the letter she had printedfor Martha to send to Dickon. It was fastenedon the bush with a long thorn, and in a minuteshe knew Dickon had left it there. There weresome roughly printed letters on it and a sort of picture.At first she could not tell what it was.Then she saw it was meant for a nest with abird sitting on it. Underneath were the printedletters and they said:" I will cum bak."

CHAPTER XIII"I AM COLIN "AA ARY took the picture back to the house when' *she went to her supper and she showed it toMartha."Eh!" said Martha with great pride. "Inever knew our Dickon was as clever as that.That there's a picture of a missel thrush on hernest, as large as life an' twice as natural."Then Mary knew Dickon had meant the pictureto be a message. He had meant that shemight be sure he would keep her secret. Hergarden was her nest and she was like a misselthrush. Oh, how she did like that queer, commonboy!She hoped he would come back the very nextday and she fell asleep looking forward to themorning.But you never know what the weather willin Yorkshire, particularly in the springtime. Shewas awakened in the night by the sound of rainbeating with heavy drops against her window. Itdo

'154 THE SECRET GARDENwas pouring down in torrents and the wind wasu 'wuthering round the corners and in the chimneysof the huge old house. Mary sat up in bedand felt miserable and angry." The rain is as contrary as I ever was," shesaid." It came because it knew I did not wantit."She threw herself back on her pillow and buriedher face. She did not cry, but she lay and hatedthe sound of the heavily beating rain, she hatedthe wind and u its wuthering." She could not goto sleep again. The mournful sound kept herawake because she felt mournful herself. If shehad felt happy it would probably have lulled her'to sleep. How it wuthered 'and how the bigrain-drops poured down and beat against the pane !It sounds just like a person lost on the moorand wandering on and on crying," she said.She had been lying awake turning from side toside for about an hour, when suddenly somethingmade her situp in bed and turn her head towardthe door listening. She listened and she listened.'It isn't the wind now," she said in a loud whisper.That isn't the wind. It is different. It"is that crying I heard before."The door of her room was ajar and the soundeame down the corridor, a far-off faint sound of

'I AM COLIN 155fretful crying. She listened for a few minutes andeach minute she became more and more sure. Shefelt as if she must find out what it was. Ifeseemed even stranger than the secret garden and.,the buried key.Perhaps the fact that she was in?a rebellious mood made her bold. She put herfoot out of bed and stood on the floor.'I am going to find out what it is," she said." Everybodyis in bed and I don't care about Mrs."Medlock I don't care !There was a candle by her bedside and she tookitup and went softly out of the room. Thfe corridorlooked very long and dark, but she was tooexcited to mind that. She thought she rememberedthe corners she must turn to find the shortcorridor with the door covered with tapestrythe one Mrs. Medlock had come through the dayshe lost herself. The sound had come up that passage.So she went on with her dim light, almostfeeling her way, her heart beating so loud that shefancied she could hear it. The far-off faint cryingwent on and led her. Sometimes it stoppedfor a moment or so and then began again. Waithis the right corner to turn? She stopped andthought. Yes it was. Down this passage andthen to the left, and then up two broad steps, andthen to the right again.Yes, there was the tapestrydoor.

156 THE SECRET GARDENShe pushed it open very gently and closed it behindher, and she stood in the corridor andcould hear the crying quite plainly, though it wasnot loud.It was on the other side of the wall ather left and a few yards farther on there was adoor. She could see a glimmer of light comingfrom beneath it. The Someone was crying in thatroom, and it was quite a young Someone.So she walked to the door and pusheditopen,and there she was standing in the room !It was a big room with ancient, handsome furniturein it. There was a low fire glowing faintlyon the hearth and a night light burning by theside of a carved four-posted bed hungwith brocade,and on the bed was lying a boy, crying fretfully.Mary wondered if she was in a real place or ifshe had fallen asleep again and was dreamingwithout knowing it.The boy had a sharp,delicate face the color offor it.ivory and he seemed to have eyes too bigHe had also a lot of hair which tumbled over hisforehead in heavy locks and made his thin faceseem smaller. He looked like a boy who had beenbut he was crying more as if he were tired andill,cross than as if he were in pain.Mary stood near the door with her candle inher hand, holding her breath. Then she crept

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158 THE SECRET GARDENMary had slipped on a woolen wrapper beforeshe left her room and she put a piece of it betweenhis fingers." Rub that and see how thick and warm it is,"she said." I will pinch you a little ifyou like, toshow you how real I am. For a minute I thoughtyou might be a dream too."" Where did you come from? ' he asked." From my own room. The wind wutheredso I couldn't go to sleep and I heard some onecrying and wanted to find out who it was. Whatwere you crying for? '" Because I couldn't go to sleep either and myhead ached.Tell me your name again.""Mary Lennox. Did no one ever tell you Ihad come to live here? 'He was still fingering the fold of her wrapper,but he began to look a little more as if he believedin her reality."No," he answered."They daren't.""Why? "asked Mary." Because I should have been afraid you wouldsee me. I won't let people see me and talk meover.""Why? " Mary asked again, feeling more mystifiedevery moment.'Because I am like this always, ill and havingto lie down. My father won't let people talk me

"I AM COLIN" 159over either. The servants are not allowed tospeak about me. Ifbut I shan't live.I live I may be a hunchback,My father hates to think I maybe like him."" Oh, what a 'queer house this is! " What a queer house Everything !Mary said.is a kind ofsecret. Rooms are locked up and gardens arelocked up and you1 Have you been lockedup?"" No. I atay in this room because I don't wantto be moved out of it. It tires me too much."" Does your father come and see you? 'Maryventured." Sometimes. Generally when I am asleep.He doesn't want to see me.""Why?" Mary could not help asking again.A sort of angry shadow passed over the boy'sface." My mother died when I wr as born and it makeshim wretched to look at me. He thinks I don'tknow, but I've heard people talking. He almosthates me."" He hates the garden, because she died," saidMary half speaking to herself." What garden?" the boy asked."Oh! just just a garden she used to like,"Mary stammered. " Have you been here always?'

.everybody160 THE SECRET GARDEN" Nearly always. Sometimes I have been takento places at the seaside, but I won't stay becausepeople stare at me. I used to wear an iron thingto keep my back straight, but a grand doctor camefrom London to see me and said it was stupid.He told them to take it off and keep me out inthe fresh air.I hate fresh air and I don't want togo out."" I didn't when first I came here/1said Mary."Why do 'you keep looking at me like that?Because of the dreams that are so real," he*answered rather fretfully.'Sometimes when Iopen my eyes I don't believe I'm awake."" We're both awake," said Mary. She glancedround the room with itshigh ceiling and shadowy"corners and dim firelight. It looks quite like adream, and it's the middle of the night, and everybodyin the house is asleepbut us.We are wide awake."'I don't want it to be a dream," the boy saidrestlessly.Mary thought of something all at once.'If you don't like people to see you," she began,' do you want me to go away? 'He still held the fold of her wrappera little pull.and hegave it*No," he said." I should be sure you were adream ifyou went. If you are real, sit down on

''that big footstool and talk.I AM COLIN 161I want to hear aboutyou."Mary put down her candle on the table nearthe bed and sat down on the cushioned stool. Shedid not want to go awayat all. She wanted tostay in the mysterious hidden-away room and talkto the mysterious boy.she said.What do you want me to tell you ? 'He wanted to know how long she had been atMisselthwaite; he wanted to know which corridorher room was on; he wanted to know what shehad been doing; if she disliked the moor as he dislikedit; where she had lived before she came toYorkshire. She answered all these questions andmany more and he lay back on his pillow and listened.He made her tell him a great deal aboutIndia and about her voyage across the ocean. Shefound out that because he had been an invalid hehad not learned things as other children had.One of his nurses had taught him to read whenhe was quite little and he was always reading andlooking at pictures in splendid books.Though his father rarely saw him when he wasawake, he was given all sorts of wonderful thingsto amuse himself with. He never seemed to havebeen amused, however. He could have anythinghe asked for and was never made to do anythinghe did not like to do.

162 THE SECRET GARDEN"Every one is obliged to do what pleases me,"'he said indifferently. It makes me ill to beangry. No one believes I shall live to grow up."He said it as if he was so accustomed tothe idea that it had ceased to matter to him atall. He seemed to like the sound of Mary's voice.As she went on talking he listened in a drowsy, interestedway. Once or twice she wondered if hewere not gradually falling into a doze. But atlast he asked a question which opened up a newsubject.'*How old are you? " he asked.I am ten," answered Mary, forgetting herselffor the moment, " and so are you."(How do you know that? " he demanded in asurprised voice.*Because when you were born the garden doorwas locked and the key was buried. And it hasbeen locked for ten years."Colin half sat up, turning toward her, leaningon hiselbows.Who did it?What garden door was locked?Where was the key buried? " he exclaimed as if hewere suddenly very much interested.'It it was the garden Mr. Craven hates,"said Mary nervously.u He locked the door.No one =-= no one knew where he buried the key."

'I AM COLIN 163" What sort of a garden is it? " Colin persistedeagerly." No one has been allowed to go into it for tenyears," was Mary's careful answer.But it was too late to be careful. He was toomuch like herself. He too had had nothing tothink about and the idea of ahidden garden attractedhim as it had attracted her. He askedquestion after question. Where was it? Hadshe never looked for the door? Had she neverasked the gardeners ? '"They won't talk about it," said Mary." Ithink they have been told not to answer questions."" I would make them," said Colin." Could you? " Mary faltered, beginning to feelfrightened.If he could make people answer questions,who knew what might happen!" Every one is obliged to please me. I told"you that," he said. If I were to live, this placewould sometime belong to me. Theyall knowthat. I would make them tell me."Mary had not known that she herself had beenspoiled, but she could see quite plainly that thismysterious boy had been. He thought that thewhole world belonged to him. How peculiar heWas and how coolly he spoke of not living,." Do you think you won't live? ' she asked,

'164 THE SECRET GARDENpartly because she was curious and partly in hopeof making him forget the garden.u I don't suppose I shall," he answered as indifferentlyas he had spoken before. " Ever sinceI remember anything I have heard people say Ishan't. At first they thought I was too little tounderstand and now they think I don't hear. ButI do. My doctor is myquite poorfather's cousin. He isand if I die he will have all Misselthwaitewhen my father is dead. I should thinkhe wouldn't want me to live."'Do you want to live? 'inquired Mary.'No," he answered, in a cross, tired fashion." But I don't want to die. When I feel ill I liehere and think about it until I cry and cry."" I have heard you crying three times," Mary'said, but I did not know who it was. Were youcrying about that? ' She did so want him toforget the garden.'I dare say," he answered." Let us talkabout something else. Talk about that garden.Don't you want to see it? 'think I'Yes," answered Mary, in quiteI do," he went on persistently.a low voice.'Idon'tever really wanted to see anything before,but I want to see that garden.I want the key dugup. I want the door unlocked. I would let themtake me there in my chair. That would be getting

"I AM COLIN" 165fresh air. I am going to make them open thedoor."He had become quite excited and his strangeeyes began to shine like stars and looked more^immense than ever."They have to please me," he said." I willmake them take me there and Itoo."will let you go,Mary's hands clutched each other. Everythingwould be spoiled everything! Dickon wouldnever come back.She would never again feel likea missel thrush with a safe-hidden nest." Oh, don't don't don't don't do that !"she cried out.He stared as if he thought she had gone crazy!"Why?' he exclaimed. "You said youwanted to see it."" I do," she answered almost with a sob in herthroat, " but if you make them open the door andtake you in like that it will never be a secret again."He leaned still farther forward."A secret," he said. "What do you mean?Tell me."Mary's words almost tumbled over one another." "You see you see," she panted, if no oneknows but ourselves if there was a door, hiddensomewhere under the ivy if there was andwe could find it; and if we could slip through it

1 66 THE SECRET GARDENtogether and shut it behind us, and no one knewany one was inside and we called it our garden andpretended that that we were missel thrushes andit was our nest, and if we played there almost everyseeds and made it allday and dug and planted"come alive" Is it dead? '' he interrupted her." It soon will be if no one cares for it," shewent on." "The bulbs will live but the rosesHe stopped her again as excited as she was herself." What are bulbs? " he put in quickly.They are daffodils and lilies and snowdrops.They are working in the earth now pushing uppale green points because the spring is coming."'Is the spring coming? " he said.What is itare ill."like? You don't see it in rooms ifyou" It is the sun shining on the rain and the rainfalling on the sunshine, and things pushing up'and working under the earth," said Mary. Ifthe garden was a secret and we could get into itwe could watch the things grow bigger every day,and see how many roses are alive. Don't yousee? Oh, don't you see how much nicer it wouldbe if it was a secret? 'He dropped back on his pillow and lay therewith an odd expression on his face." I never had a secret," he said,"except that

11 AM COLIN 157one about not living to grow up. They don'tknow I know that, so it is a sort of secret. But Ilikethis kind better."" If you won't make them take you to the garden,"pleaded Mary, " perhaps I feel almostsure I can find out how to get in sometime. Andthen^ if the doctor wants you to go out in yourchair, and if you can always do what you want todo, perhaps perhaps we might find some boywho would push you, and we could go alone andit would always be a secret garden."" I should like that," he said very slowly,his eyes looking dreamy." I should like that.I should not mind fresh air in a secret garden."Mary began to recover her breath and feelsafer because the idea of keeping the secret seemedto please him. She felt almost sure that if shekept on talking and could make him see the gardenin his mind as she had seen it he would likeit so much that he could not bear to think that*everybody might tramp into it when they chose." I'll tell you what I think it would be like,we could go into "it," she said. It has been shutup so long things have grown into a tangle perhaps."He lay quite still and listened while she wenton talking about the roses which might have clamberedfrom tree to tree and hung down about

'1 68 THE SECRET GARDENthe many birds which might have built their neststhere because it was so safe. And then she toldhim about the robin and Ben Weatherstaff, andthere was so much to tell about the robin and itwas so easyand safe to talk about it that sheceased to feel afraid. The robin pleased him somuch that he smiled until he looked almost beautiful,and at first Mary had thought that he waseven plainer than herself, with his big eyes andlocks of hair.heavy" I did not know birds could be like that," hesaid." But ifyou stay in a room younever seethings. What a lot of things you know. I feelas if you had been inside that garden."She did not know what to say, so she did notsay anything. He evidently did not expect an answerand the next moment he gave her a surprise." I am going to let you look at something,"'he said. Do you see that rose-colored silk curtainhanging on the wall over the mantel-piece?had not noticed it before, but she lookedMaryup and saw it.It was a curtain of soft silk hangingover what seemed to be some picture.Yes," she answered.There is a cord hanging from it," said Colin." Go and pull it."cord.and found theWhen she pulledit the silk curtain ran backMary got up, much mystified,

'I AM COLIN 169on rings and when it ran back it uncovered a picture.face.It was the picture of a girl with a laughingShe had bright hair tied up with a blue ribbonand her gay, lovely eyes were exactly likeColin's unhappy ones, agate gray and lookingtwice as big as they really were because of the blacklashes all round them." She is my mother," said Colin complainingly." I don't see why she died. Sometimes I hate herfor doing it."" 'How queer! said Mary.'If she had lived I believe I should not havebeen illalways," he grumbled.should have lived, too.'I dare say IAnd my father would nothave hated to look at me. I dare say I shouldhave had a strongagain."back. Draw the curtainMary did as she was told and returned to herfootstool." " She is much prettier than you," she said, buther eyes are just like yourssame shape and color.Whyover her? 'He moved uncomfortably.'I made them do it," he said.I don't like to see her looking at me.at least they are theis the curtain drawn" SometimesShe smilestoo much when I am ill and miserable. Besides,she is mine and I don't want every one to see her."

170 THE SECRET GARDENThere were a few moments of silence and thenMary spoke." What would Mrs. Medlock do if she foundout that I had been here? ' she inquired." She would do as I told her to do," he answered.'And I should tell her that I wanted youto come here and talk to me every day. I amglad you came."1So am I," said Mary." I will come as oftenas I can, but " she hesitated" I shall have tolook every day for the garden door."Yes, you must," said Colin," and you cantell me about it afterward."He lay thinking a few minutes, as he had donebefore, and then he spoke again.'I think you shall be a secret, too," he said." I will not tell them until they find out. I canalways send the nurse out of the room and say thatI want to be by myself. Do you know Martha ? '" Yes, I know her very well," said Mary.'She waits on me."He nodded his head toward the outer corridor.'She is the one who isasleep in the otherroom. The nurse went away yesterday to stayall night with her sister and she always makesMartha attend to me when she wants to go out.Martha shall tellyou when to come here."Then Mary understood Martha's troubled look

said."I AM COLIN" 171m she had asked questions about the crying." Martha knew about you all the time? ' she"Yes; she often attends to me. The nurselikes to get away from me and then Marthacomes.'" I have been here a long time," said Mary." Shall I go away now? Your eyes look sleepy."" I wish I could go to sleep before you leaveme,"' he said rather shyly." Shut your eyes," said Mary, drawing her"footstool closer, and I will do what my Ayahused to do in India. I will pat your hand andstroke it and sing something quite low."" I should like that perhaps," he said drowsily.for him and did notSomehow she was sorrywant him to lie awake, so she leaned against thebed and began to stroke and pat his hand andsing a very low little chanting song in Hindustani." That is nice," he said more drowsily still,and she went on chanting and stroking, but whenshe looked at him again his black lashes were lyingclose against his cheeks, for his eyes wereshut and he was fast asleep. So she got up softly,took her candle and crept away without making asound.

CHAPTER XIVA YOUNG RAJAHmoor was hidden in mist when the morningcame and the rain had not stopped pouringdown. There could be no going out of doors.Martha was so busy that Mary had no opportunityof talking to her, but in the afternoon sheasked her to come and sit with her in the nursery.She came bringing the stocking she was alwaysknitting when she was doing nothing else." What's the matter with thee?'she asked assoon as they sat down. Tha' looks as if tha'dsomethin' to say."41I have. I have found out what the cryingwas," said Mary.Martha let her knitting drop on her knee andgazed at her with startled eyes." Tha' hasn't!" she exclaimed" Never!"" I heard it in the night," Mary went on.and went to see where it came" And I got upfrom. It was Colin. I found him."Martha's face became red with fright."Eh! Miss Mary!" she said half crying.172

A YOUNG RAJAH 173" Tha' shouldn't have done it tha' shouldn't!Tha'll get me in trouble.I never told thee nothin'about him but tha'll get me in trouble. Ishall lose my place and what'll mother do !" You won't lose your place," said Mary."He was glad I came. We talked and talkedand he said he was glad I came.' 1" Was he? " "cried Martha. Art tha' sure?Tha' doesn't know what he's like when anythingvexes him. He's a big lad to cry like a baby, butwhen he's in a passion he'll fair scream just tofrighten us. He knows us daren't call our soulsour own.'u 'He wasn't vexed," said Mary. I askedhim if I should go away and he made me stay.He asked me questions and I sat on a big footstooland talked to him about India and about the robinand gardens. He wouldn't let me go. He letme see his mother's picture. Before I left him Isang him to sleep."Martha fairly gasped with amazement." 'I can scarcely believe thee! she protested.u It's as if tha'd walked straight into a lion's den.If he'd been like he is most times he'd havethrowed himself into one of his tantrums androused th' house. He won't let strangers lookat him."" He let me look at him. I looked at him all'

.Mary174 THE SECRET GARDENthe time and he looked at me. We stared!saidMary." I don't know what to do !Martha.'criedagitated" If Mrs. Medlock finds out, she'llthink I broke orders and told thee and I shall bepacked back to mother."" He is not going to tell Mrs. Medlock anythingabout it yet. It's to be a sort of secret justat first," said Mary " firmly. And he says everybodyis obliged to do as he pleases.""Aye, that's true enough th' bad lad!"sighed Martha, wiping her forehead with herapron." He says Mrs. Medlock must. And he wantsme to come and talk to him every day. And youare to tell me when he wants me."" Me! " said Martha; " I shall lose my place'I shall for sure !" You can't if you are doing what he wants youto do and everybodyis ordered to obey him,"argued." Does tha' mean to say," cried Martha with'"wide open eyes, that he was nice to thee !" I think he almost liked me," Mary answered."Then tha' must have bewitched him!' decidedMartha, drawing a long breath."Do you mean Magic?" inquired Mary." I've heard about Magic in India, but I can't1

A YOUNG RAJAH 175make it. I just went into his room and I wasso surprised to see him I stood and stared. Andthen he turned round and stared at me. Andhe thought I was a ghost or a dream and I thoughtperhaps he was. And it was so queer being therealone together in the middle of the night and notknowing about each other. And we began toask each other questions. And when I asked himif I must go away he said I must not."" Th''world's comin' to a end 1gasped Martha.What is the matter with him? '' asked Mary.'Nobody knows for sure and certain/' saidMartha." Mr. Craven went off his head likewhen he was born. Th' doctors thought he'dhave to be put in a 'sylum. It was because Mrs.Craven died like I told you. He wouldn't seteyes on th' baby. He just raved and said it'd beanother hunchback like him and it'd better die."" " Is Colin a hunchback? Mary asked." Hedidn't look like one.' 1" He isn't yet," said Martha. " But he beganall wrong. Mother said that there was enoughtrouble and raging in th' house to set any childwrong. They was afraid his back was weak an*they've always been takin' care of it keepin'him lyin' down and not lettin' him walk. Oncethey made him wear a brace but he fretted so he

176 THE SECRET GARDENwas downrightill.Then a big doctor came to seehim an' made them take it off. He talked to th'other doctor quite rough in a polite way. Hesaid there'd been too much medicine and too muchlettin' him have his own way."" I think he's a very spoiled boy," said Mary.41He's th' worst young nowt as ever was ! 'said Martha.'I won't say as he hasn't been illa good bit. He's had coughs an' colds that'snearly killed him two or three times. Once hehad rheumatic fever an' once he had typhoid.Eh! Mrs. Medlock did get a fright then. He'dbeen out of his head an' she was talkin' to th'nurse, thinkin' he didn't know nothin', an' she said,1He'll die this time sure enough, an' best thingfor him an' for everybody.* An' she looked athim an' there he was with his big eyes open, starin'at her as sensible as she was herself. She didn'tknow what'd happen but he just stared at her an'says, You 'give me some water an' stop talkin'.'" Do you think he will die? " asked Mary." Mother says there's no reason why any childshould live that gets no fresh air an' doesn't donothin' but lie on his back an' read picture-booksan' take medicine. He's weak and hates th' troubleo' bein' taken out o' doors, an' he gets coldso easy he says it makes him ill."Marysat and looked at the fire.

A YOUNG RAJAH 177" I wonder," she said slowly," if it would notdo him good to go out into a gardenand watchthings growing. It did me good."" One of th' worst fits he ever had," said Martha,'was one time they took him out where theroses isby the fountain. He'd been readin' in apaper about people gettin' somethin' he called'rose cold ' an' he began to sneeze an' said he'dgot it an' then a new gardener as didn't know th'rules passed by an' looked at him curious. Hethrew himself into a passion an' he said he'dlooked at him because he was going to be a hunchback.He cried himself into a fever an' was illallnight."1If he ever gets angry at me, I'll never go andsee him again," said Mary.He'll have thee if he wants thee," said Martha.'" Tha' may as well know that at th' start."Very soon afterward a bell rang and she rolledup her knitting." I dare 3ay th' nurse wants me to stay with"him a bit," she said. I hope he's in a goodtemper."She was out of the room about ten minutes andthen she came back with a puzzled expression." Well, tha' has bewitched him," she said*" He's up on his sofa with his picture-books-,He's told the nurse to stay away until six o'clock.

1178 THE SECRET GARDENI'm to wait in the next room. Th' minute she'was gone he called me to him an' says, I wantMary Lennox to come and talk to me, and rememberyou're not to tell any one.' You'd bettergo as quick as you can."Mary was quite willing to go quickly. She didnot want to see Colin as much as she wanted to seeDickon, but she wanted to see him very much.There was a bright fire on the hearth when sheentered his room, and in the daylight she saw itwas a very beautiful room indeed. There wererichcolors in the rugs and hangings and picturesand books on the walls which made it look glowingand comfortable even in spite of the gray sky andfalling rain. Colin looked rather like a picturehimself. He was wrapped in a velvet dressinggownand sat against a big brocaded cushion. Hehad a red spot on each cheek.'Come in," he said," I've been thinking aboutyou allmorning."'I've been thinking about you, too," answeredMary." You don't know how frightened Marthais. She says Mrs. Medlock will think she toldme about you and then she will be sent away."He frowned.'Go and tell her to come here," he said.'She is in the next room."Mary went and brought her back. Poor Mar-

A YOUNG RAJAH 179tha was shaking in her shoes. Colin was stillfrowning.Have you to do what I please or have you'not? ' he demanded.I have to do what you please, sir," Martha*faltered, turning quite red." Has Medlock to do what I please? "" Everybody has, sir," said Martha." Well, then, if I order you to bring Miss Maryto me, how can Medlock send you awayif shefinds it out? "" Please don't let her, sir," pleaded Martha." I'll send her away if she dares to say a wordabout such a thing," said Master Craven grandly." She wouldn't like that, I can tell you."" Thank you, sir," bobbing a curtsy," I want todo my duty, sir."" What I want isyour duty," said Colin moregrandly still. "I'll take care of you. Now goaway."When the door closed behind Martha, Colinfound Mistress Mary gazing at him as if he hadset her wondering."Why do you look at me like that? " he askedher." What are you thinking about?'" I am thinking about two things."" What are they? Sit down and tell me."" This is the first one," said Mary, seating her-

'i SoTHE SECRET GARDENself on the big stool. *Once in India I saw aboy who was a Rajah. He had rubies and emeraldsand diamonds stuck all over him. He spoketo his people just as you spoke to Martha. Everybodyhad to do everything he told them in aminute. I think they would have been killed ifthey hadn't."" I shall make youtell me about Rajahs pres-'but first tell me what the secondently," he said,thing was."" I was thinking," said Mary, 'how differentyouare from Dickon.""Who is Dickon? " he said.name !5" What a queerShe might as well tell him, she thought. Shecould talk about Dickon without mentioningthe secret garden. She had liked to hearMartha talk about him. Besides, she longedto talk about him. It would seem to bring himnearer." He is Martha's brother. He is twelve yearsold," she " explained. He is not like any one elsein the world. He can charm foxes and squirrelsand birds just as the natives in India charm snakes.He plays a very soft tune on a pipe and they comeand listen."There were some big books on a table at hiscid and he dragged one suddenly toward him.

A YOUNG RAJAH 181" There is a picture of a snake-charmer in this,"he exclaimed." Come and look at it."The book was a beautiful one with superbcolored illustrations and he turned to one of them." Can" he do that? he asked eagerly." He played on his pipe and they listened,""Mary explained. But he doesn't call itMagic.He saysit's because he lives on the moor so muchand he knows their ways. He says he feels sometimesas if he was a bird or a rabbit himself, helikes them so. I think he asked the robin questions.It seemed as if they talked to each otherin soft chirps."Colin lay back on his cushion and his eyes grewlarger and larger and the spots on his cheeksburned.4iTell me some more about him," he said.'He knows all about eggs and nests," Maryiwent on. And he knows where foxes and badgersand otters live. He keeps them secret so thatother boys won't find their holes and frightenthem. He knows about everything that grows orlives on the moor."" Does he like the moor?" said Colin. "How'can he when it's such a great, bare, dreary place?" It's the most beautiful place," protested"Mary. Thousands of lovely things grow on itand there are thousands of little creatures all busy

1 82 THE SECRET GARDENbuilding nests and making holes and burrows andchippering or singing or squeaking to each other.They are so busy and having such fun under theearth or in the trees or heather. It's their world/''How do you know all that? ' said Colin,turning on his elbow to look at her.'I have never been there once, really," said"Mary suddenly remembering. I only droveover it in the dark. I thought it was hideous.Martha told me about it first and then Dickon.When Dickon talks about ityou feel as if you sawthings and heard them and as ifyou were standingin the heather with the sun shining and thegorse smelling like honey and all full of beesand butterflies."You never see anything if you are ill," saidColin restlessly. He looked like a person listeningto a new sound in the distance and wonderingwhat it was.You can't ifyou stay in a room," said Mary.'I couldn't go on the moor," he said in a resentfultone.Mary was silent for a minute and then she saidsomething bold.You might sometime."He moved as if he were startled.'Go on the moor! How could I? I am goingto die."

A YOUNG RAJAH 183"How do you know?' said Mary unsympathetically.She didn't like the wayhe had of talkingabout dying. She did not feel very sympathetic.She felt rather as if he almost boastedabout it.'Oh, IVe heard it ever since I remember," he"answered crossly. They are always whisperingabout it and thinking I don't notice. They wishI would, too."Mistress Mary felt quite contrary. Shepinched her lips together." If they wished I "would," she said, Iwouldn't. Who wishes you would? '" The servants and of course Dr. Cravenbecause he would get Misselthwaite and be richinstead of poor. He daren't say so, but he alwayslooks cheerful when I am worse. When I hadtyphoid fever his face got quite fat. I think myfather wishes it, too."" I don't believe he does," said Mary quite obstinately.That made Colin turn and look at her again.he said."Don't you?"And then he lay back on his cushion and wasstill, as if he were thinking. And there was quitea long silence. Perhaps they were both of themthinking strange things children do not usuallythink of.

184 THE SECRET GARDENsaid" I like the grand doctor from London, becausehe made them take the iron thing off,"Did he say you were going toMary at last. 'die?"" No."" What did he say?"" He didn't whisper," Colin answered. " Perhapshe knew I hated whispering. I heard himsay one thing quite aloud. He said, The ladmight live if he would make up his mind to it.Put him in the humor.' It sounded as if he wasina temper.""I'll tell you who would put youin the humor,perhaps," said Mary reflecting. She felt as ifthe sky to watch birds flyingshe would like this thing to be settled one way"or the other. I believe Dickon would. He'salways talking about live things. He never talksabout dead things or things that are ill. He's alwayslooking up inor looking down at the earth to see somethinggrowing. He has such round blue eyes and theyare so wide open with looking about. And helaughs such a big laugh with his wide mouthand his cheeks are as red as red as cherries."She pulled her stool nearer to the sofa and herexpression quite changed at the remembrance ofthe wide curving mouth and wide open eyes," " See here," she said. Don't let us talk about

A YOUNG RAJAH 185dying; I don't like it. Let us talk about living.Let us talk and talk about Dickon. And thenwe will look at your pictures."It was the best thing she could have said. Totalk about Dickon meant to talk about the moorand about the cottage and the fourteen people wholived in it on sixteen shillings a week and thechildren who got fat on the moor grass like thewild ponies. And about Dickon's mother andthe skipping-rope and the moor with the sun onit and about pale green points sticking up outof the black sod. And it was all so alive thatMary talked more than she had ever talked beforeand Colin both talked and listened as he hadnever done either before. And they both beganto laugh over nothings as children will when theyare happy together. And they laughed so thatin the end they were making as much noise as ifthey had been two ordinary healthy natural tenyear-oldcreatures instead of a hard, little, unlovinggirl and a sickly boy who believed that hewas going to die.They enjoyed themselves so much that they forgotthe pictures and they forgot about the time.They had been laughing quite loudly over BenWeatherstaff and his robin and Colin was actuallysitting up as if he had forgotten about his weakback when he suddenly remembered something.

1 86 THE SECRET GARDEN" Do you know there is one thing we have neveronce thought of," he said."We are cousins."It seemed so queer that they had talked so muchand never remembered this simple thing that theylaughed more than ever, because they had got intothe humor to laugh at anything. And in themidst of the fun the door opened and in walkedDr. Craven and Mrs. Medlock.Dr. Craven started in actual alarm and Mrs.Medlock almost fell back because he had accidentallybumped against her."Good Lord!' exclaimed poor Mrs. Medlock,with her eyes almost starting out of her head." Good Lord!"" What is this? " said Dr. Craven, coming forward." 'What does it mean?Then Mary was reminded of the boy Rajahagain. Colin answered as if neither the doctor'salarm nor Mrs. Medlock's terror were of theslightest consequence. He was as little disturbedor frightened as if an elderly cat and dog hadwalked into'the room.This is my cousin, Mary Lennox," he said.I asked her to come and talk to me. I likeher. She must come and talk to me whenever Isend for her."Dr. Craven turned reproachfully to Mrs. Medlock.

A YOUNG RAJAH 187" Oh, sir," she panted." I don't know howit's happened. There's not a servant on the placethat'd dare to talk they all have their orders.""Nobody told her anything," said Colin." She heard me crying and found me herself. Iam glad she came. Don't be silly,Medlock."Mary saw that Dr. Craven did not look pleased,but it was quite plain that he dare not oppose hispatient. He sat down by Colin and felt his pulse." I am afraid there has been too much excitement.Excitement is not good for you, my boy,"" I am better. She makes mehe said." I should be excited if she kept away," answeredColin, his eyes beginning to look dangerouslysparkling.better. The nurse must bring up her tea withmine. We will have tea together."Mrs. Medlock and Dr. Craven looked at eachother in a troubled way, but there was evidentlynothing to be done." He does look rather better, sir," venturedMrs. Medlock. "But" thinking the matterover "he looked better this morning beforeshe came into the room."" She came into the room last night. Shestayed with me a long time. She sang a Hindustanisong to me and it made me go to sleep," said"Colin. I was better when I wakened up. I

1 88 THE SECRET GARDENwanted my breakfast. I want mynurse, Medlock."Dr. Craven did not stay very long.tea now. TellHe talkedto the nurse for a few minutes when she came intothe room and said a few words of warning toColin. He must not talk too much; he must notforget that he was ill; he must not forget that hewas very easily tired. Mary thought that thereseemed to be a number of uncomfortable things hewas not to forget.Colin looked fretful and kept his strange blacklashedeyes fixed on Dr. Craven's face.'I want to forget it," he said at last." Shemakes me forgetit. That is whyI want her."Dr. Craven did not look happy when he leftthe room.He gave a puzzled glancegirl sitting on the large stool.stiff, silent child againat the littleShe had become aas soon as he entered andhe could not see what the attraction was. Theboy actually did look brighter, however andhe sighed rather heavily as he went down the corridor.They are always wanting me to eat thingswhen I don't want to," said Colin, as the nursebrought in the tea and put it on the table by theusofa. Now, if you'll eat I will. Those muffinslook so nice and hot.Tell me about Rajahs."

CHAPTER XVNEST BUILDINGA FTER another week of rain the high arch of** blue sky appeared again and the sun whichpoured down was quite hot. Though there hadbeen no chance to see either the secret garden orDickon, Mistress Mary had enjoyed herself verymuch. The week had not seemed long. She hadspent hours of every day with Colin in his room,talking about Rajahs or gardens or Dickon and thecottage on the moor. They had looked at thesplendid books and pictures and sometimes Maryhad read things to Colin, and sometimes he hadread a little to her. When he was amused andinterested she thought he scarcely looked like aninvalid at all, except that his face was so colorlessand he was always on the sofa." You are a sly young one to listen and get outof your bed to go following things up like you didthat "night," Mrs. Medlock said once. Butthere's no sayingit's not been a sort of blessing tothe lot of us.He's not had a tantrum or a whiningfit since you made friends. The nurse was189

190 THE SECRET GARDENjust going to give upthe case because she was sosick of him, but she says she doesn't mind stayingnow you've gone on duty with her," laughing alittle.In her talks with Colin, Mary had tried to bevery cautious about the secret garden. Therewere certain things she wanted to find out fromhim, but she felt that she must find them out withoutasking him direct questions. In the first place,as she began to like to be with him, she wantedto discover whether he was the kind of boy youcould tell a secret to. He was not in the least likeDickon, but he was evidently so pleased with theidea of a garden no one knew anything about thatshe thought perhaps he could be trusted. Butshe had not known him long enough to be sure.The second thing she wanted to find out was this :If he could be trusted if he really couldwouldn't it be possible to take him to the gardenwithout having any one find it out? The granddoctor had said that he must have fresh air andColin had said that he would not mind fresh airin a secret garden. Perhaps if he had a greatdeal of fresh air and knew Dickon and the robinand saw things growing he might not think somuch about dying. Mary had seen herself in theglass sometimes lately when she had realized that.she looked quite a different creature from the child

NEST BUILDING 19*she had seen when she arrived from India.Thischild looked nicer. Even Martha had seen achange in her." Th' air from th' moor has done thee good"already," she had said. Tha'rt not nigh so yellerand tha'rt not nigh so scrawny. Even tha' hairdoesn't slamp down on tha' head so flat. It'sgot some life in it so as it sticks out a bit.""It's like me," said Mary. "It's growingstronger and fatter. I'm sure there's moreof it."" It looks it, for sure," said Martha, rufflingitup a little round her face. " Tha'rt not halfso ugly when it's that wayin tha' cheeks."an' there's a bit o' redIf gardens and fresh air had been good for herperhaps they would be good for Colin. But then,if he hated people to look at him, perhaps hewould not like to see Dickon.does make ityou angry when you areu Whylooked at? " she inquired one day." I always hated it," he answered, " even whenI was verylittle. Then when they took me tothe seaside and I used to lie in my carriage everybodyused to stare and ladies would stop and talkto my nurse and then they would begin to whisperand I knew then they were saying I shouldn't liveto grow up. Then sometimes the ladies would

192 THE SECRET GARDEN'pat my cheeks and say 'Poor child! Once whena lady did that I screamed out loud and bit herhand. She was so frightened she ran away."" She thought you had gone mad like a dog,"said Mary, not at all admiringly." I don't care what she thought," said Colin,frowning." I wonder why you didn't scream and bite mewhen I came into your room? " said Mary. Thenshe began to smile slowly." I thought you were a ghost or a dream," he" You can't bite a ghost or a dream, andsaid.if you scream theydon't care.""Would you hate it if if a boylooked atyou? 'Mary asked uncertainly.He lay back on his cushion and paused thoughtfully." There's one boy," he said quite slowly, as if'he were thinking over every word, there's oneboyI believe I shouldn't mind. It's that boy whoknows where the foxes live Dickon."" I'm sure you wouldn't mind him," said Mary." The birds don't and other animals," he said,"perhaps that's why Istill thinking it over,shouldn't. He's a sort of animal charmer and Iam a boy animal."Then he laughed and she laughed too; in factit ended in their both laughing a great deal and

'NEST BUILDING 193finding the idea of a boy animal hiding in his holevery funny indeed.What Mary feltnot fear about Dickon.afterward was that she needOn that first morning when the sky was blueagain Mary wakened very early. The sun waspouring in slanting rays through the blinds andthere was something so joyous in the sight of itthat she jumped out of bed and ran to the window.She drew up the blinds and opened the windowitself and a great waft of fresh, scented airblew in upon her. The moor was blue and thewhole world looked as ifsomething Magic hadhappened to There it. were tender little flutingsounds here and there and everywhere, as if scoresof birds were beginning to tune upfor a concert.Mary put her hand out of the window and held itin the sun.shesaid.''It's warm warm !make the green points push up and up and up, andItwillit will make the bulbs and roots work and strugglewith alltheir might under the earth."She kneeled down and leaned out of the windowas far as she could, breathing big breaths andsniffing the air until she laughed because she rememberedwhat Dickon's mother had said aboutthe end of his nose quivering like a rabbit's.

194 THE SECRET GARDEN" It must be very early," she said. The littleclouds are all pink and I've never seen the skylook like this. No one is up. I don't even hearthe stable boys."A sudden thought made her scramble to herfeet." I can't wait ! I am going to see the garden ! 'this timeShe had learned to dress herself byand she put on her clothes in five minutes. Sheknew a small side door which she could unbolt herselfand she flew down-stairs in her stocking feetand put on her shoes in the hall. She unchainedand unbolted and unlocked and when the door wasopen she sprang across the step with one bound,and there she was standing on the grass, whichseemed to have turned green, and with the sunpouring down on her and warm sweet wafts abouther and the fluting and twittering and singing com-bush and tree. She clasped hering from everyhands for pure joy and looked up in the sky andit was so blue and pink and pearly and white andflooded with springtime light that she felt as ifshe must flute and sing aloud herself and knew thatthrushes and robins and skylarks could not pos-She ran around the shrubs and pathssibly help it.toward the secret garden." It is all different already,"she said. Thegrass is greener and things are sticking up every-

NEST BUILDING 195where and things are uncurling and green budsof leaves are showing. This afternoon I am sureDickon will come."The long warm rain had done strange thingsto the herbaceous beds which bordered the walkby the lower wall. There were things sproutingand pushing out from the roots of clumps of plantsand there were actually here and there glimpses ofroyal purple and yellow unfurling among the stemsof crocuses. Six months before Mistress Marywould not have seen how the world was wakingup, but now she missed nothing.When she had reached the place where the doorhid itself under the ivy, she was startled by acurious loud sound. It was the caw caw of acrow and it came from the top of the wall, andwhen she looked up, there sat a big glossy-plumagedblue-black bird, looking down at her verywisely indeed. She had never seen a crow so closebefore and he made her a little nervous, but thenext moment he spread his wings and flapped awayacross the garden. She hoped he was not going tostay inside and she pushed the door open wonder*ing if he would. When she got fairlyinto thegarden she saw that he probably did intend to staybecause he had alighted on a dwarf apple-tree,and under the apple-tree was lying a little reddishanimal with a bushy tail, and both of them were

1196 THE SECRET GARDENwatching the stooping body and rust-red head ofDickon, who was kneeling on the grass workinghard.Mary flew across the grass to him."Oh, Dickon! Dickon!' she cried out."How could you get here so early! How could'you The sun has ! only just got up!He got up himself, laughing and glowing, andtousled; his eyes like a bit of the sky.''he said. I was up long before him." Eh!How could I have stayed abed! Th' world's allfair begun again this mornin',it has. An' it'sworkin' an' hummin' an' scratchin' an' pipin' an*nest-buildin' an' breathin' out scents, tillyou'vegot to be out on it 'stead o' lyin' on your back.When th' sun did jump up, th' moor went madfor joy, an' I was in the midst of th' heather,an' I run like mad myself, shoutin' an' singin'.An' I come straight here. I couldn't havestayed away. Why, th' garden was lyin' herewaitin' !'ifMary put her hands on her chest, panting, asshe had been running herself." Oh, Dickon ! Dickon !" she said." I'm sohappy I can scarcely breathe ! 'Seeing him talking to a stranger, the little bushytailedanimal rose from its place under the treeand came to him, and the rook, cawing once, flew

NEST BUILDING 197down from its branch and settled quietly on hisshoulder.This is th' little fox cub," he said, rubbing the"little reddish animal's head. It's named Captain.An' this here's Soot. Soot he flew acrossth' moor with me an' Captain he run same as if th'hounds had been after him. They both felt sameas Idid."Neither of the creatures looked as if he werethe least afraid of Mary. When Dickon beganto walk about, Soot stayed on his shoulder andCaptain trotted quietly close to his side.'''See here ! said Dickon. See how thesehas pushed up, an' these an' these ! An' Eh ! look'at these here !He threw himself upon his knees and Marywent down beside him. They had come upon awhole clump of crocuses burst into purple andorange and gold. Mary bent her face down andkissed and kissed them." You never kiss a person in that way," she saidwhen she lifted her head. Flowers are so dif-'ferent."He looked puzzled but smiled.'"he said, I've kissed mother many a" Eh!time that way when I come in from th' moor aftera day's roamin' an' she stood there at th'th' sun, lookin' so glad an' comfortable."door in

198 THE SECRET GARDENThey ran from one part of the garden to anotherand found so many wonders that they wereobliged to remind themselves that they must whisperor speak low. He showed her swelling leafbudson rose branches which had seemed dead.He showed her ten thousand new green pointspushing through the mould. They put their eageryoung noses close to the earth and sniffed itswarmed springtime breathing; they dug and pulledand laughed low with rapture until MistressMary's hair was as tumbled as Dickon's and hercheeks were almost as poppy red as his.There was every joy on earth in the secret gardenthat morning, and in the midst of them came adelight more delightful than all, because it wasmore wonderful. Swiftly something flew acrossthe wall and darted through the trees to a closegrown corner, a little flare of red-breasted birdwith something hanging from its beak. Dickonstood quite stilland put his hand on Mary almostas if they had suddenly found themselves laughingin a church.We munnot stir," he whisperedin broad"Yorkshire. We munnot scarce breathe. Iknowed he was mate-huntin' when Iseed him last.It's Ben Weatherstaff's robin. He's buildin' hisnest. He'll stay here if us don't flight him."

NEST BUILDING 199They settled down softly upon the grass andsat there without" moving.Us mustn't seem as if us was watchin' him tooclose," said Dickon." He'd be out with us forgood if he got th' notion us was interferin' now.He'll be a good bit different till all this is over.He's settin' up housekeeping He'll be shyer an'readier to take thingsill. He's got no time forvisitin' an' gossipin'. Us must keep still a bitan' try to look as if us was grass an' trees an'bushes.Then when he's got used to seein' us I'llchirp a bit an' he'll know us'll not be in his way."Mistress Mary was not at all sure that she knew,as Dickon seemed to, how to try to look like grassand trees and bushes. But he had said the queerthing as if it were the simplest and most naturalthing in the world, and she felt it must be quiteeasy to him, and indeed she watched him for a fewminutes carefully, wonderingif it was possible forhim to quietly turn green and put out branches andleaves. But he only sat wonderfully still, andwhen he spoke dropped his voice to such a softnessthat it was curious that she could hear him, butshe could." It's part o' th' springtime, this nest-buildin'"is," he said. I warrant it's been goin' on in th'same way every year since th' world was begun.

200 THE SECRET GARDENThey've got their way o' thinkin' and doin' thingsan' a body had better not meddle. You can losea friend in springtime easier than any other seasonif you're too curious."" If we talk about him I can't help looking atuhim," Mary said as softly as possible. We musttalk of something else. There is something Iwant to tell you."" He'll like it better if us talks o' somethin'else," said Dickon.What is it tha's got to tellme?'" Well do you know about Colin?' shewhispered.He turned his head to look at her." What does tha' know about him? " he asked." I've seen him. I have been to talk to himevery daythis week. He wants me to come. Hesays I'm making him forget about beingill anddying," answered Mary.Dickon looked actually relieved as soon as thesurprise died away from his round face.1'I am glad o' that," he exclaimed. I'mright down glad. It makes me easier. I knowedI must say nothin' about him an' I don't like havin'to hide things."'Don't you like hiding the garden? ' saidMary." 'I'll never tell about it," he answered." But

NEST BUILDING 201I says to mother, 'Mother,' I says,'I got a secretto keep. It's not a bad 'un, tha' knows that. It'sno worse than hidin' where a bird's nest is.doesn't mind it,does tha'? 'Tha'Mary always wanted to hear about mother."What did she say?' she asked, not at allafraid to hear.Dickon grinned sweet-temperedly." It was just like her, what she said," he answered." She give my head a bit of a rub an'laughed an' she says, Eh, lad, tha' can have all'th' secrets tha' likes. I've knowed thee twelve"year'.'"How did you know about Colin?' askedMary.'Everybody as knowed about Mester Cravenknowed there was a little lad as was like to be acripple, an' they knowed Mester Craven didn'tlike him to be talked about. Folks issorry forMester Craven because Mrs. Craven was such apretty young lady an' they was so fond of eachother. Mrs. Medlock stops in our cottage whenevershe goes to Thwaite an' she doesn't mindtalkin' to mother before us children, because sheHowknows us has been brought up to be trusty.did tha' find out about him? Martha was infine trouble th' last time she came home. Shesaid tha'd heard him frettin' an' tha' was askin*

202 THE SECRET GARDENquestions an' she didn't know what to say."Mary told him her story about the midnightwuthering of the wind which had wakened herand about the faint far-off sounds of the complainingvoice which had led her down the dark corridorswith her candle and had ended with heropening of the door of the dimly lighted room withthe carven four-posted bed in the corner. Whenshe described the small ivory-white face and thestrange black-rimmed eyes Dickon shook his head." Them's just like his mother's eyes, only herswas always laughin', they say," he said. Theysay as Mr. Craven can't bear to see him when he'sawake an' it's because his eyes is so like his mother'san' yet looks so different in his miserable bitof a face."" Do you think he wants him to die? ' whisperedMary." No, but he wishes he'd never been born.Mother she says that's th' worst thing on earthfor a child. Them as is not wanted scarce everthrives. Mester Craven he'd buy anythin' asmoney could buy for th' pooras he's on earth. Forforgetlad but he'd like toone thing, he's afraidhe'll look at him some day and find he's growedhunchback."'Colin's so afraid of it himself that he won'tsit up," said Mary." He says he's always think-

NEST BUILDING 203ing that if he should feel a lump coming he shouldgo crazy and scream himself to death."" Eh !he oughtn't to lie there thinkin' thingslike that," said Dickon." No lad could get wellas thought them sort o' things."The fox was lying on the grass close by himlooking up to ask for a pat now and then, andDickon bent down and rubbed his neck softly andthought a few minutes in silence. Presently helifted his head and looked round the garden." When first we got in here," he said,"itseemed like everything was gray. Look roundnow and tell me if tha' doesn't see a difference."Mary looked and caught her breath a little." n uWhy! she cried, the gray wall is changing.It is as if a green mist were creeping over it. It'salmost like a green gauze veil."" " Aye," said Dickon. An' it'll be greenerand greenertill th' gray's all gone. Can tha'guess what I was thinkin' ? '(I know it was something nice," said Mary"eagerly. I believe it was something aboutColin."'I was thinkin' that if he was out here hewouldn't be watchin' for lumps to growon hisback; he'd be watchin' for buds to break on th'rose-bushes, an' he'd likely be healthier," explainedDickon." J was wonderin' if us could ever get

204 THE SECRET GARDENhim in th' humor to come out here an' lie under th*trees in his carriage."" I've been wondering that myself. I'vethought of it almost every time I've talked to'him," said Mary. I've wondered if he couldkeep a secret and I've wondered if we could bringhim here without any one seeing us. I thoughtperhaps you could push his carriage. The doctorsaid he must have fresh air and if he wants us totake him out no one dare disobey him. He won'tgo out for other people and perhaps they will beglad if he will go out with us. He could orderthe gardeners to keep away so they wouldn't findout."Dickon was thinking very hard as he scratchedCaptain's back." It'd be good for him, I'll warrant," he said." Us'd not be thinkin' he'd better never been born.Us'd be just two children watchin' a garden grow,an' he'd be another. Two lads an' a little lass justlookin' on at th' springtime. I warrant it'd bebetter than doctor's stuff."1He's been lying in his room so long and he'salways been so afraid of his back that it has madehim queer," said Mary." He knows a goodmany things out of books but he doesn't know anythingelse. He says he has been too ill to noticethings and he hates going out of doors and hates

NEST BUILDING 205gardens and gardeners. But he likes to hearabout this garden because it is a secret. Idaren't tell him much but he said he wanted tosee it"" Us'll have him out here sometime for sure,'1saidDickon.'I could push his carriage wellenough. Has tha' noticed how th' robin an' hismate has been workin' while we've been sittin'here ?Look at him perched on that branch wonderin'where it'd be best to put that twig he's gotin hisbeak."He made one of his low whistling callsand therobin turned his head and looked at him inquiringly,still holding his twig. Dickon spoke tohim as Ben Weatherstaff did, but Dickon's tonewas one of friendly advice." Wheres'ever tha' puts it," he said,"it'll be allright. Tha' knew how to build tha' nest beforetha' came out o' th' egg. Get on with thee, lad.Tha'st got no time to lose."" Oh, I do like to hear you talk to him!""Mary said, laughing delightedly. Ben Weatherstaffscolds him and makes fun of him, and hehops about and looks as if he understood everyword, and I know he likes it. Ben Weatherstaffsays he is so conceited he would rather have stonesthrown at him than not be noticed."Dickon laughed too and went on talking.

206 THE SECRET GARDENthe" Tha' knows us won't trouble thee," he said torobin." Us is near bein' wild things ourselves.Us is nest-buildin' too, bless thee. Lookout tha' doesn't tell on us."And though the robin did not answer, becausehis beak was occupied, Mary knew that when heflew away with his twig to his own corner of thegarden the darkness of his dew-bright eye meantthat he would not tell their secret for the world.

CHAPTER XVI"I WON'T 1" SAID MARYfound a great deal to do that morningand Mary was late in returning to the houseand was also in such a hurry to get back to herwork that she quite forgot Colin until the lastmoment." Tell Colin that I can't come and see him yet,"she said to Martha." I'm very busy in the garden."Martha looked rather frightened." Eh! Miss Mary," she said, " it may put himall out of humor when I tell him that."But Mary was not as afraid of him as otherpeople were and she was not a self-sacrificing person." I can't stay," she answered. " Dickon's waitingfor me;' and she ran away. rThe afternoon was even lovelier and busier thanthe morning had been. Already nearlyweeds were cleared out of the garden and most ofall thethe roses and trees had been pruned or dug about.Dickon had brought a spade of his own and he207

208 THE SECRET GARDENhad taught Mary to use all her tools, so that bywas plain that though the lovely wildthis time itplace was not likely to become a 'gardener'sgarden ' it would be a wilderness of growingthings before the springtime was over." There'll be apple blossoms an' cherry blossomsoverhead," Dickon said, working away withall his might. An' there'll be peach an' plum*trees in bloom against th' walls, an' th' grass'll bea carpet o' flowers."The little fox and the rook were as happy andbusy as they were, and the robin and his mateflew backward and forward like tiny streaks oflightning. Sometimes the rook flapped his blackwings and soared away over the tree-tops in thepark. Each time he came back and perched nearDickon and cawed several times as if he were relatinghis adventures, and Dickon talked to himjust as he had talked to the robin. Once whenDickon was so busy that he did not answer himat first, Soot flew on to his shoulders and gentlytweaked his ear with his large beak. When Marywanted to rest a little Dickon sat down with herunder a tree and once he took his pipe out of hispocket and played the soft strange little notes andtwo squirrels appeared on the wall and looked andlistened." Tha's a good bit stronger than tha' was,"

" I WON'T " ! SAID MARY 209Dickon said, looking at her as she was digging." Tha's beginning to look different, for sure."Mary was glowing with exercise and good spirits.'I'm getting fatter and fatter 1every day/ sheusaid quite exultantly. Mrs. Medlock will haveto get me some bigger dresses. Martha says myhair isgrowing thicker. It isn't so flat andstringy."The sun was beginning to set and sending deepgold-colored rays slanting under the trees whenthey parted."It'll be fine to-morrow," said Dickon.be at work by sunrise."" So will I," said Mary."I'llShe ran back to the house as quickly as her feetwould carry her. She wanted to tell Colin aboutDickon's fox cub and the rook and about whatthe springtime had been doing. She felt sure hewould like to hear. So it was not very pleasantwhen she opened the door of her room, to seeMartha standing waiting for her with a dolefulface."What is the matter?" she asked. "Whatdid Colin say when you told him I couldn'tcome?'"Eh!" said Martha, "I wish tha'd gone.

210 THE SECRET GARDENHe was nigh goin' into one o' his tantrums.There's been a nice to do all afternoon to keephim quiet. He would watch the clock all th'time."Mary's lips pinched themselves together. Shewas no more used to considering other peoplethan Colin was and she saw no reason why an illtemperedboy should interfere with the thing sheliked best. She knew nothing about the pitifulnessof people who had been ill and nervous andwho did not know that they could control theirtempers and need not make other people ill andnervous, too. When she had had a headache inIndia she had done her best to see that everybodyelse also had a headache or something quite asbad. And she felt she was quite right; but ofcourse now she felt thatColin was quite wrong.He was not on his sofa when she went into hisroom. He was lying flat on his back in bed andhe did not turn his head toward her as she camein. This was a bad beginning and Mary marchedup to him with her stiff manner.Why didn't you get up? " she said.'I did get up this morning when I thought youwere coming," he answered, without looking at her.I made them put me back in bed this afternoon,'My back ached and my head ached and I wastired. Why didn't you come? "

"I WON'T!" SAID MARY 211" I was working in the garden with Dickon,"said Mary.Colin frowned and condescended to look at her.'I won't let that boy come here if you go andstay with him instead of coming to talk to me,"he said.Mary flew into a fine passion. She could flyinto a passion without making a noise. She justgrew sour and obstinate and did not care whathappened.'If you send Dickon away,I'll never come into'this room again! she retorted.You'll have to if I want you," said Colin."I won't!" said Mary.""I'll make you," said Colin. They shalldrag you in."" Shall they,"Mr. Rajah! said Mary fiercely.They may drag me in but they can't make metalk when they get me here. I'll sit and clenchmy teeth and never tell you one thing. I won't"even look at you. I'll stare at the floor !They were a nice agreeable pair as they glaredat each other. If they had been two little streetboys they would have sprung at each other and hada rough-and-tumble fight. As it was, they did thenext thing to it.You are a selfish thing! " cried Colin." What are you? " said "Mary. Selfish peopler

'212 THE SECRET GARDENalways say that. Any one is selfish who doesn'tdo what they want. You're more selfish than Iam. You're the most selfish boy I ever saw."" " " I'm not! snapped Colin. I'm not as selfishas yourfine Dickon is ! He keeps you playingin the dirt when he knows I am all by myself.He's selfish, ifyou like ! 'Mary's eyes flashed fire.'He's nicer than any other boy that ever'''lived 1 she said. He's he's like an angel!It might sound rather to silly say that but she didnot care."A nice angel ! !*Colin sneered ferociously.'He's a common cottage boyoff the moor !;"He's better than a common Rajah! retorted" He's a thousand times better!'Mary.Because she was the stronger of the two she wasbeginning to get the better of him. The truthwas that he had never had a fight with any onelike himself in his life and, upon the whole, itwas rather good for him, though neither he norMary knew anything about that. He turned hishead on his pillow and shut his eyes and a big tearwas squeezed out and ran down his cheek. Hewas beginning to feel pathetic and sorry for himselfnot for any one else.I'm not as selfish'as you, because I'm alwaysill, and I'm sure there is a lump coming oa my

214 THE SECRET GARDENand I was going to tellyouall about them. NowI won't tell you a 'single thing!She marched out of the door and closed it behindher, and there to her great astonishment shefound the trained nurse standing as if she had beenlistening and, more amazingstill she was laugh-She was a big handsome young woman whoing.ought not to have been a trained nurse at all, asshe could not bear invalids and she was alwaysmaking excuses to leave Colin to Martha or anyone else who would take her place. Mary hadnever liked her, and she simply stood and gazedupat her as shestood gigglinginto her handkerchief.What are you laughing at? " she asked her.'IAt you two young ones/' said the nurse.It's the best thing that could happento thesickly pampered thing to have some one to standup to him that's as spoiled as himself; ' and shelaughed into her handkerchief 'again. If he'dhad a young vixen of a sister to fight with it wouldhave been the saving of him."'IIs he going to die? '1 don't know and I don't care," said the nurse.(Hysterics and temper are half what ails him.""What are hysterics? asked Mary.You'll find out ifyou work him into a tantrumafter this but at any rate you've given him

'I WON'T!3SAID MARY 215something to have hysterics about, and I'm gladof it."Mary went back to her room not feeling at allas she had felt when she had come in from thegarden. She was cross and disappointed but notat all sorry for Colin. She had looked forwardto telling him a great many things and she hadmeant to try to make up her mind whether it wouldbe safe to trust him with the great secret. Shehad been beginning to think it would be, but nowshe had changed her mind entirely. She wouldnever tellhim and he could stay in his room andnever get any fresh air and die if he liked! Itwould serve him right! She felt so sour and unrelentingthat for a few minutes she almost forgotabout Dickon and the green veil creeping overthe world and the soft wind blowing down fromthe moor.Martha was waiting for her and the trouble inher face had been temporarily replaced by interestand curiosity. There was a wooden box on thetable and its cover had been removed and revealedthat it was full of neat packages." Mr. Craven sent it to you,"'It looks as if it had picture-books in it."said Martha.Mary remembered what he had asked her the'to his room. Do ycu wantday she had goneanything dolls toys books ? ' She opened

216 THE SECRET GARDENthe package wondering if he had sent a doll, andalso wondering what she should do with it if hehad. But he had not sent one. There were severalbeautiful books such as Colin had, and two ofthem were about gardens and were full of pictures.There were two or three games and there was abeautiful little writing-case with a gold monogramon it and a gold pen and inkstand.Everything was so nice that her pleasure beganto crowd her anger out of her mind. She had notexpected him to remember her at all and her hardlittle heart grew quite warm." I can write better than I can print," she said,u and the first thing I shall write with that penwill be a letter to tell him I am much obliged."If she had been friends with Colin she wouldhave run to show him her presents at once, andthey would have looked at the pictures and readsome of the gardening books and perhaps triedplaying the games, and he would have enjoyedhimself so much he would never once have thoughthe was going to die or have put his hand on hisspine to see if there was a lump coming. He hada way of doing that which she could not bear. Itgave her an uncomfortable frightened feeling becausehe always looked so frightened himself. Hesaid that if he felt even quite a little lump someday he should know his hunch had begun to grow.

1CI WONT!" SAID MARY 217Something he had heard Mrs. Medlock whisperingto the nurse had given him the idea and hehad thought over it in secret until it was quitefixed in his mind. Mrs. Medlock had saidfirmlyhis father's back had begun to show its crookednessin that way when he was a child. He hadnever told any one but Mary that most of his1tantrums 'as they called them grew out of hishysterical hidden fear. Mary had been sorry forhim when he had told her." He always began to think about it when hewas cross or tired," she said to herself." Andhe has been cross to-day. Perhaps perhaps hehas been thinking about it all afternoon."She stood still, looking down at the carpet andthinking.*I said I would never go back "again she"hesitated, knitting her brows but perhaps, justperhaps, I will go and see if he wants mein the morning. Perhaps he'll tryto throw hispillow at me again, but I think I'll go."

CHAPTER XVIIA TANTRUMOHE had got up very early in the morning^ andhad worked hard in the garden and she wastired and sleepy, so as soon as Martha had broughther supper and she had eaten it, she was glad togo to bed. As she laid her head on the pillowshe murmured to herself:" I'llgo out before breakfast and work withDickon and then afterward I believe I'll goto see him."She thoughtit was the middle of the night whenshe was wakened by such dreadful sounds thatshe jumpedout of bed in an instant. What wasit what was it? The next minute she felt quitesure she knew. Doors were opened and shut andthere were hurrying feet in the corridors and someone was crying and screaming atthe same time,screaming and crying in a horrible way." " It's Colin," she said. He's having one ofthose tantrums the nurse called hysterics. Howawful it sounds."As she listened to the sobbing screams she did218

A TANTRUM 219not wonder that people were so frightened thatthey gave him his own way in everything ratherthan hear them. She put her hands over her earsand felt sick and shivering." I don't know what to do. I don't know whatto do," she kept saying.u I can't bear it."Once she wondered if he would stop if shedared go to him and then she remembered how hehad driven her out of the room and thought thatperhaps the sight of her might make him worse.Even when she pressed her hands more tightlyover her ears she could not keep the awful soundsout. She hated them so and was so terrified bythem that suddenly they began to make her angryand she felt as if she should like to fly into atantrum herself and frighten him as he was frighteningher. She was not used to any one's tempersbut her own. She took her hands from her earsand sprang up and stamped her foot.'He ought to be stopped!Somebody ought tomake him stop!Somebody ought to beat him "!she cried out.Just then she heard feet almost running downthe corridor and her door opened and the nursecame in. She was not laughing now by any means.She even looked rather pale.'"He's worked himself into hysterics, she saidin a ugreat hurry. He'll do himself harm, No

220 THE SECRET GARDENone can do anything with him. You come andtry, like a good child. He likes" you."He turned me out of the room this morning,"said Mary, stamping her foot with excitement.The stamp rather pleased the nurse. The truthwas that she had been afraid she might findMary crying and hiding her head under the bedclothes."That's right," she said. You're in the righthumor. You go and scold him. Give him somethingnew to think of. Do go, child, as quick asever you can."It was not until afterward that Mary realizedthat the thing had been funny as well as dreadfulthat it was funny that all the grown-up peoplewere so frightened that they came to a littlegirl just because they guessed she was almost asbad as Colin himself.She flew along the corridor and the nearer shegot to the screams the higher her temper mounted.She felt quite wicked by the time she reached thedoor. She slappeditopen with her hand and ranacross the room to the four-posted bed."You u stop! she almost shouted. You stop!I hate you ! Everybody hates you ! I wish everybodywould run out of the house and let youscream yourself to death ! You will scream yourselfto death in a minute, and I wish you would 1'

'-A nice sympatheticA TANTRUM 221child could neither havethought nor said such things, but itthat the shock of hearing them was the best possiblething for this hysterical boy whom no onehad ever dared to restrain or contradict.He had been lying on his face beating his pillowwith his hands and he actually almost jumpedaround, he turned so quickly at the sound of thejust happenedfurious little voice. His face looked dreadful,white and red and swollen, and he was gaspingand chokipg; but savage little did not carean atom.MaryIf you scream another scream," she said,"I'llscream too and I can scream louder than youcan and I'll frighten you, I'll 'frighten you !He actually had stopped screaming because shehad startled him so. The scream which had beencoming almost choked him. The tears werestreaming down his face and he shook all over." 'I can't stop he gasped and sobbed. " I!can't I can't! "" You can! " shouted "Mary. Half that ailsyou is hysterics and temper just hysterics"hysterics hysterics and she ! stamped each timeshe said it.u I felt the lumpI felt it," choked out Colin." I knew I should. I shall have a hunch on myback and then I shall die," and he began to writhe

222 THE SECRET GARDENagain and turned on his face and sobbed and wailedbut he didn't scream." 'You didn't feel a lump contradicted Mary!fiercely.'If you did it was only a hystericallump. Hysterics makes lumps. There's nothingthe matter with your horrid back nothing buthysterics ! Turn over and let me look at it I 'She liked the word u hysterics ' and felt somehowas if it had an effect on him. He was probablylike herself and had never heard it before.'Nurse," she commanded, " come here and'show me his back this minute 1The nurse, Mrs. Medlock and Martha hadbeen standing huddled together near the door staringat her, their mouths half open. All three hadgasped with fright more than once. The nursecame forward as if she were half afraid. Colinwas heaving with great breathless sobs." Perhaps he he won't let me," she hesitatedin a low voice.Colin heard her, however, and he gasped outbetween two sobs:*Sh-show her!She-she'll see then! 'It was a poor thin back to look at when itwas bared. Every rib could be counted and everyjoint of the spine, though Mistress Mary did notcount them as she bent over and examined themwith a solemn savage little face. She looked so

A TANTRUM 223sour and old-fashioned that the nurse turned herhead aside to hide the twitching of her mouth.There was just a minute's silence, for even Colintried to hold his breath while Mary looked upand down his spine, and down and up, as intentlyas if she had been the great doctor from London." There's not a single lump there 1" she saidat last. There's not a lump as big as a pinexcept backbone lumps, and you can only feel thembecause you're thin. I've got backbone lumps myself,and they used to stick out as much as yoursdo, until I began to get fatter, and I am not fatenough yet to hide them. There's not a lump asbig as a pin! If you ever say there is again, Ishall laugh!"No one but Colin himself knew what effectthose crossly spoken childish words had on Kim.If he had ever had any one to talk to about hissecret terrors if he had ever dared to let himselfask questions if he had had childish companionsand had not lain on his back in the hugeclosed house, breathing an atmosphere heavy withthe fears of people who were most of them ignorantand tired of him, he would have found out thatmost of his fright and illness was created by himself.But he had lain and thought of himself andhis aches and weariness for hours and days and

'224 THE SECRET GARDENmonths and years. And now that an a igry unsympatheticlittle girl insisted obstinately that hewas not as ill as he thought he was he actually felt'las if she might be speaking the truth.I didn't know," ventured the nurse, chat hethought he had a lump on his spine. His back isweak because he won't try to sit up. I could havetold him there was no lump there."atColin gulped and turned his face a little to lookher.'C-could you?"Yes, sir."There !'he said pathetically.said Mary, and she gulped too.Colin turned on his face again and but for hislong-drawn broken breaths, which were the dyingdown of his storm of sobbing, he laystill for aminute, though great tears streamed down his faceand wet the pillow. Actually the tears meant thata curious great relief had come to him. Presentlyhe turned and looked at the nurse again andstrangely enough he was not like a Rajah at all ashe spoke to her.'Do you think I could live to grow up ? 'he said.The nurse was neither clever nor soft-heartedibut she could repeat some of the London doctor'swords.You probably will ifyou will do what you are

A TANTRUM 225told to do and not give way to your temper, andstay out a great deal in the fresh air."Colin's tantrum had passed and he was weakand worn out with crying and this perhaps madehim feel gentle. He put out his hand a little towardMary, and I am glad to say that, her owntantrum having passed, she was softened too andmet him half-way with her hand, so that it was asort of making up."I'll I'llgo out with you, Mary," he said." "I shan't hate fresh air if we can find Heremembered just in time to stop himself fromsaying a if we can find the secret garden 'and heended, " I shall like to go out with you if Dickonwill come and push my chair. I do so want tosee Dickon and the fox and the crow."The nurse remade the tumbled bed and shookand straightened the pillows. Then she madeColin a cup of beef tea and gave a cup to Mary,who really was very glad to getit after her excitement.Mrs. Medlock and Martha gladlyslipped away, and after everything was neat andcalm and in order the nurse looked as if she wouldvery gladly slip away also. She was a healthyyoung woman who resented being robbed of hersleep and she yawned quite openly as she looked atMary, who had pushed her big footstool close tothe four-posted bed and was holding Colin's hand.

226 THE SECRET GARDEN" You must go back and get your sleep out,"she said.'He'll dropoff after a while if he'snot too upset. Then I'll lie down myself in thenext room."Would you like me to sing you that song Ilearned from my Ayah?' Mary whispered toColin.His hand pulled hers gently and he turned histired eyes on her appealingly." 'Oh, yes! he answered.song. I shall go to sleep" It's such a softin a minute."" I will put him to sleep," Marysaid to theyawning nurse. You can go if you like."" Well," said the nurse, with an attempt at re-"luctance. If he doesn't go to sleep in half anhour you must call me."" Very well," answered Mary.The nurse was out of the room in a minute andas soon as she was gone Colin pulled Mary's handagain." " I almost told," he said; but I stopped myselfin time. I won't talk and I'llgo to sleep, but yousaid you had a whole lot of nice things to tell me.have found outHave you do you think youanything at all about the way into the secret garden?"Mary looked at his poor little tired face andswollen eyes and her heart relented.

A TANTRUM 227"Ye-es," she answered, " I think I have. Andifyou will go to sleep I will tell you to-morrow."His hand quite trembled."Oh, Mary!" he said. " Oh, Mary! If Icould get into it I think I should live to grow up !Do you suppose that 'nstead of singing the Ayahsong you could just tell me softly as you didthat first day what you imagineit looks like inside?I am sure it will make me go to sleep."" " Yes," answered Mary. Shut your eyes."He closed his eyes and lay quite still and she heldhis hand and began to speak very slowly and ina very low voice." I think it has been left alone so long thatit has grown all into a lovely tangle.I think theroses have climbed and climbed and climbed untilthey hang from the branches and walls and creepover the ground almost like a strange gray mist.Some of them have died but many are aliveand when the summer comes there will be curtainsand fountains of roses. I think the groundis fullof daffodils and snowdrops and lilies and irisworking their way out of the dark. Now thespring has "begun perhaps perhapsThe soft drone of her voice was making himstiller and stiller and she saw it and went on." Perhaps they are coming up through the grass*perhaps there are clusters of purple crocuses

228 THE SECRET GARDENand gold ones even now. Perhapsthe leavesare beginning to break out and uncurl -and perhapsthe gray is changing and a green gauzeveil is creeping and creeping over everything.And the birds are coming to look at itbecause it is so safe and still. And perhaps"perhaps perhaps veiy softly and slowly indeed," the robin has found a mate and is buildinga nest."And Colin was asleep.

CHAPTER XVIII" THA' MUNNOT WASTE NO TIME"course Mary did not waken early the nextmorning. She slept late because she wastired, and when Martha brought her breakfast shetold her that though Colin was quite quiet he wasill and feverish as he always was after he hadworn himself out with a fit of crying. Maryate her breakfast slowly as she listened." He says he wishes tha' would please go andsee him as soon as tha' can," Martha said.queer what a fancygive it him last nightNobodyu It'she's took to thee. Tha' didfor sure didn't tha' ?else would have dared to do it. Eh!poor lad! He's been spoiledtill salt won't savehim. Mother says as th' two worst things as canhappen or alwaysto have his own wayto have it. She doesn't know which isto a child is neverth' worst. Tha' was in a fine temper tha'self,too. But he says to me when I went into hisroom, *Please ask Miss Mary if she'll please comean' talk to me?' Think o' him saying please!Will you go, Miss?"229

230 THE SECRET GARDEN"I'll run and see Dickon first," said Mary." No, I'll go and see Colin first and tell himShe had her hat on when she appeared inI know what I'll tell him," with a sudden inspiration.Colin'sroom and for a second he looked disappointed.He was in bed and his face was pitifully whiteand there were dark circles round his eyes.u 'I'm glad you came," he said. My headaches and I ache all over because I'm so tired.Are you going somewhere?'Mary went and leaned against his bed." " I won't be long," she said. I'm going toDickon, but I'll come back. Colin, it's it'ssomething about the secret garden."His whole face brightened and a little colorcame into it." Oh ! is it !" he cried out" I dreamed aboutit all night. I heard you say something aboutgray changing into green, and I dreamed I wasstanding in a place all filled with trembling littlegreen leaves and there were birds on nestseverywhere and they looked so soft and still.lie and think about it until you come back."I'llIn five minutes Mary was with Dickon in theirgarden. The fox and the crow were with himagain and this time he had brought two tamesquirrels.

"THA' MUNNOT WASTE TIME" 231said." I came over on the pony this morning" he" Eh! he is a good little chap Jump is!I brought these two in my pockets. This hereone he's called Nut an' this here other one's calledShell."When he said " Nut " one squirrel leaped on tohis right shoulder and when he said u Shell 'theother one leaped on to his left shoulder.When they sat down on the grass with Captaincurled at their feet, Soot solemnly listening on atree and Nut and Shell nosing about close to them,it seemed to Mary that it would be scarcely bearableto leave such delightfulness, but when shebegan to tell her story somehow the look in Dickon'sfunny face gradually changed her mind. Shecould see he felt sorrier for Colin than she did.He looked up at the sky and all about him.Justlisten to them birds th' world seemsfull of 'em all whistlin' an' pipin'," he said." Look at 'em dartin' about, an' hearken at 'emcallin' to each other. Come springtime seemslike as if all th' world's callin'. The leaves isuncurlin' so you can see 'em an', my word, th'"nice smells there is about !sniffing with his happyturned-up nose.'An' that poor lad lyin' shut upan' seein' so little that he gets to thinkin' o' thingsas sets him screamin'. Eh! my! we mun get himout here we mun get him watchin' an' listenin'

232 THE SECRET GARDENan' sniffin' up th' air an' get him just soakedthrough wi' sunshine. An' we munnot lose notime about it."When he was very much interested he oftenspoke quite broad Yorkshire though at other timeshe tried to modify his dialect so that Mary couldbetter understand. But she loved his broad Yorkshireand had in fact been trying to learn to speakit herself. So she spoke a little now.(CAye, that we mun," she said (which meantu"Yes, indeed, we must"). I'll tell thee whatus'll do first," she proceeded, and Dickon grinned,because when the little wench tried to twist hertongue into speaking Yorkshire it amused him very"much. He's took a graidely fancy to thee. Hewants to see thee and he wants to see Soot an' Captain.When I go back to the house to talk to himI'll ax him if tha' canna' come an' see him tomorrowmornin' an' bring tha' creatures wi'thee an' then in a bit, when there's moreleaves out, an' happen a bud or two, we'll get himto come out an' tha' shall push him in his chair an'we'll bring him here an' show him everything."When she stopped she was quite proud of herself.She had never made a long speech in Yorkshirebefore and she had remembered very well.Tha' mun talk a bit o' Yorkshire like that to"Mester Colin," Dickon chuckled. Tha'll make

THA' MUNNOT WASTE TIME" 233him laugh an' there's nowt as good for ill folk aslaughin' Mother is. says she believes as half ahour's good laugh every mornin' 'ud cure a chapas was makin' ready for typhus fever."'I'm going to talk Yorkshire to him this veryday," said Mary, chuckling herself.The garden had reached the time when everyday and every night it seemed as if Magicians werepassing through it drawing loveliness out of theearth and the boughs with wands. It was hardto go away and leave it all, particularly as Nut hadactually crept on to her dress and Shell had scrambleddown the trunk of the apple-tree they satunder and stayed there looking at her with inquiringeyes. But she went back to the house andwhen she sat down close to Colin's bed he began tosniff as Dickon did though not in such an experiencedway.You smell like flowers and and freshthings," he cried out quite joyously. " What isityousmell of? It's cool and warm and sweetall at the same time."" It's th' wind from th' moor," said Mary.'It comes o' sittin' on th' grass under a tree wi'Dickon an' wi' Captain an' Soot an' Nut an' Shell.It's th' springtime an' out o' doors an' sunshineas smells so graidely."She said it as broadly as she could, and you do

234 THE SECRET GARDENnot know how broadly Yorkshire sounds until youhave heard some one speakit. Colin began tolaugh." What are you doing?' he said. 'I neverheard you talk like that before. How funny itsounds."" I'm givin' thee a bit o' Yorkshire," answered"Mary triumphantly. I canna' talk as graidelyas Dickon an' Martha can but tha' sees I can shapea bit. Doesn't tha' understand a bit o' Yorkshirewhen tha' hears it? An' tha' a Yorkshire lad thysel'bred an' born! Eh! I wonder tha'rt notashamed o' thy face."And then she began to laugh too and they bothlaughed until they could not stop themselves andthey laughed until the room echoed and Mrs.Medlock opening the door to come in drew backinto the corridor and stood listening amazed."Well, upon my word!' she said, speakingrather broad Yorkshire herself because there wasno one to hear her and she was so astonished." Whoever heard th' like ! Whoever on earthwould ha' thought "it!There was so much to talk about. It seemedas if Colin could never hear enough of Dickonand Captain and Soot and Nut and Shell and thepony whose name was Jump. Mary had runround into the wood with Dickon to see Jump. He

"THAJ MUNNOT WASTE TIME" 235was a tiny little shaggy moor pony with thick lockshanging over his eyes and with a pretty face anda nuzzling velvet nose. He was rather thin withliving on moor grass but he was as tough and wiryas if the muscle in his little legs had been made ofsteel springs. He had lifted his head and whinniedsoftly the moment he saw Dickon and he hadtrotted up to him and put his head across hisshoulder and then Dickon had talked into his earand Jump had talked back in odd little whinniesand puffs and snorts. Dickon had made him giveMary his small front hoof and kiss her on hercheek with his velvet muzzle." Does he really understand everything Dickonsays? " Colin asked.uIt seems as if he does/' answered Mary.uDickon says anything will understand if you'refriends with it for sure, but you have to be friendsfor sure."Colin lay quiet a little while and his strange grayeyes seemed to be staring at the wall, but Marysaw he was thinking." I wish I was friends with things," he saidat last," but I'm not. I never had anything tobe friends with, and I can't bear people."" 'Can't you bear me? asked Mary." " Yes, I can," he answered. It'svery fumybut I even like you."

'236 THE SECRET GARDEN" Ben Weatherstaff said I was like him," said*Mary. He said he'd warrant we'd both gotthe same nasty tempers. I think you are like-him too. We are all three alike you and Iand Ben Weatherstaff. He said we were neitherof us much to look at and we were as sour as welooked.But I don't feel as sour as I used to beforeI knew the robin and Dickon."'Did you feel as ifyou hated people? ''Yes," answered Mary without any affectation.I should have detested you if I had seen you beforeI saw the robin and Dickon."Colin put out his thin hand and touched her." Mary," he said," I wish I hadn't said what Idid about sending Dickon away.I hated youwhen you said he was like an angel and I laughedhe is."at you but but perhapsWell, it was rather funny to say it," she admittedfrankly, because his nose does turn up'andhe has a big mouth and his clothes have patchesall over them and he talks broad Yorkshire, butbut if an angel did come to Yorkshire and live onthe moor if there was a Yorkshire angel Ibelieve he'd understand the green things and knowhow to make them grow and he would know howto talk to the wild creatures as Dickon does andthey'd know he was friends for sure."'Ishouldn't mind Dickon looking at me," saidColin; " I want to see him."

THA' MUNNOT WASTE TIME" 237" I'm glad you said that," answered Mary, u because"becauseQuite itsuddenly came into her mind that thiswas the minute to tell him. Colin knew somethingnew was coming." " Because what? he cried eagerly.Mary was so anxious that she got up from herstool and came to him and caught hold of bothhis hands." Can I trust you? I trusted Dickon becausebirds trusted him. Can I trust youfoi surefor sure? she implored.Her face was so solemn that he almost whisperedhis answer."Yes yes!"" Well, Dickon will come to see you to-morrowmorning, and he'll bring his creatures with him."" "Oh ! Oh ! Colin cried out in delight." But that's not all," Mary went on, almost palewith solemn excitement." The rest is better.There is a door into the garden. I found it. Itis under the ivy on the wall."If he had been a strong healthy boy Colin wouldprobably have shouted " Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!but he was weak and rather hysterical; his'eyes grew bigger and bigger and he gasped forbreath."Oh! Mary!"he cried out with a half sob."Shall I see it? Shall I get into it? Shall I

238 THE SECRET GARDENlive to get into it?" and he clutched her handsand dragged her toward him.u 'Of course you'll see it !snapped Mary indignantly." Of course you'll live to get into itlDon't be silly!"And she was so un-hysterical and natural andchildish that she brought him to his senses andhe began to laugh at himself and a few minutesafterward she was sitting on her stool again tellinghim not what she imagined the secret garden tobe like but what it really was, and Colin's achesand tiredness were forgotten and he was listeningenraptured." It is just what you thought it would be," hesaid at last.seen it.first."Mary" It sounds just as ifyou had reallyYou know I said that when you told mehesitated about two minutes and thenboldly spoke the truth." I had seen it and I had been in," she said." I found the key and got in weeks ago. But Idaren't tell youI daren't because I was soafraid I couldn't trust you for sure!"

CHAPTER XIX" IT HAS COME !"course Dr. Craven had been sent for themorning after Colin had had his tantrum.He was always sent for at once when such athing occurred and he always found, when he arrived,a white shaken boy lying on his bed, sulkyand still so hysterical that he was ready to breakinto fresh sobbing at the least word. In fact, Dr.Craven dreaded and detested the difficulties ofthese visits. On this occasion he was away fromMisselthwaite Manor until afternoon."How is he? " he asked Mrs. Medlock ratherirritably when "he arrived. He will break ablood-vessel in one of those fits some day. Theboy is half insane with hysteria and self-indulgence."" Well, sir," answered Mrs. Medlock, " you'llscarcely believe your eyes when you see him.That plain sour-faced child that's almost as bad ashimself has just bewitched him. How she's doneit there's no telling. The Lord knows she's nothingto look at and you scarcely ever hear her speak,239

240 THE SECRET GARDENbut she did what none of us dare do. She justflew at him like a little cat last night, and stampedher feet and ordered him to stop screaming, andsomehow she startled him so that he actually didstop, and this afternoon well just come up andsee, sir. It's past crediting."The scene which Dr. Craven beheld when heentered his patient'sroom was indeed rather astonishingto him. As Mrs. Medlock opened thedoor he heard laughing and chattering. Colinwas on his sofa in his dressing-gown and he wassitting up quite straight looking at a picture in oneof the garden books and talking to the plain childwho at that moment could scarcely be called plainat all because her face was so glowing with enjoyment." Those long spires of blue ones we'll have alot of those," Colin was announcing. They'recalled Del-phin-iums."" Dickon says they're larkspurs made big and"grand," cried Mistress Mary. There areclumps there already."Then they saw Dr. Craven and stopped. Marybecame quite still and Colin looked fretful." I am sorry to hear you were ill last night, myHe wasboy," Dr. Craven said a trifle nervously.rather a nervous man." I'm better now much better," Colin an-

IT HAS COME !'241swered, rather like a "Rajah. I'm going out inmy chair in a day or two if it is fine. I want somefresh air."Dr. Craven sat down by him and felt his pukeand looked at him curiously.'It must be a very fine day," he said, " and youmust be very careful not to tire yourself."'Fresh air won't tire me," said the young Rajah.As there had been occasions when this sameyoung gentleman had shrieked aloud with rageand had insisted that fresh air would give him coldand kill him, it is not to be wondered at that hisdoctor felt somewhat startled." I thought you did not like fresh air," he said.'I don't when I am by myself," replied theRajah; " but my cousin isgoing out with me."1And the nurse, of course?' suggested Dr.Craven." No, I will not have the nurse," so magnificentlythat Mary could not help remembering howthe young native Prince had looked with his diamondsand emeralds and pearls stuck all over himand the great rubies on the small dark hand hehad waved to command his servants to approachwith salaams and receive his orders."Mycousin knows how to take care of me. Iam always better when she is with me. She made

242 THE SECRET GARDENme better last night.will push my carriage."A very strong boy I knowDr. Craven felt rather alarmed. If this tiresomehysterical boy should chance to get well hehimself would lose all chance of inheriting Misselthwaite;but he was not an unscrupulous man,though he was a weak one, and he did not intend tolet him run into actual danger.cHe must be a strong boy and a steady boy,"*he said.And I must know something abouthim. Who is he? What is his name? '" It's Dickon," Mary spoke up suddenly. Shefelt somehow that everybody who knew the moormust know Dickon. And she was right, too. Shesaw that in a moment Dr. Craven's serious face relaxedinto a relieved smile." " Oh, Dickon," he said. If it is Dickon youwill be safe enough. He's as strong as a moorpony, is Dickon.""And he's trusty," said Mary. "He's th'trustiest lad F Yorkshire."She had been talkingYorkshire to Colin and she forgot herself.'Did Dickon teach you that? " asked Dr. Craven,laughing outright.'I'm learningitas if it was French," said Mary'rather coldly. It's like a native dialect in India.Very clever people try to learn them. I likeit and so does Colin."

IT HAS COME !'243"Well, well," he said. If it amuses you perhapsit won't do you any harm. Did you takeyour bromide last night, Colin? '" "No," Colin answered. I wouldn't take itand after Mary made me quietshe talkedat firstme to sleep in a low voice about the springMary sitting on her stool and looking downcreeping into a garden."That sounds soothing," said Dr. Craven, moreperplexed than ever and glancing sideways at Mistresssilently at the " carpet. You are evidently better,but you must remember "" I don't want to remember," interrupted theRajah, appearing again." When I lieby myselfand remember I begin to have pains everywhereand I think of things that make me begin to screambecause I hate them so. If there was a doctoranywhere who could make you forget you were illinstead of rememberingit I would have himbrought here." And he waved a thin hand whichought really to have been covered with royal signetrings made of rubies." It is because mycousin makes me forget that she makes me better."Dr. Craven had never made such a short stayafter a "tantrum"; usually he was obliged toremain a very long time and do a great manythings. This afternoon he did not give any medicineor leave any new orders and he was spared

'244 THE SECRET GARDENany disagreeablescenes. When he went downstairshe looked very thoughtful and when hetalked to Mrs. Medlock in the library she felt thathe was a much puzzled man." Well, sir," she ventured, u could you have believedit?"" It is certainly a new state of affairs," said thedoctor." And there's no denyingit is betterthan the old one."" I believe Susan Sowerby's right I do that,"usaid Mrs. Medlock. I stopped in her cottageon my way to Thwaite yesterday and had a bit oftalk with her. And she says to me, Well, SarahAnn, she mayn't be a good child, an' she mayn't bea pretty one, but she's a child, an' children needschildren.' We went to school together, SusanSowerby and me."" She's the best sick nurse I know," said Dr.Craven." When I find her in a cottage I knowthe chances are that IMrs. Medlock smiled.shall save my patient."She was fond of SusanSowerby." She's got a way with her, has Susan," she wenton quite volubly." I've been thinking all morningof one thing she said yesterday. She says,1Once when I was givin' th' children a bit of apreach after they'd been fightin' I ses to 'em " all,When I was at school my jography told as th'

" "IT HAS COME !245world was shaped like a orange an' I found outbefore I was ten that th' whole orange doesn't belongto nobody. No one owns more than his bitof a quarter an' there's times it seems like there'snot enow quarters to go round. But don't younone o' you think as you own th' whole orangeor you'll find out you're mistaken, an' you won'tfind it out without hard knocks." What children'learns from children,' she says, is that there's nosense in grabbin' at th' whole orange peel an'all. If you do you'll likely not get even th' pips,an' them's too bitter to eat.'" She's a shrewd woman," said Dr. Craven, puttingon his coat." Well, she's got a way of saying things,""ended Mrs. Medlock, much pleased. SometimesI've said to her, Eh ' !Susan, if you was adidn't talk such broad York-different woman an'shire I've seen the times when I should have saidyouwas clever.'That night Colin siept without once awakeningand when he opened his eyes in the morning he(ay still and smiled without knowingit smiledbecause he felt so curiously comfortable. It wasactually nice to be awake, and he turned over andstretched his limbs luxuriously. He felt as if tightstrings which had held him had loosened them'

'246 THE SECRET GARDENselves and let him go. He did not know that Dr.Craven would have said that his nerves had relaxedand rested themselves. Instead of lying andstaring at the wall and wishing he had not awakened,his mind was full of the plans he and Maryhad made yesterday, of pictures of the garden andof Dickon and his wild creatures.It was so niceto have things to think about. And he had notbeen awake more than ten minutes when he heardfeet running along the corridor and Mary was atthe door. The next minute she was in the roomand had run across to his bed, bringing with hera waft of fresh air full of the scent of the morning.YouVe been out! You've been out!There's that nice smell of leaves !'he cried.She had been running and her hair was looseand blown and she was bright with the air andpink-cheeked, though he could not see it.1It's so beautiful !'she said, a little breathlesswith her speed. You never saw anything sobeautiful! It has come! I thoughtit had comethat other morning, but it was only coming. It ishere now! It has come, the Spring! Dickonsays so !'1Has it?' cried Colin, and though he reallyknew nothing about it he felt his heart beat. Heactually sat up in bed.

IT HAS COME!3247"Open the window !" he added, laughing halfwith joyful excitement and half at his" Perhaps we may hear golden trumpets ! 'own fancy.And though he laughed, Mary was at the windowin a moment and in a moment more it wasopened wide and freshness and softness andscents and birds' songs were pouring through."That's fresh air," she said. Lie on yourback and draw in long breaths of it. That's whatDickon does when he's lying on the moor. Hesays he feels it in his veins and it makes himstrong and he feels as if he could live forever andever. Breathe it and breathe it."She was only repeating what Dickon had toldher, but she caught Colin's fancy." 'Forever and ever ' ! Does it make him feellike that?' he said, and he did as she told him,drawing in long deep breaths over and over againuntil he felt that something quite new and delightfulwas happening to him.Mary was at his bedside again." Things are crowding up out of the earth,"she ran on in a *hurry. And there are flowersuncurling and buds on everything and the greenveil has covered nearly all the gray and the birdsare in such a hurry about their nests for fear theymay be too late that some of them are even fightingfor places in the secret garden. And the rose-

248 THE SECRET GARDENbushes look as wick as wick can be, and there areprimroses in the lanes and woods, and the seedswe planted are up, and Dickon has brought thefox and the crow and the squirrels and a new-bornlamb."And then she paused for breath. The new-bornlamb Dickon had found three days before lyingby its dead mother among the gorse bushes on themoor. It was not the first motherless lamb hehad found and he knew what to do with it. Hehad taken it to the cottage wrapped in his jacketand he had let it lie near the fire and had fed itwith warm milk.for itsIt was a soft thing with a darlingsilly baby face and legs rather longbody. Dickon had carried it over the moor in hisarms and itsfeeding bottle was in his pocket witha squirrel, and when Mary had sat under a treewith its limp warmness huddled on her lap shehad felt as if she were too full of strange joy toliving lamb whospeak. A lamb a lamb ! Alay on your lap like a baby!She was describingit with great joy and Colinwas listening and drawing in long breaths of airwhen the nurse entered. She started a little atthe sight of the open window. She had sat stiflingin the room many a warm daypatient was sure thatcold.because heropen windows gave people

*IT HAS COME !'249Are you sure you are not chilly, MasterColin? 'she inquired."No," was the answer." I am breathing longbreaths of fresh air. It makes you strong. Iam going to get up to the sofa for breakfast andmy cousin will have breakfast with me."The nurse went away, concealing a smile, to givethe order for two breakfasts. She found the servants'hall a more amusing place than the invalid'schamber and just now everybody wantedto hear the news from up-stairs. There was agreat deal of joking about the unpopular youngrecluse who, as the cook said, " had found hismaster, and goodfor him." The servants' hallhad been very tired of the tantrums, and the butler,who was a man with a family, had more thanonce expressed his opinionthat the invalid wouldbe all the better " for a good hiding."When Colin was on his sofa and the breakfastfor two was put upon the table he made an announcementto the nurse in his most Rajah-likemanner."A boy, and a fox, and a crow, and two squirrels,and a new-born lamb, are coming to see methis morning. I want them brought up-stairs assoon as they come," he said. You are not tobegin playing with the animals in the servants' halland keep them there. I want them here."

250 THE SECRET GARDENand tried to con-The nurse gave a slight gaspceal it with a cough."Yes, sir/' she answered.'I'll tellyou what you can do/ added 1 Colin^waving his hand. You can tell Martha to bringthem here. The boyis Martha's brother. Hisname is Dickon and he is an animal charmer."" I hope the animals won't bite, Master Colin/'Charmers' animals never bite."l" There are snake-charmers in India," saidsaid the nurse." I told you he was a charmer/' said Colin ausfeerely.Mary; " and they can put their snakes'their mouths."" " Goodness! shuddered the nurse.heads inThey ate their breakfast with the morning airpouring in upon them. Colin's breakfast was avery good one and Mary watched him with seriousinterest." You will begin to get fatter just as I did," she"said. I never wanted my breakfast when I wasin India and now I always want it."'*I wanted mine this morning,"said Colin.Perhaps it was the fresh air. When do youthink Dickon will come ? 'He was not long in coming. In about tenminutes Mary held up her hand." " " Listen ! she said. Did you hear a caw? "

"DICKON CAME IN SMILING HIS NICEST WIDE SMILE" Page 2S1

IT HAS COME!3251Colin listened and heard it,the world to hear inside a house,a hoarse " cawcaw.'the oddest sound inYes," he answered."That's Soot," said Mary. "Listen again!Do you hear a bleat a tiny one ? ''"Oh, yes cried Colin, !quite flushing." That's the new-born lamb," said Mary." He's coming."Dickon's moorland boots were thick and clumsyand though he tried to walk quietly they made aclumping sound as he walked through the longcorridors. Mary and Colin heard him marchingmarching, until he passed through the tapestrydoor on to the soft carpet of Colin's own passage.'If you please, sir," announced Martha, openingthe *door, ifyou please, sir, here's Dickonan' his creatures."Dickon came in smiling his nicest wide smile,The new-born lamb was in his arms and the littlered fox trotted by his side. Nut sat on his leftshoulder and Soot on his right and Shell's head andpaws peeped out of his coat pocket.Colin slowly sat up and stared and staredhe had stared when he first saw Mary; but thiswas a stare of wonder and delight. The truthwas that in spite of all he had heard he had notin the least understood what this boy would be likeas

252 THE SECRET GARDENand that his fox and his crow and his squirrels andhis lamb were so near to him and hisfriendlinessthat they seemed almost to be part of himself.Colin had never talked to a boy in his life and hewas so overwhelmed by his own pleasure and curiositythat he did not even think of speaking.But Dickon did not feel the least shy or awkward.He had not felt embarrassed because thecrow had not known his language and had onlystared and had not spoken to him the first timethey met. Creatures were always like that untilthey found out about you. He walked over toColin's sofa and put the new-born lamb quietly onhis lap, and immediately the little creature turnedto the warm velvet dressing-gown and began tonuzzle and nuzzle into its folds and butt itstight-curled head with soft impatience against hisside. Of course no boy could have helped speakingthen.cried Colin. "What"What is itdoing?"does it want? '" It wants its mother," said Dickon, smilingmore and more.u I brought it to thee a bit hungrybecause I knowed tha'd like to see it feed."He knelt down by the sofa and took a feedingbottlefrom his" pocket.Come on, little 'un," he said, turning the smallwoollv white head with a gentlebrown hand.

IT HAS COME !'253" This is what tha's after. Tha'll get more out o'this than tha' will out o' silk velvet coats. Therenow," and he pushed the rubber tip of the bottleinto the nuzzling mouth and the lamb began tosuck itwith ravenous ecstasy.After that there was no wondering what to say.By the time the lamb fell asleep questions pouredforth and Dickon answered them all. He toldthem how he had found the lamb just as the sunwas rising three mornings ago. He had beenstanding on the moor listening to a skylark andwatching him swing higher and higher into thesky until he was only a speck in the heights of blue." I'd almost lost him but for his song an' Iwas wonderin' how a chap could hear it when itseemed as if he'd get out o' th' world in a minutean' just then I heard somethin' else far offamong th' gorse bushes. It was a weak bleatin'an' I knowed it was a new lamb as was hungryan' I knowed it wouldn't be hungryif it hadn'tlost its mother somehow, so I set off searchin'.Eh! I did have a look for it. I went inan' out among th' gorse bushes an' round an'round an' I always seemed to take th' wrongturnin'. But at last I seed a bit o' white by a rockon top o' th' moor an' I climbed up an' found th'little 'un half dead wi' cold an' clemmin'."While he talked, Soot flew solemnly in and out

'254 THE SECRET GARDENof the open window and cawed remarks about thescenery while Nut and Shell made excursions intothe big trees outside and ran up and down trunksand explored branches. Captain curled up nearDickon, who sat on the hearth-rug from preference.They looked at the pictures in the gardeningbooks and Dickon knew all the flowers by theircountry names and knew exactly which ones werealready growing in the secret garden." I couldna' say that there name," he said,pointing to one under which was written " " Aquilegia,"but us calls that a columbine, an' thatthere one it's a snapdragon and they both growwild in hedges, but these is garden ones in' they'rebigger an' grander. There's some big clumps o*columbine in th' garden. They'll look like a bedo'blue an' white butterflies flutterin' when they'reout."" I'm going to see them," cried Colin." I amgoing to see them!"Aye, that tha' mun," said Mary quite seriously." An tha' munnot lose no time about it."

CHAPTER XX"I SHALL LIVE FOREVER AND EVER ANDEVER! "OUT they were obliged to wait more than a*^ week because first there came some verywindy days and then Colin was threatened withwhich two things happening one after thea cold,other would no doubt have thrown him into arage but that there was so much careful and mysteriousplanning to do and almost every dayDickon came in, if only for a few minutes, to talkabout what was happening on the moor and inthe lanes and hedges and on the borders ofstreams. The things he had to tell about otters'and badgers' and water-rats' houses, not to mentionbirds' nests and fieid-mice and their burrows,were enough to make you almost tremble withexcitement when you heard all the intimate detailsfrom an animal charmer and realized withwhat thrilling eagerness and anxiety the wholebusy underworld was working."They're same as us," said Dickon, " only theyhave to build their homes every year. An 5 it

256 THE SECRET GARDENkeeps 'em so busy they fair scuffle to get ^done."The most absorbing thing, however, was thepreparationsto be made before Colin could betransported with sufficient secrecy to the garden.No one must see the chair-carriage and Dickonand Mary after they turned a certain corner ofthe shrubbery and entered upon the walk outsidethe ivied walls. As each day passed, Colin hadbecome more and more fixed in his feeling thatthe mystery surrounding the garden was one ofits greatest charms. Nothing must spoil that.No one must ever suspect that they had a secret.People must think that he was simply going outwith Mary and Dickon because he liked them anddid not object to their looking at him. They hadlong and quite delightful talks about their route.They would go up this path and down that oneand cross the other and go round among the fountainflower-beds as if they were looking at the" 'bedding-out plants the head gardener, Mr.Roach, had been having arranged. That wouldseem such a rational thing to do that no one wouldthink it at all mysterious. They would turn intothe shrubbery walks and lose themselves until theycame to the long walls. It was almost as seriousand elaborately thought out as the plans of marchmade by great generals in time of war.

"I SHALL LIVE FOREVER!" 257Rumors of the new and curious things whichwere occurring in the invalid's apartments had ofcourse filtered through the servants' hall into thestable yards and out among the gardeners, butnotwithstanding this, Mr. Roach was startled oneday when he received orders from Master Colin'sroom to the effect that he must report himself inthe apartment no outsider had ever seen, as the invalidhimself desired to speak to him." Well, well," he said to himself as he hurriedlychanged his u coat, what's to do now? His RoyalHighness that wasn't to be looked at calling up aman he's never set eyes on."Mr. Roach was not without curiosity. He hadnever caught even a glimpse of the boy and hadheard a dozen exaggerated stories about his uncannylooks and ways and his insane tempers.The thing he had heard oftenest was that he mightdie at any moment and there had been numerousfancifuldescriptions of a humped back and helplesslimbs, given by people who had never seenhim."Things are changing in this house, Mr.Roach," said Mrs. Medlock, as she led him up theback staircase to the corridor on to which openedthe hitherto mysterious chamber." Let's hope they're changing for the better,.Mrs. Medlock," he answered.

258 THE SECRET GARDEN11They couldn't well change for the worse,' 5shecontinued; " and queer as it all is there's them asfinds their duties made a lot easier to stand upunder. Don't you be surprised, Mr. Roach, if youfind yourself in the middle of a menagerie andMartha Sowerby's Dickon more at home than youor me could ever be."There really was a sort of Magic about Dickon,believed. When Mr.as Mary always privatelyRoach heard his name he smiled quite leniently.*He'd be at home in Buckingham Palace or atthe bottom of a coal mine/' he said." And yetIt's not impudence, either. He's just fine, is thatlad."It was perhaps well he had been prepared or hemight have been startled. When the bedroomdoor was opened a large crow, which seemedquite at home perched on the high back of a carvenchair, announced the entrance of a visitor by saying" 'Caw Caw quite loudly. In spite ofMrs. Medlock's warning, Mr. Roach only justescaped being sufficiently undignified to jump backward.The young Rajah was neither in bed nor on hisHe was sitting in an armchair and a youngsofa.lamb was standing by him shakingits tail in feeding-lambfashion as Dickon knelt givingit milk

I SHALL LIVE FOREVER !'259from its bottle. A' squirrel was perched onDickon's bent back attentively nibbling a nut.The little girl from India was sitting on a bigfootstool looking on." Here is Mr. Roach, Master Colin," said Mrs.Medlock.The young Rajah turned and looked his servitoroverfelt'at least that was what the head gardenerhappened.Oh, you are Roach, are you? 'he said.u Isent for you to give you some very important orders."" Very good, sir," answered Roach, wonderingif he was to receive instructions to fell all the oaksin the parkor to transform the orchards intowater-gardens." I am going out in my chair this afternoon,"saidColin.'If the fresh air agrees with me Inone of themay go out every day. When I go,gardeners are to be anywhere near the Long Walkby the garden walls. No one is to be there. Ishall go out about two o'clock and every one mustkeep away until I send word that they may go backto their work."" Very good, sir," replied Mr. Roach, much relievedto hear that the oaks might remain andthat the orchards were safe.

'260 THE SECRET GARDEN" Mary," said Colin, turning to her, " what isthat thing you say in India when youhave finishedtalking and want people to go? '" You say,'You have my permission to go,'answered Mary.The Rajah waved his hand." You have my permission to go, Roach," hesaid.'But, remember, this is very important."'remarked the crow hoarsely" Caw Caw Ibut not impolitely." Very good, sir. Thank you, sir," said Mr.Roach, and Mrs. Medlock took him out of theroom.Outside in the corridor, being a rather goodnaturedman, he smiled until he almost laughed."My word!'"he said, he's got a fine lordlyway with him, hasn't he? You'd think he was awhole Royal Family rolled into one PrinceConsort and all.""Eh! "protested Mrs. Medlock, "we've hadto let him trample all over every one of us eversince he had feet and he thinks that's what folkswas born for."" Perhaps he'll grow out of it, if he lives,"suggested Mr. Roach." Well, there's one thing pretty sure," said Mrs.Medlock.If he does live and that Indian childstays here I'll warrant she teaches him that the

"I SHALL LIVE FOREVER!" 261whole orange does not belong to him, as SusanSowerby says. And he'll be likely to find out thesize of his own quarter."Inside the room Colin was leaning back on hiscushions." It's all safe now," he said." And this afternoonI shall see it this afternoon I shall bein it! "Dickon went back to the garden with his creaturesand Mary stayed with Colin. She did notthink he looked tired but he was very quiet beforetheir lunch came and he was quiet while they wereeating it. She wondered why and asked him aboutit.What big eyes youVe got, Colin," she said.When you are thinking they get as bigas saucers.What are you thinking about now?'I can't help thinking about what it will look'like," he answered.'The garden? asked Mary."The springtime," he said. I was thinkingthat I've really never seen it before. I scarcelyI never lookedever went out and when I did goat it. I didn't even think about it."" I never saw it in India because there wasn'tany," said Mary.Shut in and morbid as his life had been, Colinhad more imagination than she had and at least

262 THE SECRET GARDENhe had spent a good deal of time lookingat wonderfulbooks and pictures." That morning when you ran in and said ' It'scome 1 It's come !'you made me feel quite queer.It sounded as if things were coming with a greatprocession and big bursts and wafts of music.I've a picture like it in one of my books crowdsof lovely people and children with garlands andbranches with blossoms on them, every one laughingand dancing and crowding and playing onpipes. That was why I said, 'Perhaps we shall'hear golden trumpets and told you to throw openthe window.""How funny!" said Mary. "That's reallyjust what it feels like. And if all the flowers andleaves and green things and birds and wild creaturesdanced past at once, what a crowd it wouldbe I I'm sure they'd dance and sing nd flute andthat would be the wafts of music."They both laughed but it was not because theidea was laughable but because they both so likedit.A little later the nurse made Colin ready.noticed that instead of lying like a logclothes were put on he sat upShewhile hisand made someefforts to help himself, and he talked and laughedwith Maryall the time." This is one of his good days, sir," she said

I SHALL LIVE FOREVER !'263to Dr. Craven, who dropped in to inspect him.'He's in such good spirits that it makes himstronger."'I'll call in again later in the afternoon, after"he has come in," said Dr. Craven. I must seehow the going out agrees with him. I wish," ina very low voice," that he would let you go withhim."'I'd rather give up the case this moment, sir,than even stay here while it'ssuggested," answeredthe nurse with sudden firmness.'I hadn't really decided to suggest it," said the"doctor, with his slight nervousness. We'll trythe experiment. Dickon's a lad I'd trust with anew-born child."The strongest footman in the house carriedColin down-stairs and put him in his wheeled chairnear which Dickon waited outside. After themanservant had arranged his rugs and cushionsthe Rajah waved his hand to him and to the nurse.You have my permission to go," he said, andthey both disappeared quickly and it must be confessedgiggled when they were safely inside thehouse.Dickon began to push the wheeled chair slowlyand steadily. Mistress Mary walked beside itand Colin leaned back and lifted his face to thesky. The arch of it looked very high and the

264 THE SECRET GARDENsmall snowyclouds seemed like white birds floatingon outspread wings below its crystal blu&ness.The wind swept in soft big breaths down fromthe moor and was strange with a wild clear scentedsweetness. Colin kept lifting his thin chest todraw it in, and his big eyes looked as if it werethey which were listening listening, instead ofhis ears." There are so many sounds of singing andhumming and calling out," he said." What is'that scent the puffs of wind bring?" It's gorse on th' moor that's openin' out," answeredDickon.'Eh ! th' bees are at it wonderfulto-day."Not a human creature was to be caught sightof in the paths they took. In fact every gardeneror gardener's lad had been witched away. Butthey wound in and out among the shrubbery andout and round the fountain beds, following theircarefully planned route for the mere mysteriouspleasure of it. But when at last they turned intothe Long Walk by the ivied walls the excited senseof an approaching thrill made them, for some curiousreason they could not have explained, begin tospeak in whispers." This is it," breathed Mary. This is whereI used to walk up and down and wonder andwonder."

" "I SHALL LIVE FOREVER !265" Is it?'cried Colin, and his eyes began tosearch the ivy with eager curiousness.'Butcan see nothing," he whispered." There is nodoor."" That's what I thought," said Mary.Then there was a lovelythe chair wheeled on." That is the gardenbreathless silence andIwhere Ben Weatherstaffworks," said Mary."Is it?" said Colin.A few yards more and Mary whispered again." This is where the robin flew over the wall,"she said." Is it?" cried Colin. " OhI I wish he'd com*again !'" And that," said Mary with solemn delight,Lis where heof earth and showed mepointing under a big lilac bush,perched on the little heapthe key."Then Colin sat up."Where? Where? There?' he cried, and hiseyes were as big as the wolf's in Red Riding-Hood,when Red Riding-Hood felt called upon to remarkon them. Dickon stood still and the wheeledchair stopped." And this," said Mary, stepping on to the bedclose to the ivy,"is where I went to talk to himwhen he chirped at me from the top of the wall...

266 THE SECRET GARDENAnd this is the ivy the wind blew back," and shetook hold of the hanging green curtain." "Oh ! is it is it !gasped Colin.'And here is the handle, and here is the door.Dickon push him in push him in 'quickly !And Dickon did it with one strong, steady, splendidpush.But Colin had actually dropped back againsthis cushions, even though he gasped with delight,and he had covered his eyes with his hands andheld them there shutting out everything until theywere inside and the chair stopped as ifby magicand the door was closed. Not till then did he takethem away and look round and round and roundas Dickon and Mary had done. And over wallsand earth and trees and swinging sprays and tendrilsthe fair green veil of tender little leaves had-crept, and in the grass under the trees and thegray urns in the alcoves and here and there everywherewere touches or splashes of gold and purpleand white and the trees were showing pink andsnow above his head and there were fluttering ofwings and faint sweet pipes and humming andscents and scents. And the sun fell warm upontouch. And inhis face like a hand with a lovelywonder Mary and Dickon stood and stared at him.He looked so strange and different because a pink

cI SHALL LIVE FOREVER !'267glow of color had actually crept all over himivory face and neck and hands and all." I shall get well I shall ! get well " he cried!"out. Mary! Dickon! I shall get well! And Ishall live forever and ever and ever! "

CHAPTER XXIBEN WEATHERSTAFFof the strange things about living in theworld is that it isonly now and then one isquite sure one is going to live forever and everand ever. One knows it sometimes when one ogetsup at the tender solemn dawn-time and goes outand stands alone and throws one's head far backand looks up and up and watches the pale skyslowly changing and flushing and marvelous unknownthings happening until the East almostmakes one cry out and one's heart stands still atthe strange unchanging majesty of the rising of thesun which has been happening every morningfor thousands and thousands and thousands ofyears. One knows it then for a moment or so.And one knows it sometimes when one stands byoneself in a wood at sunset and the mysteriousdeep gold stillness slanting through and underthe branches seems to be saying slowly again andagain something one cannot quite hear, howevermuch one tries. Then sometimes the immensequiet of the dark blue at night with millions of268

BEN WEATHERSTAFF 269stars waiting and watching makes one sure; andsometimes a sound of far-off music makes it true;and sometimes a look in some one's eyes.And it was like that with Colin when he firstsaw and heard and felt the Springtime inside thefour high walls of a hidden garden. That afternoonthe whole world seemed to devote itself tobeing perfect and radiantly beautiful and kind toone boy. Perhaps out of pure heavenly goodnessthe spring came and crowded everythingitpossiblycould into that one place. More than onceDickon paused in what he was doing and stoodstill with a sort of growing wonder in his eyes,shaking his head softly.4Eh! it isgraidely," he said. "I'm twelvegoin' on thirteen an' there's a lot o' afternoons inthirteen years, but seems to me like I never seedone as graidely as this 'ere.""Aye,it is a graidely one," said Mary, and she"sighed for mere joy. I'll warrant it's th'graidelest one as ever was in this world."" Does tha' think," said Colin with dreamy care-5fulness, " as happenit was made loike this 'ereall o' purpose for me?'"My word! cried Mary admiringly, 'thatthere is a bit o' good Yorkshire. Tha'rt shapin'first-rate that tha' art."And delight reigned.

270 THE SECRET GARDENThey drew the chair under the plum-tree, whichwas snow-white with blossoms and musical withbees. It was like a king's canopy, a fairy king's.There were flowering cherry-trees near, and appletreeswhose buds were pink and white, and hereand there one had burst open wide.Between theblossoming branches of the canopy bits of bluesky looked down like wonderful eyes.and Dickon worked a little here andMarythere and Colin watched them. They broughthim things to look at buds which were opening,buds which were tight closed, bits of twig whoseleaves were just showing green, the feather of awoodpecker which had dropped on the grass, theDickonempty shell of some bird early hatched.pushed the chair slowly round and round the garden,stopping every other moment to let him lookat wonders springing out of the earth or trailingdown from trees. It was like being taken in stateround the country of a magic king and queen andshown all the mysterious riches it contained.Colin.'I wonder if we shall see the robin?' saidTha'll see him often enow after a bit," answeredDickon." When th' eggs hatches out th'little chap he'll be kep' so busy it'll make his headswim. Tha'll see him flyin' backward an' for'ard

BEN WEATHERSTAFF 271as himsel' an' thatcarryin' worms nigh as bigmuch noise goin' on in th' nest when he gets thereas fair flusters him so as he scarce knows whichbig mouth to drop th' first piece in. An' gapin'beaks an' squawks on every side. Mother saysas when she sees th' work a robin has to keep themgapin' beaks filled, she feels like she was a ladywith nothin' to do. She says she's seen th' littlechaps when it seemed like th' sweat must bedroppin' off 'em, though folk can't see it."This made them giggle so delightedly that theywere obliged to cover their mouths with theirhands, remembering that they must not be heard.Colin had been instructed as to the law of whispersand low voices several days before. He likedthe mysteriousness of it and did his best, but inthe midst of excited enjoymentit is rather difficultnever to laugh above a whisper.Every moment of the afternoon was full of newthings and every hour the sunshine grew moregolden. The wheeled chair had been drawn backunder the canopy and Dickon had sat down on thegrass and had just drawn out his pipe when Colinsaw something he had not had time to notice before." That's a very old tree over there, isn't it? 'he said

3272 THE SECRET GARDENDickon looked across the grass at the treeMarystillness.andlooked and there was a brief moment of1Yes/ answered Dickon, after it, and his lowvoice had a very gentle sound.Mary gazed at the tree and thought.The branches are quite gray and there's nota single leaf anywhere/' Colin went on. " It'squite dead, isn't it? '" Aye," admitted Dickon." But them rosesas has climbed all over it will near hide every bito' th' dead wood when they're full o' leaves an'flowers. It won't look dead then. It'll be th'prettiest of all."Mary still" It looks as if a higgazed at the tree and thought.branch had been broken"off," said Colin. I wonder how it was done."'It's been done many a year," answered"Eh!Dickon.with a sudden relieved start'and laying his hand on Colin. Look at thatrobin! There he is! He's been foragin' for hismate.'Colin was almost too late but he just caughtsight of him, the flash of red-breasted bird withsomething in his beak. He darted through thegreenness and into the close-grown corner andwas out of sight. Colin leaned back on his cushionagain, laughing a little.

BEN WEATHERSTAFF 273" He's taking her tea to her. Perhaps it'sfive o'clock. I think I'd like some tea myself."And so they were safe." It was Magic which sent the robin," said Marysecretly to Dickon afterward. " I know it wasMagic." For both she and Dickon had beenafraid Colin might ask something about the treewhose branch had broken off ten years ago andover together and Dickon hadthey had talked itstood and rubbed his head in a troubled way."We mun look as if it wasn't no different fromth' other trees," he had said."We couldn't nevertell him how it broke, poor lad. If he says anythingabout it we mun we mun try to look cheerful.""Aye, that we mun," had answered Mary.But she had not felt as if she looked cheerfulwhen she gazed at the tree. She wonderedand wondered in those few moments if there wasany reality in that other thing Dickon had said.He had gone on rubbing his rust-red hair in apuzzled way, but a nice comforted look had begunto grow in his blue eyes.'Mrs. Craven was a very lovely young lady,""he had gone on rather hesitatingly. An' mothershe thinks maybe she's about Misselthwaite manya time lookin' after Mester Colin, same as all

274 THE SECRET GARDENmothers do when they're took out o' th' world.They have to come back, tha' sees. Happen she'sbeen in the garden an' happenit was her set usto work, an' told us to bring him here."Mary had thought he meant something about,Magic. She was a great believer in (Magic. Secretlyshe quite believed that Dickon workedMagic, of course good Magic, on everything nearhim and that was why people liked him so muchand wild creatures knew he was their friend.She wondered, indeed, if it were not possible thathis gift had brought the robin just at the rightmoment when Colin asked that dangerous question.She felt that his Magic was working all theafternoon and making Colin look like an entirelydifferent boy. It did not seem possible that hecreature who had screamed andcould be the crazybeaten and bitten his pillow. Even his ivorywhiteness seemed to change. The faint glow ofcolor which had shown on hisface and neck andhands when he first got inside the garden reallynever quite died away. He looked as if he weremade of flesh instead of ivory or wax.They saw the robin carry food to his mate twoor three times, and it was so suggestive of afternoontea that Colin felt they must have some." Go and make one of the men servants bringsome in a basket to the rhododendron walk," he

said.here."BEN WEATHERSTAFF 275u And then you and Dickon can bring itIt was an agreeable idea, easily carried out,andtwhen the white cloth was spread upon the grass,Iwith hot tea and buttered toast and crumpets, adelightfully hungry meal was eaten, and severalbirds on domestic errands paused to inquire whatwas going on and were led into investigatingcrumbs with great activity. Nut and Shell whiskedup trees with pieces of cake and Soot took theentire half of a buttered crumpet into a corner andpecked at and examined and turned it over andmade hoarse remarks about it until he decidedto swallow it all joyfully in one gulp.The afternoon was dragging toward its mellowhour. The sun was deepening the goldof itslances, the bees were going home and the birdswere flying past less often. Dickon and Marywere sitting on the grass, the tea-basket was repackedready to be taken back to the house, andColin was lying against his cushions with his heavylocks pushed back from his forehead and hisface looking quite a natural color." I don't want this afternoon to go," he said;" but I shall come back to-morrow, and the dayafter, and the day after, and the day after."" You'll get plenty of fresh air, won't you?'saidMary.

276 THE SECRET GARDEN" I'm going to get nothing else," he answered" I've seen the spring now and I'm going tosee the summer. I'm going to see everythinggrow here. I'm going to grow here myself."" " That tha' will," said Dickon. Us'll havethee walkin' about here an' diggin' same as other;folk afore long."Colin flushed tremendously." Walk !" he said. "Dig! Shall I?"Dickon's glance at him was delicately cautious.Neither he nor Mary had ever asked ifanythingwas the matter with his legs." " For sure tha' will," he said stoutly. Tha'tha's got legs o' thine own, same as other"folks !Mary was rather frighteneduntil she heardColin's answer." " Nothing really ails them," he said, but theyare so thin and weak. They shake so that I'mafraid to try to stand on them."Both Mary and Dickon drew a relieved breath.When tha' stops bein' afraid tha'lt stand on"'em," Dickon said with renewed cheer. An'tha'lt stop bein''afraid in a bit."I shall? ' said Colin, and he laystill as if hewere wondering about things.They were really very quiet for a little while.The sun was dropping lower. It was that hour

BEN WEATHERSTAFF 277when everything stills itself, and they really hadhad a busy and exciting afternoon. Colin lookedas if he were resting luxuriously. Even the creatureshad ceased moving about and had drawntogether and were resting near them. Soot hadperched on a low branch and drawn up one leg anddropped the gray film drowsily over his eyes.Mary privately thought he looked as if he mightsnore in a minute.In the midst of this stillness it was rather startlingwhen Colin half lifted his head and exclaimedin a loud suddenly alarmed whisper:"Who is that man? "Dickon and Mary " 'Man!scrambled to their feet.they both cried in low quick voices.Colin pointed to the high wall.''"Look ! he whispered excitedly. Justlook!"Mary and Dickon wheeled about and looked.There was Ben Weatherstaff's indignant faceglaring at them over the wall from the top of aladder! He actually shook his fist at Mary." If I wasn't a bachelder, an' tha' was a wench"o' mine," he cried," I'd give thee a hidin' !He mounted another step threateningly as if itwere his energetic intention to jump down anddeal with her; but as she came toward him heevidently thought better of it and stood on the

, He'278 THE SECRET GARDENtop step of his ladder shaking his fist down ather." I never thowt much o' thee ! he harangued.'" I couldna' abide thee th' first time I set eyes onthee. A scrawny buttermilk-faced young besom, /allus askin' questions an' pokin' tha' nose where itwasna' wanted. I never knowed how tha' got sothick wi' me. If it hadna' been for th' robinDrat him"" Ben Weatherstaff," called out Mary, findingher breath. She stood below him and called up"to him with a sort of gasp. Ben Weatherstaff,it was the robin who showed me the way !Then it did seem as if Ben really would scrambledown on her side of the wall, he was so outraged." Tha' young bad 'un! " he called down at her."Layin' tha' badness on a robin, not but whathe's impidint enow for anythin'. Him showin'thee th' way! Him! Eh! tha' young nowt,"she could see his next words burst out because he"was overpowered by curiosity however i' thisworld did tha' get in? 'u It was the robin who showed me the way/'she protested " obstinately. He didn't know hewas doingit but he did. And I can't tellyou fromhere while you're shaking yourfist at me."stopped shaking his fist very suddenly at

BEN WEATHERSTAFF 279that very moment and his jaw actually dropped ashe stared over her head at something he saw comingover the grass toward him.At the first sound of his torrent of words Colinhad been so surprised that he had only sat upand listened as if he were spellbound. But in'the midst of it he had recovered himself and beckonedimperiously to Dickon.Wheel me over there ! he commanded.Wheel me quite close and stop right in frontof him!"And this, if you please, this is what Ben Weatherstaffbeheld and which made his jaw drop. Awheeled chair with luxurious cushions and robeswhich came toward him looking rather like somesort of State Coach because a young Rajah leanedback in it with royal command in his great blackrimmedeyes and a thin white hand extendedhaughtily toward him. And it stopped right underBen Weatherstaff's nose. It was really nowonder his mouth dropped open." Do you know who I am?' demanded theRajah.How Ben Weatherstaff stared! His red oldeyesfixed themselves on what was before him asif he were seeing a ghost. He gazed and gazedand gulped a lump down his throat and did notsay a word.

!'280 THE SECRET GARDEN" Do you know who I am? demanded Colin'still more imperiously.'Answer !Ben Weatherstaff put his gnarled hand up andpassed it over his eyes and over his forehead andthen he did answer in a queer shaky voice."Who tha' art?" he said. "Aye, that I dowi' tha' mother's eyes starin' at me out o' tha'face. Lord knows how tha' come here. Butpoor cripple."Colin forgot that he had ever had a back.tha'rt th'Hisface flushed scarlet and he sat bolt upright.''I'm not a cripple! he cried out furiously."I'm not!"'He's not !cried Mary, almost shouting upthe wall in her fierce cindignation. He's not gota lump as big as a pin! I looked and there was'none there not one !Ben Weatherstaff passed his hand over his foreheadagain and gazed as if he could never gazeenough. His hand shook and his mouth shookand his voice shook. He was an ignorant old manand a tactless old man and he could only rememberthe things he had heard."Tha' tha' hasn't got a crooked back?' he,said hoarsely."No!" shouted Colin.Tha' tha' hasn't got crooked legs ? ' quaveredBen more hoarsely yet.

BEN WEATHERSTAFF 281It was too much. The strength which Colinusually threw into his tantrums rushed throughhim now in a new way. Never yet had he beenaccused of crooked legs even in whispers andthe perfectly simple belief in their existence whichwas revealed by Ben Weatherstaff's voice wasmore than Rajah flesh and blood could endure.His anger and insulted pride made him forgeteverything but this one moment and filled him witha power he had never known before, an almost unnaturalstrength." Come here!'he shouted to Dickon, and heactually began to tear the coverings off his lowerlimbs and disentangle himself." Come here!'Come here ! This minute !Dickon was by his side in a second. Marycaught her breath in a short gaspturn pale." He can do it ! Heand felt herself'can do it ! He can do it IHe can! she gabbled over to herself under herbreath as fast as ever she could.There was a brief fierce scramble, the rugswere tossed on to the ground, Dickon held Colin'sarm, the thin legs were out, the thin feet were onthe grass. Colin was standing upright uprighttallas straight as an arrow and looking strangelyhis head thrown back and his strange eyesflashing lightning.

282 THE SECRET GARDENBen Weather-look atstaff." Look at me !'he flung up at"Just look at me you ! Justme!"" He's as straight as I am !'cried" He's as straight as any lad i' Yorkshire 1 'Dickon.What Ben Weatherstaff did Mary thoughtqueer beyond measure. He choked and gulpedand suddenly tears ran down his weather-wrinkledcheeks as he struck his old hands together."Eh!" he burst forth," th' lies folk tells!Tha'rt as thin as a lath an' as white as a wraith,'but there's not a knob on thee. Tha'lt make amon yet. God bless thee !Dickon held Colin's arm strongly but the boyhad not begun to falter. He stood straighter andstraighterand looked Ben Weatherstaff in theface." 'I'm your master," he said, when my fatherisaway. And you are to obey me. This is mya word about it!garden. Don't dare to sayYou get down from that ladder and go out to themeet you andLong Walk and Miss Mary willbring you here. I want to talk to you. We didnot want you, but now you will have to be in the'secret. Be quick!Ben Weatherstaff's crabbed old face was stillwet with that one queer rush of tears. It seemedas if he could not take his eyes from thin straight

:back.lad!standingBEN WEATHERSTAFF 283on his feet with his head thrown"Eh! lad," he almost whispered. "Eh! myAnd then remembering himself he suddenlytouched hishat gardener fashion and said,Yes, sir! Yes, sir! " and obediently disappearedas he descended the ladder.

CHATTER XXIIWHEN THE SUN WENT DOWNWHEN his head was out of sightColin turnedto Mary." Go and meet him," he said; and Mary flewacross the grass to the door under the ivy.Dickon was watching him with sharp eyes.There were scarlet spots on his cheeks and helooked amazing, but he showed no signs of falling.'I can stand," he said, and his head was stillheld up and he Said it quite grandly.'I told thee tha' could as soon as tha' stoppedbein' afraid," answered Dickon." An tha'sstopped."Yes, I've stopped," said Colin.Then suddenly he remembered something Maryhad said." 'Are you making Magic? he asked sharply.Dickon's curly mouth spread in a cheerful grin." " Tha's doin' Magic thysel'," he said. It'ssame Magicis made these 'ere work out o' th'earth," and he touched with his thick boot aclump of accuses in the grass.284

'WHEN THE SUN WENT DOWN 285Colin looked down at them." "Aye," he said slowly, there couldna' bebigger Magic then that there there couldna'be."He drew himself up straighter than ever.*I'm going to walk to that tree/' he said, pointingto one a few feet away from him. I'm goingto be standing when Weatherstaff comes here.the tree if I like. When II can rest againstwant to sit down I will sit down, but not before.Bring a rug from the chair."He walked to the tree and though Dickon heldhis arm he was wonderfully steady. When hestood against the tree trunk it was not too plainthat he supported himself against it, and he stillheld himself so straight that he looked tall.When Ben Weatherstaff came through the doorin the wall he saw him standing there and he heardMary muttering something under her breath." What art sayin'?' he asked rather testilybecause he did not want his attention distractedfrom the long thin straight boy figure and proudface.ingBut she did not tell him. What she was say-?was this:" You can do it! You can do it! I told youyou could You can do it ! ! You can do it ! Youcan!"

286 THE SECRET GARDENShe was sayingit to Colin because she wantedto make Magic and keep him on his feet lookinglike that. She could not bear that he shouldgive in before Ben Weatherstaff. He did notgive in. She was uplifted by a sudden feeling thathe looked quite beautiful in spite of his thinness.He fixed his eyes on Ben Weatherstaff in hisfunny imperious way.''Look at me ! he commanded." Look atme all over! Am I a hunchback? Have I got'crooked legs?Ben Weatherstaff had not quite got over hisemotion, but he had recovered a little and answeredalmost in his usual way."Not tha'," he said." Nowt o' th' sort.What's tha' been doin' with thysel' hidin' outo' sight an' lettin' folk think tha' was cripple an'half-witted?"" Half-witted!" said Colin angrily. "Whothought that?"" Lots o' fools," said Ben." Th' world's fullo' jackasses brayin' an' they never bray nowt butlies. What did tha' shut thysel' up for?"u Every one thought I was going to die," saidColin shortly." I'm not !"And he said it with such decision Ben Weatherstafflooked him over, up and down, down and up." Tha' die !'he said with dry exultation.

WHEN THE SUN WENT DOWN 287" Nowt o' th' sort! Tha's got too much pluckin thee. When I seed thee put tha' legson th'ground in such a hurry I knowed tha' was all right.Sit thee down on th' rug a bit young Mester an'give me thy orders."There was a queer mixture of crabbed tendernessand shrewd understanding in his manner.Mary had poured out speech as rapidly as shecould as they had come down the Long Walk.The chief thing to be remembered, she had toldhim, wafN that Colin was getting well gettingwell. The garden was doingit. No one mustlet him remember about having humps and dying.The Rajah condescended to seat himself on arug under the tree." What work do you do in the gardens, Weatherstaff? " he inquired."Anythin' I'm told to do," answered old Ben." I'm kep' on by favor because she liked me.""She?" said Colin.*'Tha' mother," answered Ben Weatherstaff."My mother?' said Colin, and he looked"about him quietly. This was her garden, wasn'tit?"" "Aye,it was that ! and Ben Weatherstafflooked about him too." She were main fond ofit.'" It is my garden now. I am fond of it. I

'288 THE SECRET GARDENshall come here every day," announced Colin." But it is to be a secret. Myorders are that noone is tc know that we come here. Dickon andmy cousin have worked and made it come alive. Ishall send for you sometimes to help but youmust come when no one can see you."Ben Weatherstaff's face twisted itself in a dryold smile." I've come here before when no one saw me,"he said." What!" exclaimed Colin. " When? "Th' last time I was here," rubbing his chin'and looking round, was about two year' ago."" 'But no one has been in it for ten years!cried Colin. There was no door !'" I'm no one," said old Ben dryly." An' Ididn't come through th' door. I come over th'wall. Th' rheumatics held me back th' last twoyear'."" Tha' come an' did a bit o' prunin' ! 'Dickon.done."cried" I couldn't make out how it had been'She was so fond of it she was ! said Ben"Weatherstaff slowly. An' she was such a pretty'young thing. She says to me once, Ben,' says'she laughin', if ever I'm ill or if Igo away youmust take care of my roses.' When she did goaway th' orders was no one was ever to come nigh.

WHEN THE SUN WENT DOWN 289" Over th'But I come," with grumpy obstinacy.wall I come until th' rheumatics stopped mean' I did a bit o' work once a year. She'd gaveher order first/ 1" It wouldn't have been as wick as it is if tha'"hadn't done it," said Dickon. I did wonder."" I'm glad you did it, Weatherstaff," said Colin.You'll know how to keep the secret.""Aye,I'll know, sir," answered Ben." An'it'llat th'be easier for a man wi' rheumatics to come indoor."On the grass near the tree Mary had droppedher trowel. Colin stretched out his hand and tookit up. An odd expression came into his face andhe began to scratch at the earth. His thin handwas weak enough but presently as they watchedhim Mary with quitebreathless interest hedrove the end of the trowel into the soil and turnedsome over." You can do it ! Youu 1 tell you, you can !to herself."can do it ! said MaryDickon's round eyes were full of eager curiousnessbut he said not a word. Ben Weatherstafflooked on with interested face.Colin persevered. After he had turned a fewtrowelfuls of soil he spoke exultantly to Dickonin his best Yorkshire." Tha' said as tha'd have me walkin' about here'

290 THE SECRET GARDENsame as other folk an' tha' said tha'd have mediggin'. I thowt tha' was just leein' to pleaseme. This isonly th' first day an' I've walkedan' here I am diggin'."Ben Weatherstaff's mouth fell open again whenhe heard him, but he ended by chuckling." Eh!" he said," that sounds as if tha'd gotwits enow. Tha'rt a Yorkshire lad for sure.An' tha'rt diggin', too. How'd tha' like to planta bit o' somethin' ? I can get thee a rose in a" pot."Go and " get it! said Colin, digging excitedly." Quick! Quick!"It was done quickly enough indeed. BenWeatherstaff went his way forgetting rheumatics.Dickon took his spade and dug the hole deeper andwider than a new digger with thin white handscould make it.Mary slipped out to run and bringback a watering-can. When Dickon had deepenedthe hole Colin went on turning the soft earth overand over. He looked up at the sky, flushed andglowing with the strangely new exercise, slightas it was." I want to do it before the sun goes quitequite down," he said.Mary thought that perhaps the sun held back afew minutes just on purpose. Ben Weatherstaffbrought the rose in its pot from the greenhouse.He hobbled over the grass as fast as he could. He

WHEN THE SUN WENT DOWN 291had begun to be excited, too. He knelt down bythe hole and broke the pot from the mould." Here, lad," he said, handing the plant toColin." Set it in the earth thysel' same as th'king does when he goes to a new place."The thin white hands shook a little and Colin'sflush grew deeper as he set the rose in the mouldand held it while old Ben made firm the earth. Itwas filled in and pressed down and made steady.forward on her hands andMary was leaningknees. Soot had flown down and marched forwardto see what was being done. Nut and Shellchattered about it from a cherry-tree." It's planted! " said Colin at last." And thesun isonly slipping over the edge. Help me up,Dickon. I want to be standing when itgoes.That's part of the Magic."And Dickon helped him, and the Magic orwhatever it was so gave him strength that whenthe sun did slip over the edge and end the strangelovely afternoon for them there he actually stoodon his two feet laughing.

CHAPTER XXIIIMAGICsome time atthe house when they returned to it. He hadDR. CRAVEN had been waitingindeed begun to wonder if it might not be wise tosend some one out to explore the garden paths.When Colin was brought back to his room thepoor man looked him over " seriously.You should not have stayed so long," he said." ,You must not overexert yourself."" I am not tired at all," said Colin." It hasmade me well.To-morrow I am going out in themorning as well as in the afternoon."" I am not sure that I can allow it," answered"Dr. Craven. I am afraid it would not be wise."" It would not be wise to try to stop me/' said'Colin quite seriously. I am going."Even Mary had found out that one of Colin'schief peculiarities was that he did not know inthe least what a rude little brute he was with hisway of ordering people about. He had lived ona sort of desert island all his life and as he hadbeen the king of it he had made his own manners2Q7

MAGIC 293and had had no one to compare himself with.Mary had indeed been rather like him herself andsince she had been at Misselthwaite had graduallydiscovered that her own manners had not been ofthe kind which is usual or popular. Having madethis discovery she naturally thought it of enoughinterest to communicate to Colin.So she sat andlooked at him curiously for a few minutes afterDr. Craven had gone. She wanted to make himand of course sheask her why she was doing itdid." What are you looking at me for? ' he said." I'm thinking that I am rather sorry for Dr.Craven."" So am I," said Colin calmly, but not withoutan air of some satisfaction." He won't get Misselthwaiteat all now I'm not going to die."" 1I'm sorry for him because of that, of course,'said Mary, " but I was thinking just then that itmust have been very horrid to have had to be politefor ten years to a boy who was always rude. Iwould never have done it.""Am I rude? ' Colin inquired undisturbedly." If you had been his own boy and he had beena slapping sort of man," said Mary, ' he wouldhave slapped you."" But he daren't," said Colin," No, he daren't," answered Mistress Mary,

'294 THE SECRET GARDENthinking the thing out quite without prejudice."Nobody ever dared to do anything you didn'tlike because you were going to die and thingslike that. You were such a poor thing."" But," announced Colin stubbornly, I amthat hasIt isalways having your own way'made you so queer," Mary went on, thinkingaloud.Colin turned his head, frowning.'Am I queer? ' he demanded.not going to be a poor thing. I won't let peoplethink I'm one. I stood on my feet this afternoon.'Yes," answered Mary, " very. But youneedn't be cross," she added impartially, becauseso am I queer and so is Ben Weatherstaff.But I am not as queer as I was before I began tolike people and before I found the garden."" I don't want to be queer," said Colin.am not going to be,"and he frowned again withdetermination.He was a very proud boy. He lay thinkingfor a while and then Mary saw his beautiful smilebegin and gradually change his whole face.I shall stop being queer," he said, "if I go'every day to the garden. There is Magic in theregood Magic, you know, Mary. I am surethere is."'I

MAGIC 295" So am I," said Mary.1Even if it isn't real 1Magic,' Colin " said, wecan pretend it is. Somethingis there something!"" It's Magic," said Mary, " but not black.It'sas white as snow."They always called it Magic and indeed itseemed like it in the months that followed thewonderful months the radiant months theamazing ones. Oh ! the things which happened inthat garden If you have never had a garden, you!cannot understand, and ifyou have had a gardenyou will know that it would take a whole book todescribe all that came to pass there. At first itseemed that green things would never cease pushingtheir way through the earth, in the grass,in the beds, even in the crevices of the walls.Then the green things began to show buds and thebuds began to unfurl and show color, every shadeof blue, every shade of purple, every tint and hueof crimson. In itshappy days flowers had beentucked away into every inch and hole and corner.Ben Weatherstaff had seen it done and had himselfscraped out mortar from between the bricksof the wall and made pockets of earth for lovelyclinging things to grow on. Iris and white liliesrose out of the grass in sheaves, and the greenalcoves filled themselves with amazing armies of

296 THE SECRET GARDENthe blue and white flower lances of tall delphiniumsor columbines or campanulas." She was main fond o' them she was," BenWeatherstaff said. She liked them things as'was allus pointin' up to th' blue sky, she used totell. Not as she was one o' them as looked downon th' earth not her. She just loved it but shesaid as th' blue sky allus looked so joyful."The seeds Dickon and Mary had planted grewas if fairies had tended them. Satiny poppies ofall tints danced in the breeze by the score, gailydefying flowers which had lived in the garden foryears and which it might be confessed seemedrather towonder how such new people had gotthere. And the roses the roses !Rising outof the grass, tangled round the sun-dial, wreathingthe tree trunks and hanging from theirbranches, climbing up the walls and spreadingover them with long garlands falling in cascadesthey came alive day by day, hour by hour.Fair fresh leaves, and buds and buds tinyat first but swelling and working Magic until theyburst and uncurled into cups of scent delicatelyspilling themselves over their brims and filling thegarden air.Colin saw it all, watching each change as it tookplace. Every morning he was brought out andevery hour of each day when it didn't rain he spenf

MAGIC 297in the garden. Even gray days pleased him. Hewould lie on the grass" watching things growing,"he said. If you watched long enough, he declared,you could see buds unsheath themselves. Alsoyou could make the acquaintance of strange busyinsect things running about on various unknownbut evidently serious errands, sometimes carryingtiny scraps of straw or feather or food, orclimbing blades of grass as if they were trees fromwhose tops one could look out to explore thecountry. A mole throwing up its mound at theend of its burrow and making its way out at lastwith the long-nailed paws which looked so likeelfish hands, had absorbed him one whole morning.Ants' ways, beetles' ways, bees' ways, frogs'ways, birds' ways, plants' ways, gave him a newworld to explore and when Dickon revealed themall and added foxes' ways, otters' ways, ferrets'ways, squirrels' ways, and trout's and water-rats'and badgers' ways, there was no end to the thingsto talk about and think over.And this was not the half of the Magic. Thefact that he had really once stood on his feet hadsettold him of the spellColin thinking tremendously and when Maryshe had worked he was excitedand approved of it greatly. He talked of itconstantly.*'Of course there must be lots of Magicin the

298 THE SECRET GARDENworld," he said wisely one day,'butpeopledon't know what it is like or how to make it.Perhaps the beginning is just to say nice things aregoing to happen until you make them happen. Iam going to try and experiment."The next morning when they went to the secretgarden he sent at once for Ben Weatherstaff.Ben came as quickly as he could and found theRajah standing on his feet under a tree and lookingvery grand but also very beautifully smiling.*Good morning, Ben Weatherstaff," he said." I want you and Dickon and Miss Mary to standin a row and listen to me because I am going totell'you something very important."Aye, aye, sir 'answered Ben ! Weatherstaff,touching his forehead. (One of the long concealedcharms of Ben Weatherstaff was that inhis boyhood he had once run away to sea and hadmade voyages. So he could reply like a sailor.)'I am going to try a scientific experiment," explainedthe Rajah. When I grow up I amgoing to make greatscientific discoveries and Iam going to begin now with this experiment."4Aye, aye, sir!' said Ben Weatherstaffthis was the first time he hadpromptly, thoughheard of great scientific discoveries.It was the first time Mary had heard of them,either, but even at this stage she had begun to

MAGIC 299realize that, queer as he was, Colin had read abouta great many singular things and was somehow avery convincing sort of boy. When he held uphis head and fixed his strange eyes on you itseemed as ifyou believed him almost in spite ofyourself though he was only ten years old goingon eleven. At this moment he was especiallyconvincing because he suddenly felt the fascinationof actually making a sort of speech like agrown-up person.The great scientific discoveries I am going tomake," he went on," will be about Magic.Magicis a great thing and scarcely any one knows anythingabout itexcept a few people in old booksand Mary a little, because she was born in Indiawhere there are fakirs. I believe Dickon knowssome Magic, but perhaps he doesn't know heknows it. He charms animals and people. Iwould never have let him come to see me if hehad not been an animal charmer which is aboy charmer, too, because a boyis an animal. Iam sure there isMagic in everything, only we havenot sense enough to get hold of it and make itdo things for us like electricity and horses andsteam.'This sounded so imposingthat Ben Weatherstaffbecame quite excited and really could not keepstill.

300 THE SECRET GARDEN"Aye, aye, sir," he said and he beganto standup quite straight." When Mary found this garden it looked quitedead," the orator proceeded. Then somethingbegan pushing things up out of the soil and makingthings out of nothing. One day things weren'tthere and another they were. I had neverwatched things before and it made me feel verycurious. Scientific people are always curious andI am going to be scientific. I keep saying to myself.'What is it? What is it?' It's something.It can't be nothing! I don't know itsname so I call itMagic. I have never seen thesun rise but Mary and Dickon have and fromwhat they tell me I am sure that isMagic too.Something pushes it up and draws it. Sometimessince I've been in the garden I've looked upthrough the trees at the sky and I have had astrange feeling of being happy as if somethingwere pushing and drawing in my chest and makingme breathe fast. Magic is always pushing anddrawing and making things out of nothing.Everything is made out of Magic, leaves and trees,.flowers and birds, badgers and foxes and squirrelsand people. So it must be all around us. Inthis garden in all the places. The Magic inthis garden has made me stand up and know Iam going to live to be a man. I am going to make

MAGIC 301the scientific experiment of trying to get someand putit in myself and make it push and draw meand make me strong. I don't know how to do itbut I think that ifyou keep thinking about it andcalling it perhapsit will come. Perhaps that is thefirst baby way to get When it.I was going to tryto stand that first time Mary kept saying to herself*as fast as she could, You can do it ! You canand 'I did. I had to try myself at thedo it!same time, of course, but her Magic helped meand so did Dickon's. Every morning and eveningand as often in the daytime as I can rememberI am going to say, Magic is in me!'Magicis making me well! I am going to be as strong'as Dickon ! And you mustas Dickon, as strongall do it, too. That is my experiment. Will youhelp, Ben Weatherstaff ? ""Aye, aye, sir !'said Ben Weatherstaff."Aye, aye!"" If you keep doing it every day as regularlyas soldiers go through drill we shall see what willhappen and find out if the experiment succeeds.You learn things by saying them over and over andthinking about them until they stay in your mindforever and I think it will be the same with Magic.If you keep calling it to come to you and help youit will get to be part of you and it will stay anddo things."

302 THE SECRET GARDEN" I once heard an officer in India tell my motherthat there were fakirs who said words over andover thousands of times," said Mary." I've heard Jem Fettleworth's wife say th'same thing over thousands o' times callin' Jema drunken brute," said Ben Weatherstaff dryly." Summat allus come o' that, sure enough. Hegave her a good hidin' an' went to th' Blue Lionan' got as drunk as a lord."Colin drew his brows together and thought afew minutes. Then he cheered up." " Well," he said, you see something did comeof it. She used the wrong Magic until she madehim beat her. If she'd used the right Magic andhad said something nice perhaps he wouldn't havegot as drunk as a lord and perhaps perhaps hemight have bought her a new bonnet."Ben Weatherstaff chuckled and there wasshrewd admiration in his little old eyes." Tha'rt a clever lad as well as a straight-legged"one, Mester Colin," he said. Next time I seeBess Fettleworth I'll give her a bit of a hint o'what Magic will do for her. She'd be rarean' pleased if th' sinetifik 'speriment worked an'so'ud Jem."Dickon had stood listening to the lecture, hisround eyes shining with curious delight.Nut and

MAGIC 303Shell were on his shoulders and he held a longearedwhite rabbit in his arm and stroked andstroked itsoftly while it laid its ears along itsback and enjoyed itself." Do you think the experimentwill work?'Colin asked him, wondering what he was thinking.He so often wondered what Dickon was thinkingwhen he saw him looking at him or at one of his1wide smile.creatures " with his happyHe smiled now and his smile was wider thanusual."Aye," he answered, " that I do. It'll worksame as th' seeds do when th' sun shines on 'em.It'll work for sure. Shall us 'beginit now?Colin was delighted and so was Mary. Firedby recollections of fakirs and devotees in illustrationsColin suggested that they should all sit crossleggedunder the tree which made acanopy.'It will be like sitting in a sort of temple,""said Colin. I'm rather tired and I want to sitdown."" " "Eh ! said Dickon, tha' musn't begin bysayin' tha'rt tired. Tha' might spoil th' Magic."Colin turned and looked at him into his innocentround eyes." That's true," he said slowly." I must onlythink of theMagic."

304 THE SECRET GARDENtheyIt all seemed most majestic and mysterious whensat down in their circle. Ben Weatherstafffelt as if he had somehow been led into appearingat a prayer-meeting. Ordinarily he was veryfixed in being what he called " agen' prayer-meetin's' but this being the Rajah's affair he did notresent it and was indeed inclined to be gratifiedat being called upon to assist. Mistress Maryfelt solemnly enraptured. Dickon held his rabbitin his arm, and perhaps he made some charmer'ssignal no one heard, for when he sat down, crossleggedlike the rest, the crow, the fox, the squirrelsand the lamb slowly drew near and made partof the circle, settling each into a place of rest as ifof their own desire." Thegravely.*creatures ' have come," said Colin"They want to help us."Colin really looked quite beautiful, Marythought. He held his head high as if he felt likea sort of priest and his strange eyes had a wonderfullook in them. The light shone on himthrough the tree canopy." Now we will begin," he said. " Shall wesway backward and forward, Mary, as if we weredervishes? '" I canna' do no swayin' back'ard and for'ard,"saidth' rheumatics."Ben Weatherstaff." I've got

MAGIC 305" The Magic will take them away," said Colinin a High Priest tone, " but we won't sway untilit has done it. We will only chant."" I canna' do no chantin'," said Ben Weatherstaffa trifle testily. Theyturned me out o' th'church choir th' only time I ever tried it."were all too much inNo one smiled. Theyearnest. Colin's face was not even crossed by ashadow. He was thinking only of the" Magic.Then I will chant," he said. And he began,looking like a strange boy spirit." The sun isshining the sun is shining. That is the Magic.The flowers are growing the roots are stirring.That is the Magic. Being alive is the Magicbeing strong is the Magic. The Magicis in methe Magicis in me. It is in me it is in me.It's in every one of us. It's in Ben Weatherstaff'sback. Magic! Magic! Come and help !'He said it a great many timesnot a thousandtimes but quite a goodly number. Mary listenedentranced. She felt as if it were at once queerand beautiful and she wanted him to go on and on.Ben Weatherstaff began to feel soothed into asort of dream which was quite agreeable. Thehumming of the bees in the blossoms mingled withthe chanting voice and drowsily melted into adoze. Dickon sat cross-leggedwith his rabbitasleep on his arm and a hand resting on the

306 THE SECRET GARDENlamb's back. Soot had pushed away a squirreland huddled close to him on his shoulder, the grayfilm dropped over his eyes. At last Colinstopped. "Now I am going to walk round the garden/'he announced.Ben Weatherstaff's head had just dropped forwardand he lifted it with a jerk." You have been asleep," said Colin." Nowt o' th' sort," mumbled Ben." Th' sermonwas good enowafore th'collection."but I'm bound to get outHe was not quite awake yet.You're not in church," said Colin.'Not me," said Ben, straightening himself.Who said I were? I heard every bit of it.You said th' Magic was in my back. Th' doctorcalls it rheumatics."The Rajah waved his hand." That was the wrong Magic," he said." Youwill get better. You have my permission to goto your work.'I'd likegrunted Ben.But come back to-morrow."to see thee walk round the garden,"It was not an unfriendly grunt, but it was agrunt. In fact, being a stubborn old party andnot having entire faith in Magic he had made uphis mind that if he were sent away he would climb

MAGIC 307his ladder and look over the wall so that he mightbe ready to hobble back if there were any stumbling.The Rajah did not object to his staying and sothe procession was formed. It really did looklike a procession. Colin was at its head with[Dickon on one side and Mary on the other. BeniWeatherstaff walked behind, and the " creatures 'trailed after them, the lamb and the fox cub keepingclose to Dickon, the white rabbit hopping alongor stopping to nibble and Soot following with thesolemnity of a person who felt himself incharge.It was a procession which moved slowly butwith dignity. Every few yardsitstopped to rest.Colin leaned on Dickon's arm and privately BenWeatherstaff kept a sharp lookout, but now andthen Colin took his hand from itssupport andwalked a few steps alone. His head was held1the time and he looked " very grand.The Magicis in me !up all" he kept saying. " TheMagic is making me strong! I can feel it! Ican feel it! 'Itseemed very certain that something was up-holding and uplifting him. He sat on the seatsin the alcoves, and once or twice he sat down onthe grass and several times he paused in the pathand leaned on Dickon, but he would not give upuntil he had gone all round the garden.When he

308 THE SECRET GARDENreturned to the canopy tree his cheeks were flushedand he looked triumphant."I did it! The Magic worked!' he cried." That is myfirst scientific discovery.""What will Dr. Craven say? broke out Mary.'He won't say anything," Colin answered,'because he will not be told. This is to be thebiggest secret of No all. one is to know anythingabout it until I have grown so strong that I canwalk and run like any other boy. I shall comehere every day in my chair and I shall be takenback in it. I won't have people whispering andasking questions and I won't let my father hearabout it until the experiment has quite succeeded.Then sometime when he comes back to MisselthwaiteI shall just walk into his study and say'Here I am I am like ;any other boy. I am quitewell and I shall live to be a man. It has beendone by a scientific experiment.'" He will think he is in a dream," cried Mary.'He won't believe his eyes."Colin flushed triumphantly. He had madehimself believe that he was going to get well,which was really more than half the battle, if hekad been aware of it. And the thought whichstimulated him more than any other was this imaginingwhat his father would look like when hesaw that he had a son who was as straight and

MAGIC 309strong as other fathers' sons. One of his darkestmiseries in the unhealthy morbid past days hadbeen his hatred of being a sickly weak-backedboy whose father was afraid to look at him.He'll be obliged to believe them," he said.'One of the things I am going to do, after theMagic works and before I beginto make scientificdiscoveries, is to be an athlete.""We shall have thee takin' to boxin' in a week"or so," said Ben Weatherstaff. Tha'lt end wi'winnin' th' Belt an' bein' champion prize-fighter ofall England."Colin fixed his eyes on him sternly." "Weatherstaff," he said, that is disrespectful.are in theYou must not take liberties because yousecret. However much the Magic works I shallnot be a prize-fighter. I shall be a Scientific Discoverer.'" Ax pardon ax pardon, sir," answered Ben,touching his forehead in salute. 'I ought tohave seed it wasn't a jokin' matter," but his eyestwinkled and secretly he was immensely pleased.He really did not mind being snubbed since thesnubbing meant that the lad was gaining strengthspirit.

CHAPTER XXIV" LET THEM LAUGH"HTHE secret garden was not the only one Drckon*worked in. Round the cottage on the moorthere was a piece of ground enclosed by a low wallof rough stones. Early in the morning and latein the fading twilight and on all the days Colinand Mary did not see him, Dickon worked thereplanting or tending potatoes and cabbages, turnipsand carrots and herbs for his mother. In thecompany of his " creatures " he did wonders thereand was never tired of doing them, it seemed.While he dug or weeded he whistled or sang bitsof Yorkshire moor songs or talked to Soot orCaptain or the brothers and sisters he had taughtto help him.We'd never get on as comfortable as we do/'Mrs. Sowerby said," if it wasn't for Dickon'sgarden. Anything '11 grow for him. His 'tatersand cabbagesis twice th' size of any one else'san' they've got a flavor with 'em as nobody's has.' 1When she found a moment to spare she likedto go out and talk to him. After supper there310

" LET THEM LAUGH " 311was still a long clear twilight to work in andthat was her quiet time. She could sit upon thelow rough wall and look on and hear stories ofthe day. She loved this time. There were notonly vegetables in this garden. Dickon hadbought penny packages of flower seeds now andthen and sown bright sweet-scented things amonggooseberry bushes and even cabbages and he grewborders of mignonette and pinks and pansies andthings whose seeds he could save year after year orwhose roots would bloom each spring and spreadin time into fine clumps. The low wall was oneof the prettiest things in Yorkshire because he hadtucked moorland foxglove and ferns and rockcressand hedgerow flowers into every creviceuntil only here and there glimpses of the stoneswere to be seen." All a chap's got to do to make 'em thrive,"mother," he would say, is to be friends with 'emfor sure. They're just like th' ' creatures.' Ifthey're thirsty give 'em a drink and if they'rehungry give 'em a bit o' food. They want tolive same as we do. If they died I should feel asifI'd been a bad lad and somehow treated themheartless."It was in these twilight hours that Mrs. Sowerbyheard of all that happened at MisselthwaiteManor. At first she was only told that " Mester

312 THE SECRET GARDENColin ' had taken a fancy to goingout into thegrounds with Miss Mary and that it was doinghim good. But it was not long before it wasagreed between the two children that Dickon'smother might " come into the secret." Somehowit was not doubted that she was " safe for sure."So one beautiful stillevening Dickon told thewhole story, with all the thrilling details of theburied key and the robin and the gray haze whichhad seemed like deadness and the secret MistressMary had planned never to reveal. The comingof Dickon and how it had been told to him, thedoubt of Mester Colin and the final drama of hisintroduction to the hidden domain, combined withthe incident of Ben Weatherstaff's angry face peeringover the wall and Mester Colin's sudden indignantstrength, made Mrs. Sowerby's nice-lookingface quite change color several times."My word! " "she said. It was a good thingthat little lass came to th' Manor. It's been th'makin' o' her an' th' savin' o' him. Standin' onhis feet! An' us all thinkin' he was a poor halfwittedlad with not a straight bone in him."She asked a great many questions and her blueeyes were fullof deep thinking." What do they make of it at th' Manorhim being so well an' cheerful an' never complainin'? 'she inquired.

"LET THEM LAUGH" 313"They don't know what to make of it," answeredDickon.face looks different." Every day as comes round hisIt's fillin' out and doesn't lookso sharp an' th' waxy color is goin'. But he hasto do his bit o'complainm'," with a highly entertainedgrin."What for,i.'Mercy's name?" asked Mrs.Sowerby.Dickon chuckled." He does it to keep them from guessin' what'snappened. If the doctor knew he'd found outhe coi>ld stand on his feet he'd likely write andtell Mester Craven. Mester Colin's savin' th'secret to tell himself. He's goin' to practise hisMagic on his legs every day tillback an' then he's goin' to march into his room an'show him he's as straight as other lads. Buthim an' Miss Mary thinks it's best plan to do aan' frettin' now an' then to throwhis father comesbit o' groanin'folk off th' scent."Mrs. Sowerby was laughing a low comfortablelaugh long before he had finished his last sentence."Eh!" she said, "that pair's enjoyin' theirselves,I'll warrant. They'll get a good bit o' playactin' out of it an' there's nothin' children likesas much as play actin'.Dickon lad."Let's hear what they do,

3 i4 THE SECRET GARDENDickon stopped weeding and sat upon his heels!:o tell her. His eyes were twinkling with fun." Mester Colin is carried down to his chairevery time he *goes out," he explained. An' heflies out at John, th' footman, for not carryin''him careful enough. He makes himself as helplesslookin' as he can an' never lifts his head untilwe're out o' sight o' th' house. An' he gruntsan' frets a good bit when he's bein' settled intohis chair. Him an' Miss Mary's both got toenjoyin' it an' when he groans an' complains she'llsay, 'Poor Colin! Does it hurt you so much?Are you so weak as that, poor Colin? ' but th'trouble is that sometimes they can scarce keepfrom burstin' out lamghin'. When we get safeinto the garden they laugh till they've no breathleft to laugh with. An' they have to stuff theirfaces into Mester Colin's cushions to keep thegardeners from hearin', if any of 'em's about."" Th' more they laugh th' better for 'eml'said Mrs. Sowerby,still laughing herself.'Goodhealthy child laughin's better than pills any dayo' th' year. That pair'll plump up for sure.""They are plumpin' up," said Dickon."They're that hungry they don't know how toget enough to eat without makin' talk. MesterColin says if he keeps sendin' for more food theywon't believe he's an invalid at all. Miss Mary

"LET THEM LAUGH" 315says she'll let him eat her share, but he says thatif she goes hungry she'll get thin an' they mun bothget fat at once."Mrs. Sowerby laughed so heartily at the revelationof this difficulty, that she quite rocked backwardand forward in her blue cloak, and Dickonlaughed with her." I'll tell thee what, lad," Mrs. Sowerby said"when she could speak. I've thought of a wayto help 'em. When tha' goes to 'em in th' mornin'stha' shall take a pail o' good new milk an'I'll bake 'em a crusty cottage loaf or some bunswi' currants in 'em, same as you children like.Nothin's so good as fresh milk an' bread. Thenthey could take off th' edge o' their hunger whilethey were in their garden an' th' fine food they getindoors 'ud polish off th' corners."" "mother ! said Dickon admiringly, what" Eh !a wonder tha' art!Tha' always sees a way out o'things. They was quite in a pother yesterday.They didn't see how they was to manage withoutorderin' up more food they felt that empty inside."" They're two young 'uns growin' fast, an 1health's comin' back to both of 'em.Children likethat feels like young wolves an' food's flesh an'blood to 'em," said Mrs. Sowerby. Then sheu Eh! butsmiled Dickon's own curving smile.

316 THE SECRET GARDENthey're enjoyin' theirselves for sure," she said.She was quite right, the comfortable wonder-'ful mother creature and she had never beenmore so than when she said their play actin'would be their joy. Colin and Mary found itone of their most thrilling sources of entertainment.The idea of protecting themselves fromsuspicion had been unconsciously suggested tothem firstby the puzzled nurse and then by Dr.Craven himself.Your appetite isimproving very much, MasterColin," the nurse had said one day. Youused to eat nothing, and so many things disagreedwith you."'Nothing disagrees with me now," repliedColin, and then seeing the nurse looking at himcuriously he suddenly remembered that perhapshe ought not to appear too well "just yet. Atwith me. It'sleast things don't so often disagreethe fresh air."'Perhaps it is," said the nurse, stilllooking at"him with a mystified expression. But I musttalk to Dr. Craven about it."How she stared at you !" said Mary when she'went away. As if she thought there must be'something to find out."11 won't have her finding out things," said'Colin. No one must begin to find out yet."

'LET THEM LAUGH 317When Dr. Craven came that morning he seemedpuzzled, also. He asked a number of questions,to Colin's great annoyance." You stay out in the garden a great deal," heWhere do you go?!suggested.Colin put on his favorite air of dignified indifferenceto opinion." I will not let any one know where I go," heanswered." I go to a place I like. Every onehas orders to keep out of the way. I won't be'watched and stared at. You know that !" You seem to be out all day but I do not thinkit has done you harm I do not think so. Thenurse says that you eat much more than you haveever done before.""Perhaps," said Colin, prompted by a suddeninspiration, u perhaps it is an unnatural appetite."'I do not think so,as your food seems to agreewith you," said Dr. Craven. You are gainingflesh rapidly and your color is better."u Perhaps perhaps I am bloated and feverish,"said Colin, assuming a discouraging air of'gloom. People who are not going to live areoften different."Dr. Craven shook his head. He was holding^Colin's wrist and he pushed up his sleeve and felthis arm.v You are not feverish," he said thoughtfully,

;3i8THE SECRET GARDEN" and such flesh as you have gained is healthy.If we can keep this up, my boy, we need not talkYour father will be very happy to hearof dying.of this remarkable improvement. 5 '!" I won't have him told ! Colin broke forth"fiercely. It will only disappoint him if I getworse again and I may get worse this verynight. I might have a raging fever. I feel as ifI might be beginning to have one now. I won'thave letters written to my father I won't Iwon't ! You are making me angry and you knowthat is bad for me. I feel hot already. I hatebeing written about and being talked over as muchas I hate 'being stared at!"Hush-h! my boy," Dr. Craven soothed hin\" Nothing shall be written without your permission.You are too sensitive about things. Youmust not undo the good which has been done."He said no more about writing to Mr. Cravenand when he saw the nurse he privately warnedher that such a possibility must not be mentionedto the patient." The boyisextraordinarily better," he said.His advance seems almost abnormal. But ofcourse he isdoing now of his own free will whatwe could not make him do before. Still, he exciteshimself every easily and nothing must be saidto irritate him.'*

Mary"LET THEM LAUGH" 3*9and Colin were much alarmed and talkedtogether anxiously. From this time dated theirplan of " play actin'."" I may be obliged to have a tantrum," said Colinregretfully." I don't want to have one and I'mnot miserable enough now to work myself intobig one. Perhaps I couldn't have one at all.That lump doesn't come in my throat now and Ikeep thinking of nice things instead of horribleones. But if they talk about writing to my fatherI shall have to do something."He made up his mind to eat less, but unfortunatelyit was not possible to carry out this brilliantidea when he wakened each morning with an amazingappetite and the table near his sofa was setwith a breakfast of home-made bread and freshbutter, snow-white eggs, raspberry jam and clottedcream. Mary always breakfasted with him andwhen they found themselves at the table particularlyif there were delicate slices of sizzlingham sending forth tempting odors from under ahot silver cover they would look into each other'seyes in desperation." I think we shall have to eat it all this morning,Mary," Colin always ended by saying. We cansend away some of the lunch and a great deal ofthe dinner."But they never found they could send away any-a

'320 THE SECRET GARDENthing and the highly polished condition of theempty plates returned to the pantry awakenedmuch comment.I do wish," Colin would say also," I do wishthe slices of ham were thicker, and one muffin eachis not enough for any one."It's enough for a person who isgoing to die,""answered Mary when first she heard this, butto live.it's not enough for a person who isgoingI sometimes feel as if I could eat three whenthose nice fresh heather and gorse smells from themoor come pouring in at the open window."The morning that Dickon after they hadbeen enjoying themselves in the garden for abouttwo hours went behind a big rose-bush andbrought forth two tin pails and revealed that onewas full of rich new milk with cream on the top ofit,and that the other held cottage-made currantbuns folded in a clean blue and white napkin, bunsso carefully tucked in that they were still hot, therewas a riot of surprised joyfulness. What a won-.derful thing for Mrs. Sowerby to think of WhatIa kind, clever woman she must be ! How good thebuns were ! And what delicious fresh milk !'Magic is in her just as it is in Dickon," saidColin. It makes her think of ways to do thingsnice things. She is a Magic person. Tell herwe are grateful, Dickon extremely grateful."

'LET THEM LAUGH5321He was given to using rather grown-up phrasesat times. He enjoyed them. He liked this somuch that he improved upon it." Tell her she has been most bounteous and our'gratitude is extreme."And then forgetting his grandeur he fell to andstuffed himself with buns and drank milk out ofthe pail in copious draughts in the manner of anyhungry little boy who had been taking unusualexercise and breathing in moorland air and whosebreakfast was more than two hours behind him.This was the beginning of many agreeable incidentsof the same kind. They actually awoketo the fact that as Mrs. Sowerby had fourteenpeople to provide food for she might not haveenough to satisfy two extra appetites every day.So they asked her to let them send some of theirshillings to buy things.Dickon made the stimulating discovery that inthe wood in the park outside the garden whereMary had first found him piping to the wild creaturesthere was a deep little hollow where youcould build a sort of tiny oven with stones androast potatoes and eggs in it. Roasted eggs werea previously unknown luxury and very hot potatoeswith salt and fresh butter in them were fit for awoodland king besides being deliciously satis-You could buy both potatoes and eggs andfying.

322 THE SECRET GARDENeat as many as you liked without feeling as if youwere taking food out of the mouths of fourteenpeople.Every beautiful morning the Magic was workedby the mystic circle under the plum-tree which provideda canopy of thickening green leaves afterits brief blossom-time was ended. After the ceremonyColin always took his walking exercise andthroughout the day he exercised his newly foundpower at intervals. Each day he grew strongerand could walk more steadily and cover moreground. And each day his belief in the Magicgrew stronger as well itmight. He tried oneexperiment after another as he felt himself gainingstrength and it was Dickon who showed him thebest things of all.Yesterday," he said one morningafter an absence," I went to Thwaite for mother an' near th'Blue Cow Inn I seed Bob Haworth. He's thestrongest chap on th' moor. He's the championwrestler an' he can jump higher than any otherchap an' throw th' hammer farther. He's goneall th'way to Scotland for th' sports some years.He's knowed me ever since I was a little 'un an'he's a friendly sort an' I axed him some questions.Th' gentry calls him a athlete and I thought o*thee, Mester Colin, and I *says, How did tha*make tha' muscles stick out that way, Bob?Did

'LET THEM LAUGH5323tha' do anythin' extra to make thysel' so strong? '*An' he says Well, A yes, lad, I did. strong manin a show that came to Thwaite once showed mehow to exercise my arms an' legs an' every musclein my body.' An' I says, Could a delicate chap'make himself stronger with 'em, Bob?' an' helaughed an' says, Art tha' th' delicate chap? 'an'*'I says, No, but I knows a young gentleman that'sgettin' well of a long illness an' I wish I knowedsome o' them tricks to tell him about.' I didn'tsay no names an' he didn't ask none. He'sfriendly same as I said an' he stood up an' showedme good-natured like, an' I imitated what he didtill I knowed itby heart."Colin had been listening excitedly.'Can you show me? " "he cried. Will you? '"Aye, to be sure," Dickon answered, getting"up. But he says tha' mun do 'em gentle at firstan' be careful not to tire thysel'. Rest in betweentimes an' take deep breaths an' don't overdo.""Til be careful," said Colin. "Show me!Show me! Dickon, you are the most Magic boy'in the world!Dickon stood up on the grass and slowly wentthrough a carefully practical but simple series ofmuscle exercises. Colin watched them with wideningeyes. He could do a few while he was sittingdown. Presently he did a few gently while

324 THE SECRET GARDENhe stood upon his already steadied feet. Marybegan to do them also. Soot, who was watchingthe performance, became much disturbed and lefthis branch and hopped about restlessly because hecould not do them too.From that time the exercises were part of theday's duties as much as the Magic was. It becamepossible for both Colin and Mary to domore of them each time they tried, and such appetiteswere the results that but for the basketDickon put down behind the bush each morningwhen he arrived they would have been lost. Butthe little oven in the hollow and Mrs. Sowerby'sbounties were so satisfying that Mrs. Medlockand the nurse and Dr. Craven became mystifiedagain. You can trifle with your breakfast andseem to disdain your dinner if you are full to thebrim with roasted eggs and potatoes and richlyfrothed new milk and oat-cakes and buns andfeather honey and clotted cream."They are eating next to nothing," said the"nurse. They'll die of starvation if they can'tbe persuaded to take some nourishment* And yetsee how they look.""Look!" exclaimed Mrs. Medlock indig-" Eh ! I'm moithered to death with them.nantly.They're a pair of young Satans. Bursting theirjackets one day and the next turning uptheir nos-es

'LET THEM LAUGH' 325at the best meals Cook can tempt them with.Nota mouthful of that lovely young fowl and breadsauce did they set a fork into yesterday aridthe poor woman fair invented a pudding for themand back it's sent. She almost cried. She'safraid she'll be blamed if theystarve themselvesinto their graves."Dr. Craven came and looked at Colin long andcarefully. He wore an extremely worried expressionwhen the nurse talked with him andshowed him the almost untouched tray of breakfastshe had saved for him to look at but itwas even more worried when he sat down byColin's sofa and examined him. He had beencalled to London on business and had not seen theboy for nearly two weeks. When young thingsbegin to gain health they gain it rapidly. Thewaxen tinge had left Colin's skin and a warm roseshowed through it; his beautiful eyes were clearand the hollows under them and in his cheeks andtemples had filled out. His once dark, heavy lockshad begun to look as if they sprang healthily fromhis forehead and were soft and warm with life.His lips were fuller and of a normal color. Infact as an imitation of a boy who was a confirmedinvalid he was a disgraceful sight. Dr. Cravenheld his chin in his hand and thought him over.'I am sorry to hear that you do not eat any-

326 THE SECRET GARDENthing," he said. " That will not do. You willlose allyou have gained and you have gainedamazingly. You ate so well a short time ago."" I told you it was an unnatural appetite," answeredColin.Mary was sittingon her stool nearby and shesuddenly made a very queer sound which she triedso violently to repress that she ended by almostchoking.u What is the matter? " said Dr. Craven, turningto look at her.Mary became quite severe in her manner." It was something between a sneeze and acough," she replied with reproachful dignity," and it got into my throat."" But" she said afterward to Colin," I couldn'tstop myself. It just burst out because all at onceI couldn't help remembering that last big potatoyou ate and the way your mouth stretched whenyou bit through that thick lovely crust with jamand clotted cream on it."" Is there any wayin which those children canget food secretly? 'Dr. Craven inquired of Mrs.Medlock.There's no way unless they dig itout of theearth or pickit off the trees," Mrs. Medlock answered.They stay out in the grounds all day"and see no one but each other. And if they want

'LET THEM LAUGH' 327anything different to eat from what's sent up tothem they need only ask for it."" Well," said Dr. Craven, " so long as goingwithout food agrees with them we need not disturbourselves. The boyis a new creature."" So is the girl," said Mrs. Medlock." She'ssince she's filled outbegun to be downright prettyand lost her uglylittle sour look. Her hair'sgrown thick and healthy looking and she's got abright color. The glummest, ill-natured littlething she used to be and now her and Master Colinlaugh together like a pair of crazy young ones.Perhaps they're growing fat on that."" Perhaps they are," said Dr. Craven.them laugh."" Let

ANDCHAPTER XXVTHE CURTAINthe secret garden bloomed and bloomeeiand every morning revealed new miracles.In the robin's nest there were Eggs and the robin'smate sat upon them keeping them warm with herfeathery little breast and careful wings. At firstshe was very nervous and the robin himself wasindignantly watchful. Even Dickon did not gonear the close-grown corner in those days, butwaited until by the quiet working of some mysteriousspell he seemed to have conveyed to thesoul of the little pair that in the garden therewas nothing which was not quite like themselvesnothing which did not understand the wonderfulnessof what was happening to them theimmense, tender, terrible, heart-breaking beautyand solemnity of Eggs. If there had been oneperson in that garden who had not known throughall his or her innermost being that if an Egg weretaken away or hurt the whole world would whirlround and crash through space and come to an endifthere had been even one who did not feel it328

THE CURTAIN 329and act accordingly there could have been no happinesseven in that golden springtimeair. Buttheyall knew it and felt it and the robin and hismate knew they knew it.At first the robin watched Mary and Colin withsharp anxiety. For some mysterious reason heknew he need not watch Dickon. The first momenthe set his dew-bright black eye on Dickon heknew he was not a stranger but a sort of robinwithout beak or feathers. He could speak robin(which is a quite distinct language not to be mistakenfor any other). To speak robin to a robinis like speaking French to a Frenchman. Dickonalways spoke it to the robin himself, so the queergibberish he used when he spoke to humans didnot matter in the least. The robin thought hespoke this gibberish to them because they were notintelligent enough to understand feathered speech.His movements also were robin. They neverstartled one by being sudden enough to seem dangerousor threatening. Any robin could understandDickon, so his presence was not even disturbing.But at the outset itseemed necessary to be onguard against the other two. In the first placethe boy creature did not come into the garden onhis legs. He was pushed in on a thing with wheelsand the skins of wild animals were thrown over

330 THE SECRET GARDENhim. That in itself was doubtful. Then whenhe began to stand up and move about he did it ina queer unaccustomed way and the others seemedto have to help him. The robin used to secretehimself in a bush and watch this anxiously, hishead tilted first on one side and then on the other.He thought that the slow movements might meanthat he was preparing to pounce, as cats do.When cats are preparing to pounce they creep overthe ground very slowly. The robin talked thisover with his mate a great deal for a few daysbut after that he decided not to speak of thesubject because her terror was so great that hewas afraid itmight be injurious to the eggs.When the boy began to walk by himself andeven to move more quicklyit was an immense relief.But for a long time or it seemed a longtime to the robin he was a source of some anxiety.He did not act as the other humans did.He seemed very fond of walking but he had a wayof sitting or lying down for a while and then gettingup ina disconcerting manner to begin again.One day the robin remembered that when hehimself had been made to learn to flyby his parentshe had done much the same sort of thing.He had taken short flights of a few yards andthen had been obliged to rest. So -j 't occurred tohim that this boy was learning to fly or rather

to walk.THE CURTAIN 331He mentioned this to his mate and whenhe told her that the Eggs would probably conductthemselves in the same way after they were fledgedshe was quite comforted and even became eagerlyinterested and derived great pleasure from watchingthe boy over the edge of her nest thoughshealways thought that the Eggs would be much clevererand learn more quickly. But then she saidindulgently that humans were always more clumsyand slow than Eggs and most of them neverseemed really to learn to fly at alL You nevermet them in the air or on tree-tops.After a while the boy began to move about asthe others did, but all three of the children attimes did unusual things. They would standunder the trees and move their arms and legs andheads about in a way which was neither walkingnor running nor sitting down. They went throughthese movements at intervals every day and therobin was never able to explain to his mate whatthey were doing or trying to do. He could onlysay that he was sure that the Eggs would neverflap about in such a manner; but as the boy whocould speak robin so fluently was doing the thingwith them, birds could be quite sure that the actionswere not of a dangerous nature.Of courseneither the robin nor his mate had ever heard ofthe champion wrestler, Bob Haworth, and his ex-

332 THE SECRET GARDENercises for makingthe muscles stand out likelumps. Robins are not like human beings; theirmuscles are always exercised from the first andso they develop themselves in a natural manner.If you have to fly about to find every meal you eat,your muscles do not become atrophied (atrophiedmeans wasted away through want of use).When the boy was walking and running aboutand digging and weeding like the others, the nestin the corner was brooded over by a great peaceand content. Fears for the Eggs became thingsof the past. Knowing that your Eggs were as safeas if they were locked in a bank vault and thefact that you could watch so many curious thingsgoing on made setting a most entertaining occupation.On wet days the Eggs' mother sometimesfelt even a little dull because the children did notcome into the garden.But even on wet daysit could not be said thatMary and Colin were dull. One morning whenthe rain streamed down unceasingly and Colin wasbeginning to feel a little restive, as he was obligedto remain on his sofa because it was not safe toget up and walk about, Mary had an " inspiration.1Now that I am a real boy,'4Colin had said,my legs and arms and all my body are so fullof Magic that I can't keep them still. Theywant to be doing things all the time. Do you

THE CURTAIN 333know that when I waken in the morning, Mary,when it's quite early and the birds are just shoutingoutside and everything seems just shouting for joyeven the trees and things we can't really hearI feel as ifI must jump out of bed and shout myself.And if I did it, just think what would happen!"Mary giggled inordinately.The nurse would come running and Mrs.Medlock would come running and they would besure you had gone crazy and they'ddoctor," she said.Colin giggled himself.send for theHe could see how theywould all look how horrified byand how amazed to see him standing upright.IIhis outbreakuI wish my father would come home," he said.I want to tell him myself. I'm always thinkingabout it but we couldn't go on like thismuch longer. I can't stand lyingstill and pretending,and besides I look too different. I wishit wasn't raining to-day."It was then Mistress Mary had her inspiration." Colin," she began mysteriously, " do you knowhow many rooms there are in this house?1About a thousand, I suppose," he answered." There's about a hundred no one ever goesinto," said iMary. And one rainy day I wentof them. No oneand looked into ever so many'

^334THE SECRET GARDENever knew, though Mrs. Medlock nearly found meout. I lost my way when I was coming back andI stopped at the end of your corridor. That wasthe second time I heard you crying."Colin started up on his sofa.*A hundred rooms no one goes into," he said." It sounds almost like a secret garden. Supposewe go and look at them. You could wheelme in my chair and nobody would know where wewent."That's what I was thinking," said Mary.'No one would dare to follow us. There aregalleries where you could run. We could do ourexercises. There is a little Indian room wherethere is a cabinet full of ivory elephants. Thereare all sorts of rooms."" Ring the bell," said Colin.When the nurse came in he gave his orders." I want my chair," he said." Miss Mary andI are going to look at the partof the house whichis not used. John can push me as far as the picture-gallerybecause there are some stairs. Thenhe must go away and leave us alone until I sendfor him again."Rainy days lost their terrors that morning.When the footman had wheeled the chair into thepicture-gallery and left the two together in obe-looked at eachdience to orders, Colin and Mary

other delighted.THE CURTAIN 335As soon as Mary had made surethat John was really on his wayback to hisown quarters below stairs, Colin got out of hischair." I am going to run from one end of the galleryto the other," he said," and then I am going tojumpand then we willdo Bob Haworth's exercises.'And they did all these things and many others.They looked at the portraits and found the plainlittle girl dressed in green brocade and holding theparrot on her finger." All these," said Colin, " must be my relations.They lived a long time ago. That parrotone, I believe, is one of my great, great, great,great aunts. She looks rather like you, Marynot as you look now but as you looked when youcame here. Now you are a great deal fatter andbetter looking."" So are you," said Mary, and they bothlaughed.They went to the Indian room and amusedthemselves with the ivory elephants. They foundthe rose-colored brocade boudoir and the holein the cushion the mouse had left but the micehad grown up and run away and the hole wasempty. They saw more rooms and made morediscoveries than Mary had made on her first pil*

336 THE SECRET GARDENgrimage. They found new corridors and cornersand flights of steps and new old pictures theyliked and weird old things they did not know theuse of. It was a curiously entertaining morningand the feeling of wandering about in the samehouse with other people but at the same time feelingas if one were miles away from them was 3fascinating thing." I'm glad we came," Colin said.knew I lived in such a big queer old place." I neverI likeit. We will ramble about every rainy day. Weshall always be finding new queer corners andthings."That morning they had found among otherthings such good appetites that when they returnedto Colin's room it was not possible to send theluncheon away untouched.When the nurse carried the tray down-stairs sheit down on the kitchen dresser so that Mrs.slappedLoomis, the cook, could see the highly polisheddishes and plates." Look at that !n she said.This is a house ofmystery, and those two children are the greatestin it."mysteries" If they keep that up every day," said thestrong young footman John, " there'd be smallwonder that he weighs twice as much to-day as he\lid a month ago. I should have to give up my

THE CURTAIN 337place in time, for fear of doing mymuscles aninjury."That afternoon Mary noticed that somethingnew had happened in Colin's room. She had noticedit the day before but had said nothing becauseshe thought the change might have been made bychance. She said nothing to-day but she sat andlooked fixedly at the picture over the mantel. Shecould look at it because the curtain had been drawnaside. That was the change she noticed." I know what you want me to tell you," saidColin, after she had stared a few minutes.always know when you want me to tellyou something.You are wondering why the curtain isdrawn back. I am going to keepit like that.""Why?" asked Mary." Because it doesn't make me angry any moreto see her laughing. I wakened when it wasbright moonlight two nights ago and felt as if theMagic was filling the room and making everythingso splendid that L wouldn't lie still. I gotup and looked out of the window. The room wasquite light and there was a patch of moonlight onthe curtain and somehow that made me go andpull the cord. She looked right down at me asif she were laughing because she was glad I wasstanding there. It made me like to look at her.I want to see her laughing like that all the time. I'I

338 THE SECRET GARDENthink she must have been a sort of Magic personperhaps."You are so like her now," said Mary, " thatsometimes I think perhaps you are her ghost madeinto a boy."That idea seemed to impress Colin. Hethought it over and then answered her slowly.'If I were her ghost my father would befond of me," he said.'Do you want him to be fond of you? " inquiredMary.11 used to hate it because he was not fond ofme. If he grew fond of me I think I should tellhim about the Magic. It might make him morecheerful.'*

'CHAPTER XXVI" IT'S MOTHER!'"T^HEIR belief in the Magic was an abiding* thing. After the morning's incantations Colinsometimes gave them Magic lectures." I like to do it," he explained,I grow up and make great'because whenscientific discoveries Ishall be obliged to lecture about them and so thisis practise. I can only give short lectures now becauseI am very young, and besides Ben Weatherstaffwould feel as if he was in church and hewould go to sleep."" Th' best thing about lecturin'," said Ben, " isthat a chap can get up an' say aught he pleases an*no other chap can answer him back. I wouldn'tbe agen' lecturin' a bit mysel' sometimes."But when Colin held forth under his tree oldBen fixed devouring eyes on him and kept themthere. He looked him over with critical affection.It was not so much the lecture which interestedhim as the legs which looked straighter andstronger each day, the boyish head which held itselfup so well, the once sharp chin and hollow11Q-,---7

340 THE SECRET GARDENcheeks which had filledand rounded out and theeyes which had begun to hold the light he rememberedin another pair. Sometimes whenColin felt Ben's earnest gaze meant that hewas much impressed he wondered what he was reflectingon and once when he had seemed quiteentranced he questioned him.What are you thinking about, Ben Weatherstaff?'he asked.'I was thinking" answered Ben," as I'd warranttha's gone up three or four pound this week.I was lookin' at tha' calves an' tha' shoulders.I'd like to get thee on a pair o' scales."'It's the Magic and and Mrs. Sowerby'sbuns and milk and things," said Colin." Yousee the scientific experiment has succeeded."That morning Dickon was too late to hear thelecture. When he came he was ruddy with runningand his funny face looked more twinkling thanusual. As they had a good deal of weeding to doafter the rains they fell to work. They always hadplenty to do after a warm deep sinking rain. The,moisture which was good for the flowers was alsogood for the weeds which thrust up tiny bladesof grass and points of leaves which must be pulledup before their roots took too firm hold. Colinwas as good at weeding as any one in these daysand he could lecture while he was doingit.

'IT'S MOTHER!3341" The Magic works best when you work yourself,"he said this morning." You can feel it inyour bones and muscles. I am going to read'books about bones and muscles, but I am going toivrite a book about Magic. I am makingitupnow. I keep finding out things."It was not very long after he had said this thathe laid down his trowel and stood up on his feet.He had been silent for several minutes and theyhad seen that he was thinking out lectures, as heoften did. When he dropped his trowel and stoodupright it seemed to Mary and Dickon as if asudden strong thought had made him do it.Hestretched himself out to his tallest height and hethrew out his arms exultantly. Color glowed inhis face and his strange eyes widened with joyfulness.All at once he had realized something tothe full.me I"Mary! Dickon !" he cried.""Just look atThey stopped their weeding and looked at him.1Do you remember that first morning youbrought me in here? " he demanded.Dickon was looking at him very hard. Beingan animal charmer he could see more things thanmost people could and many of them were thingshe never talked about. He saw some of themnow in this boy.

342 THE SECRET GARDEN" Aye, that we do," he answered.Mary looked hard too, but she said nothing."'Just this minute," said Colin, all at once Iremembered it myself when I looked at myhand digging with the trowel and I had tostand up on my feet to see if it was real. And itis real ! I'm well I'm well!''"Aye, that tha' art! " said Dickon."I'm well! I'm well!' said Colin again, andhis face went quite red all over.He had known it before in a way, he had hopedit and felt it and thought about it, but just at thatminute something had rushed all through hima sort of rapturous belief and realization and ithad been so strong that he could not help callingout." I shall live forever and ever and ever! hecried grandly. I shall find out thousands and'thousands of things. I shall find out about peopleand creatures and everything that grows likeDickon and I shall never stop making Magic.I'm well! I'm well ! I feel I feel as if I wantto shout out something something thankful, joyful!"Ben Weatherstaff, who had been working neara rose-bush, glanced round at him.Tha' might sing th' Doxology," he suggestedin his dryest grunt. He had no opinion of the

'IT'S MOTHER!3343Doxology and he did not make the suggestion withany particular reverence.But Colin was of an exploring mind and heknew nothing about the Doxology." What is that? " he inquired." Dickon can singit for thee, I'll warrant," repliedBen Weatherstaff.Dickon answered with his all-perceiving animalcharmer's smile."They sing it i' church," he said." Mothersays she believes th' skylarks sings when it theyi'gets up th' mornin'."" If she says that, it must be a nice song," Colin"answered. I've never been in a church myself.I was always too ill.Sing it, Dickon. I wantto hear it."Dickon was quite simple and unaffected about it.He understood what Colin felt better than Colindid himself. He understood by a sort of instinctso natural that he did not know it was understanding.He pulled off his cap and looked round stillsmiling." Tha' must take off tha' cap," he said to Colin,'an' so mun tha', Ben an' tha' mun stand up,tha' knows."Colin took off his cap and the sun shone on andwarmed his thick hair as he watched Dickon intently.Ben Weatherstaff scrambled up from his

344 THE SECRET GARDENknees and bared his head too with a sort ofpuzzled half-resentful look on his old face as ifhe didn't know exactly why he was doing this remarkablething.Dickon stood out among the trees and rose^bushes and began to sing in quite a simple matterof-factway and in a nice strong boy voice:1Praise God from whom all blessings flow,Praise Him all creatures here below,Praise Him above ye Heavenly Host,Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.Amen."When he had finished, Ben Weatherstaff wasstanding quite still with his jaws set obstinatelybut with a disturbed look in his eyes fixed on Colin.Colin'sface was thoughtful and appreciative.'It is a very nice song," he said. 'I like it.Perhaps it means just what I mean when I wantto shout out that I am thankful to the Magic."He stopped and thought in a 'puzzled way. Perhapsthey are both the same thing.How can weknow the exact names of everything? Singitagain, Dickon. Let us try, Mary. I want tosing it, too. It's my song. How does itbegin?1Praise God from whom all blessings flow '? 'And they sangitagain, and Maryand Colinlifted their voices as musically as they could and

'PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW " Page 344

1IT'S MOTHER!' 345Dickon's swelled quite loud and beautifulandat the second line Ben Weatherstaff raspinglycleared his throat and at the third he joined in withsuch vigor that it seemed almost savage and whenobserved thatthe " Amen " came to an end Marythe very same thing had happened to him whichhad happened when he found out that Colin wasnot a cripple his chin was twitching and hewas staring and winking and his leathery oldcheeks were wet.1 never seed no sense in th' Doxology afore/ 1'he said hoarsely, but Imind i'time. I should say tha'd gone up five pound thismay change my'week, Mester Colin five on 'em !Colin was looking across the garden at somethingattracting his attention and his expressionhad become a startled one."Who iscoming in here?' he said quickly."Who is it?"The door in the ivied wall had been pushedgently open and a woman had entered. She hadcorne in with the last line of their song and she hadstood still listening and looking at them. Withthe ivy behind her, the sunlight drifting throughthe trees and dappling her long blue cloak, andher nice fresh face smiling across the greenery shewas rather like a softly colored illustration inone of Colin's books.She had wonderful affec-

all of them, even Ben Weatherstaff and the u creatures" and every flower that was in bloom. Un-expectedly as she had appeared, not one of themfelt that she was an intruder at all. Dickon's eyesi346 THE SECRET GARDENdonate eyes which seemed to take everything inlighted like lamps." It's Mother that's who it is!" he criedand he went across the grass at a run.Colin began to move toward her, too, and Marywent with him. They both felt their pulses beatfaster.u It's Mother! " Dickon said again when theymet half-way." I knowed tha' wanted to see heran' I told her where th' door was hid."Colin held out his hand with a sort of flushedroyal shyness but his eyes quitedevoured herface." Even when I was ill I wanted to see you," heusaid, you and Dickon and the secret garden.I'd never wanted to see any one or anything before."The sight of his uplifted face brought about asudden change in her own. She flushed and thecorners of her mouth shook and a mist seemed tosweep over her eyes."Eh! dear lad!" she broke out tremulously."Eh! dear lad! " as if she had not known shewere going to say it. She did not "say, Mester

IT'S MOTHER!3Colin," but just" dear lad"quite suddenly.347Shemight have said it to Dickon in the same way ifshe had seen something in his face which touchedher. Colin liked it." Are you surprised because I am so well? " heasked.She put her hand on his shoulder and smiledthe mist out of her eyes."Aye, that I am!" she said; "but tha'rt solike thy mother tha' made my heart jump."" Do you think," said Colin a littleawkwardly,'" that will make my father like me?"Aye, for sure, dear lad," she answered and she" He mungave his shoulder a soft quick pat.come home he mun come home."u Susan Sowerby," said Ben Weatherstaff, gettingclose to her. " Look at th' lad's legs, wilttha'? They was like drumsticks i' stockin' twomonth' ago an' I heard folk tell as they wasbandy an' knock-kneed both at th' same time.'Look at 'em now !Susan Sowerby laughed a comfortable laugh."They're goin' to be fine strong lad's legs in abit," she said." Let him go on playin' an' workin'in th' garden an' eatin' hearty an' drinkin' plentyo'i'good sweet milk an' there'll not be a finer pairYorkshire, thank God for it."She put both hands on Mistress Mary's shoul-

,every348 THE SECRET GARDENclers and looked her little face over in a motherlyfashion."An' thee, too!" she said." Tha'rt grownnear as hearty as our 'Lizabeth Ellen. I'll warranttha'rt like thy mother too. Our Martha toldme as Mrs. Medlock heard she was a prettywoman. Tha'lt be like a blush rose when tha'grows up, my little lass, bless thee."She did not mention that when Martha camehome on her ' day out ' and described the plainsallow child she had said that she had no confidencewhatever in what Mrs. Medlock had heard.1It doesn't stand toreason that a pretty womancould be th' mother o' such a fou' little lass," shehad added obstinately.Mary had not had time to pay much attentionto her changing face. She had only known thatshelooked'different ' and seemed to have agreat deal more hair and that it was growing veryfast. But remembering her pleasure in lookingat the Mem Sahib in the past she was glad tohear that she might some day look like her.Susan Sowerby went round their garden withthem and was told the whole story of it and shownbush and tree which had come alive. Colinwalked on one side of her and Mary on the other.Each of them kept looking up at her comfortablerosy face, secretly curious about the delightful

IT'S MOTHER!3349feeling she gave them a sort of warm, supportedfeeling. It seemed as if she understood them asDickon understood his " creatures." She stoopedover the flowers and talked about them as if theywere children. Soot followed her and once ortwice cawed at her and flew upon her shoulder as ifit were Dickon's. When they told her about therobin and the first flight of the young ones shelaughed a motherly little mellow laugh in herthroat." I suppose learnin' 'em to fly is like learnin'children to walk, but I'm feared I should be alla worrit if mine had wings instead o' legs,'1said.insheIt was because she seemed such a wonderfulwoman in her nice moorland cottage way that atlast she was told about the Magic.'Do you believe in Magic? " asked Colin after"he had explained about Indian fakirs. I dohope you do."" That" I do, lad," she answered. I neverknowed itby that name but what does th' namematter? I warrant they call it a different namei' France an' a different one i'Germany. Th'same thing as set th' seeds swellin' an' th' sunshinin' made thee a well lad an' it's th' GoodThing. It isn't like us poor fools as think itmatters if us is called out of our names. Th' Big

, and350 THE SECRET GARDENGood Thing doesn't stop to worrit, bless thee.goes on makin' worlds by th' million worldslike us. Never thee stop believin' in th' Big GoodThingan' knowin' th' world's full of it an'call it what tha likes. Tha' wert singin' to itwhen I come into th' garden."I felt so joyful," said Colin, opening his beautiful'strange eyes at her. "Suddenly I felt howdifferent I was how strong my arms and legswere, you know and how I could dig and standand I jumped up and wanted to shout out somethingto anything that would listen."" Th' Magic listened when tha' sung th' Doxology.It would ha' listened to anything tha'dsung. It was th' joy that mattered. Eh! lad,lad what's names to th' Joy Maker," and shegave his shoulders a quick soft pat again.She had packed a basket which held a regularfeast this morning, and when the hungry hourcame and Dickon broughtit out from itshidingplace, she sat down with them under their treewatched them devour their food, laughing and^quite gloating over their appetites. She was fullof fun and made them laugh at all sorts of oddthings. She told them stories in broad Yorkshireand taught them new words. She laughed as ifshe could not help it when they told her of the in-It

"IT'S MOTHER!" 351creasing difficulty there was in pretending thatColin was still a fretful invalid." You see we can't help laughing nearly all thetime when we are together," explained Colin." And it doesn't sound ill at all. We try to chokeitback but it will burst out and that sounds worsethan ever."" There's one thing that comes into my mind sooften," said Mary, " and I can scarcely ever holdin when I think of itsuddenly. I keep thinkingsuppose Colin's face should get to look like a fullmoon. It isn't like one yet but he gets a tinybit fatter every day and suppose some morningit should look like one what should we do !" Bless us all, I can see tha' has a good bit o'play actin' to "do," said Susan Sowerby. Buttha' won't have to keep it up much longer.Mester Craven'll come home."" Do you think he will?' asked Colin."Why?"Susan Sowerby chuckled softly." I suppose it 'ud nigh break thy heart if hefound out before tha' told him in tha' own way,""she said. Tha's laid awake nights plannin' it."" I couldn't bear any one else to tell him," said"Colin. I think about different ways every day.I think now I just want to run into his room."'

352 THE SECRET GARDEN" That'd be a fine start for him," said Susan"Sowerby. I'd like to see his face, lad. I wouldthat! He mun come back that he mun."One of the things they talked of was the visitthey were to make to her cottage. They plannedit all. They were to drive over the moor andlunch out of doors among the heather. Theywould see all the twelve children and Dickon'sgarden and would not come back until they weretired.Susan Sowerby got up at last to return to thehouse and Mrs. Medlock. It was time for Colinto be wheeled back also.But before he got intohis chair he stood quite close to Susan and fixedhis eyes on her with a kind of bewildered adorationand he suddenly caught hold of the fold of herblue cloak and held it fast." You are just what I what I wanted," he"said. I wish you were my mother as well asDickon's!"All at once Susan Sowerby bent down and drewhim with her warm arms close against the bosomunder the blue cloak as if he had been Dickon'sbrother. The quick mist swept over her eyes." " " Eh! dear lad! she said. Thy own mother'sin this 'ere very garden,couldna' keep out of it. ThyI do believe. Shefather mun comeback to thee he mun !'

, asCHAPTER XXVIIIN THE GARDENiIN each century since the beginning of the worldwonderful things have been discovered. Inthe last century more amazing thingswere foundout than in any century before. In this new centuryhundreds of things still more astounding willbe brought to light. At first people refuse to believethat a strange new thing can be done, thenthey begin to hope it can be done, then they seeit can be done then it is done and all the worldwonders why it was not done centuries ago. Oneof the new things people began to find out inthe last century was that thoughts just merethoughts are as powerful as electric batteriesas good for one as sunlight is, or as bad for oneas poison. To let a sad thought or a bad one getinto your mind is as dangerous as letting a scarletfever germ get into your body. If you let it staythere after it has got in you may never get over itlong as you live.So long as Mistress Mary's mind was full ofdisagreeable thoughts about her dislikes and sour353

354 THE SECRET GARDENopinions of people and her determination not tobe pleased by or interested in anything, she was ayellow-faced, sickly, bored and wretched child.Circumstances, however, were very kind to her,Whenthough she was not at all aware of it. They beganto push her about for her own good.her mind gradually filled itself with robins, andmoorland cottages crowded with children, withqueer crabbed old gardeners and common littleYorkshire housemaids, with springtime and withsecret gardens coming alive day by day, and alsowith a moor boy and his u creatures," there wasno room left for the disagreeable thoughts whichaffected her liver and her digestion and made heryellow and tired.So long as Colin shut himself up in his roomand thought only of his fears and weakness andhis detestation of people who looked at him andreflected hourly on humps and early death, he wasa hysterical half-crazy little hypochondriac whoknew nothing of the sunshine and the spring andalso did not know that he could get well andcould stand upon his feet if he tried to do it.When new beautiful thoughts began to push outthe old hideous ones, life began to come back tohim, his blood ran healthily through his veins andstrength poured into him like a flood. His scientificexperiment was guite practical and simple and

:IN THE GARDEN 355there was nothing weird about it at all. Muchmore surprising things can happen to any one who,when a disagreeable or discouraged thought comesinto his mind, just has the sense to remember intime and pushit out by putting in an agreeabledeterminedly courageous one. Two things cannotbe in one place.Where you tend a rose,A thistle cannot grow."my lad,While the secret garden was coming alive andtwo children were coming alive with it, there was aman wandering about certain far-away beautifulplaces in the Norwegian fiords and the valleys andmountains of Switzerland and he was a man whofor ten years had kept his mind filled with darkand heart-broken thinking. He had not beencourageous; he had never tried to put any otherthoughts in the place of the dark ones. He hadwandered by blue lakes and thought them; hehad lain on mountain-sides with sheets of deep bluegentians blooming all about him and flower breathsfilling all the air and he had thought them. Aterrible sorrow had fallen upon him when he hadbeen happy and he had let his soul fill itself withblackness and had refused obstinately to allow anyrift of light to pierce through. He had forgottenand deserted his home and his duties.When he

356 THE SECRET GARDENtraveled about, darkness so brooded over him thatthe sight of him was a wrong done to other peoplebecause it was as if he poisoned the air about himwith gloom.Most strangers thought he must beeither half mad or a man with some hidden crimeon his soul. He was a tall man. with a drawn faceand crooked shoulders and the name he always enteredon hotel registers was," Archibald Craven,Misselthwaite Manor, Yorkshire, England."He had traveled far and wide since the day hesaw Mistress Mary inhis study and told her shemight have her " bit of earth." He had been inthe most beautiful places in Europe, though he hadremained nowhere more than a few days. He hadchosen the quietest and remotest spots. He hadbeen on the tops of mountains whose heads werein the clouds and had looked down on other mountainswhen the sun rose and touched them withsuch light as made it seem as if the world werejust being born.But the light had never seemed to touch himselfuntil one day when he realized that for thefirst time in ten years a strange thing had happened.He was in a wonderful valley in the AustrianTyrol and he had been walking alone throughsuch beauty as might have lifted any man's soulout of shadow. He had walked a long way andit had not lifted his.But at last he had felt tired

IN THE GARDEN 357and had thrown himself down to rest on a carpetof moss by a stream. It was a clear little streamwhich ran quite merrily along on its narrow waythrough the luscious damp greenness. Sometimesit made a sound rather like very low laughter asit bubbled over and round stones. He saw birdscome and dip their heads to drink in it and thenflick their wings and fly away. It seemed like avoice made the stillnessthing alive and yet its tinyseem deeper. The valley was very, verystill.As he sat gazing into the clear running of thewater, Archibald Craven gradually felt his mindand body both grow quiet, as quiet as the valleyitself. He wondered if he were going to sleep,but he was not. He sat and gazed at the sunlitwater and his eyes began to see things growing atits edge. There was one lovely mass of blueforget-me-nots growing so close to the stream thatits leaves were wet and at these he found himselflooking as he remembered he had looked at suchthings years ago. He was actually thinking tenderlyhow lovelyit was and what wonders of blueits hundreds of little blossoms were. He did notknow that just that simple thought was slowlyfilling his mind filling and fillingit until otherthings were softly pushed aside. It was as if asweet clear spring had begun to rise in a stagnantpool and had risen and risen until at last it swept

358 THE SECRET GARDENthe dark water away. But of course he did notthink of this himself. He only knew that thevalley seemed to grow quieter and quietersat and stared at the bright delicate blueness. Heas hedid not know how long he sat there or what washappening to him, but at last he moved as if hewere awakening and he got up slowly and stoodon the moss carpet, drawing a long, deep, softbreath and wondering at himself. Somethingseemed to have been unbound and released in him,very quietly." What is it? " he said, almost in a whisper, andhe passed his hand over his forehead." I almostfeel as if I were alive !I do not know enough about the wonderfulnessof undiscovered things to be able to explain howthis had happened to him. Neither does any oneelse yet. He did not understand at all himself>but he remembered this strange hour months afterwardwhen he was at Misselthwaite again and hefound out quite by accident that on this very dayColin had cried out as he went into the secret garden:''I am going to live forever and ever and'ever !The singular calmness remained with him therest of the evening and he slept a new reposefulsleep but it was not with him very ; long. He did

IN THE GARDEN 359not know that it could be kept. By the next nighthe had opened the doors wide to his dark thoughtsand they had come trooping and rushing back.He left the valley and went on his wandering wayagain. But, strange as it seemed to him, therewere minutes sometimes half-hours when,without his knowing why, the black burden seemedto lift itself again and he knew he was a livingman and not a dead one. Slowly slowlyfor no reason that he knew of he was ' comingalive 'with the garden.As the golden summer changed into the deepergolden autumn he went to the Lake of Como.There he found the loveliness of a dream. Hespent his days upon the crystal blueness of the lakeor he walked back into the soft thick verdure of thehills and tramped until he was tired so that hemight sleep. But by this time he had begun tohe knew, and his dreams had ceasedsleep better,to be a terror to him."Perhaps," he thought,"my bodyis growingstronger."It was growing stronger but because of therare peaceful hours when his thoughts werechanged his soul was slowly growing stronger,too. He began to think of Misselthwaite andwonder if he should not go home. Now and thenhe wondered vaguely about his boy and asked

360 THE SECRET GARDENhimself what he should feel when he went andstood by the carved four-posted bed again andlooked down at the sharply chiseled ivory-whiteface while itslept and the black lashes rimmedso startlingly the close-shut eyes. He shrankfrom it.One marvel of a day he had walked so far thatwhen he returned the moon was high and full andall the world was purple shadow and silver. Thestillness of lake and shore and wood was so wonderfulthat he did not go into the villa he lived in.He walked down to a little bowered terrace at thewater's edge and sat upona seat and breathed inall the heavenly scents of the night. He felt thestrange calmness stealing over him and it grewdeeper and deeper until he fell asleep.He did not know when he fell asleep and whenhe began to dream; his dream was so real thathe did not feel as if he were dreaming. He rememberedafterward how intensely wide awakeand alert he had thought he was. He thoughtthat as he sat and breathed in the scent of the lateroses and listened to the lappinghis feet he heard a voice calling.of the water atIt was sweet andclear and happy and far away. It seemed veryfar, but he heard it as distinctly as if it had been athis very side." " Archie ! Archie I Archie ! it said, and then

;IN THE GARDEN 361again, sweeter and clearer than before, ' Archie IArchie!"He thought he sprang to his feet not evenstartled. It was such a real voice and it seemedso natural that he should hear it."Lilias! Lilias!' he answered, "Lilias!where are you? 'In the garden,"it came back like a sound froma golden flute. " In the garden ! 'And then the dream ended. But he did notawaken. He slept soundly and sweetlyallthrough the lovely night. When he did awakeat last it was brilliant morning and a servantwas standing staring at him.He was an Italianservant and was accustomed, as all the servantsof the villa were, to accepting without questionany strange thing his foreign master might do.No one ever knew when he would go out or comein or where he would choose to sleep or if he wouldroam about the garden or lie in the boat on thelake all night. The man held a salver with someletters on it and he waited quietly until Mr. Craventook them. When he had gone away Mr. Cravensat a few moments holding them in his hand andlooking at the lake. His strange calm was stillupon him and something more a lightness as ifthe cruel thing which had been done had not happenedas he thought as ifsomething had

'362 THE SECRET GARDENchanged. He was remembering the dreamthe real real dream." In the garden! he said, wondering at him-'In the garden! But the door is lockedself.and the key is buried deep."When he glanced at the letters a few minuteslater he saw that the one lying at the top of the restwas an English letterand came from Yorkshire.It was directed in a plain woman's hand but itwas not a hand he knew. He opened it, scarcelythinking of the writer, but the first words attractedhis attention at once.'Dear Sir:1I am Susan Sowerby that made bold to speak to youmce on the moor. It was about Miss Mary I spoke. Iwill make bold to speak again. Please, sir, I would comehome if I was you. I think you would be glad to comeand if you will excuse me, sir I think your ladywould ask youto come if she was here.Your obedient servant," SUSAN SOWERBY."Mr. Craven read the letter twice before heput it back in its envelope. He kept thinkingabout the dream.'I will go back to Misselthwaite," he said."Yes, I'll go at once."And he went through the gardento the villa

IN THE GARDEN 363and ordered Pitcher to prepareEngland.for his return toIn a few days he was in Yorkshire again, andon his long railroad journeyhe found himselfin allthinking of his boy as he had never thoughtthe ten years past. During those years he hadonly wished to forget him. Now, though he didnot intend to think about him, memories of himconstantly drifted into his mind. He rememberedthe black days when he had raved like a madmanbecause the child was alive and the mother wasdead. He had refused to see it, and when he hadgone to look at it at last it had been such a weakwretched thing that every one had been sure itwould die in a few days. But to the surprise ofthose who took care of it the days passed and itlived and then every one believed it would be adeformed and crippled creature.He had not meant to be a bad father, but hehad not felt like a father at all. He had supplieddoctors and nurses and luxuries, but he had shrunkfrom the mere thought of the boy and had buried^himself in his own misery. The first time after a'year's absence he returned to Misselthwaite andthe small miserable looking thing languidly andindifferently lifted to his face the great gray eyeswith black lashes round them, so like and yet so

'364 THE SECRET GARDENhorribly unlike the happy eyes he had adored, hecould not bear the sight of them and turned awaypale as death. After that he scarcely ever sawhim except when he was asleep, and all he knewof him was that he was a confirmed invalid, witha vicious, hysterical, half-insane temper. He couldonly be kept from furies dangerous to himself bybeing given his own way in every detail.All this was not an uplifting thing to recall, butas the train whirled him through mountain passesand golden plains the man who was ' comingalive " began to think in a new way and he thoughtlong and steadily and deeply." Perhaps I have been allwrong for ten years/ 1he said to himself. Ten yearsis a long time.It may be too late to do anything quite toolate. What have I been thinking of!Of course this was the wrong Magicto begin'by saying too late." Even Colin could havetold him that. But he knew nothing of Magiceither black or white. This he had yet to learn.He wondered if Susan Sowerby had taken courageand written to him only because the motherly creaturehad realized that the boy was much worsewas fatallyill. If he had not been under thespell of the curious calmness which had taken possessionof him he would have been more wretchedthan ever. But the calm had brought a sort ofcourage and hope with it.Instead of giving way

IN THE GARDEN 365to thoughts of the worst he actuallyfound he wastrying to believe in better things.!Could it be possible that she sees that Imaybe able to do him good and control him?' hethought. I will go and see her on my way toMisselthwaite."But when on his way across the moor he stoppedthe carriage at the cottage, seven or eight childrenwho were playing about gathered in a group andbobbing seven or eight friendly and polite curtsiestold him that their mother had gone to the otherside of the moor early in the morning to help awoman who had a new baby." Our Dickon,"they volunteered, was over at the Manor workingin one of the gardens where he went several dayseach week.Mr. Craven looked over the collection of sturdylittle bodies and round red-cheeked faces, eachOx*iegrinning in its own particular way, and heawoke to the fact that they were a healthy likablelot.He smiled at their friendly grins and took agolden sovereign from his pocket and gave1our 'Lizabeth Ellen " who was the oldest.'If you divide that into eight partsit tothere willbe half a crown for each of you," he said.Then amid grins and chuckles and bobbing ofcurtsies he drove away, leaving ecstasy and nudgingelbows and little jumps of joy behind.The drive across the wonderfulness of the moor

366 THE SECRET GARDENwas a soothing thing. Why did it seem to givehim a sense of home-coming which he had beensure he could never feel again that sense of thebeauty of land and sky and purple bloom of distanceand a warming of the heart at drawingnearer to the great old house which had held thoseof his blood for six hundred years? How he haddriven away from it the last time, shuddering tothink of itsclosed rooms and the boy lyingin thefour-posted bed with the brocaded hangings.Was itpossibk that perhaps he might find himchanged a little for the better and that he mightovercome his shrinking from him? How realthat dream had been how wonderful and clearthe voice which called back to him, " In the gardenIn the garden ! '" I will try to find the key," he said." I willtry to open the door. I must though I don'tknow why."When he arrived at the Manor the servants whoreceived him with the usual ceremony noticed thathe looked better and that he did not go to theremote rooms where he usually lived attended byPitcher. He went into the library and sent forMrs. Medlock. She came to him somewhat excitedand curious and flustered."How is Master Colin, Medlock?" he inquired.

IN THE GARDEN 367" Well, sir," Mrs. Medlock answered," he'she's different, in a manner of speaking."" 'Worse ? he suggested.Mrs. Medlock really was flushed." Well, you see, sir," she tried to explain," neither Dr. Craven, nor the nurse, nor me canmake him out.""Why is that?"" To tell the truth, sir, Master Colin might beexactlybetter and he might be changing for the worse.His appetite, sir, ispast understanding and his"ways" Has he become more more peculiar?'her master asked, knitting his brows anxiously." That's it, sir. He's growing very peculiar-when you compare him with what he used tobe. He used to eat nothing and then suddenlyhe began to eat something enormous and thenhe stopped again all at once and the meals weresent back just as they used to be. You neverknew, sir, perhaps, that out of doors he neverwould let himself be taken. The things we'veout in his chairgone through to get him to gowould leave a body trembling like a leaf. He'dthrow himself into such a state that Dr. Cravensaid he couldn't be responsible for forcing him.Well, sir, just without warning not long afterone of his worst tantrums he suddenly insisted on

366 THE SECRET GARDENbeing taken out every day by Miss Mary andSusan Sowerby's boy Dickon that could push hischair. He took a fancy to both Miss Mary andDickon, and Dickon brought his tame animals,and, if you'll credit it, sir, out of doors he willstay from morning until night.""How does he look? " was the next question." If he took his food natural, sir, you'd thinkhe was putting on flesh but we're afraid it maybe a sort of bloat. He laughs sometimes in aqueer way when he's alone with Miss Mary. Henever used to laugh at all. Dr. Craven is comingallow him. He neverto see you at once, if you'llwas as puzzledin his life.""Where is Master Colin now?' Mr. Cravenasked." In the garden, sir. He's always in the gardenthough not a human creature is allowedto go near for fear they'll look at him."Mr. Craven scarcely heard her last words." In the garden," he said, and after he hadsent Mrs. Medlock away he stood and repeateditagain and ''again. In the garden !He had to make an effort to bring himself backto the place he was standing in and when he felthe was on earth again he turned and went out ofthe room. He took his way, as Mary had done,through the door in the shrubbery and among

1,theIN THE GARDEN 369the laurels and the fountain beds. The fountainwas playing now and was encircled by beds ofbrilliant autumn flowers. He crossed the lawnand turned into the Long Walk by the ivied walls.He did not walk quickly, but slowly, and his eyeswere on the path. He felt as if he were beingdrawn back to the place he had so long forsaken,and he did not know why. As he drew near toit his step became still more slow. He knewwhere the door was even though the ivy hung thickover it but he did not know exactly where itlay that buried key.So he stopped and stood still, looking about hinijand almost the moment after he had paused hastarted and listened asking himself if he werewalking in a dream.The ivy hung thick over the door, the key wasburied under the shrubs, no human being hadpassed that portal for ten lonely years and yetinside the garden there were sounds. They werethe sounds of running scuffling feet seeming tochase round and round under the trees, they werestrange sounds of lowered suppressed voicesexclamations and smothered joyous cries. Itseemed actually like the laughter of young things,uncontrollable laughter of children who weretryingnot to be heard but who in a moment or so*as their excitement mounted would burst

370 THE SECRET GARDENforth. What in heaven's name was he dreamingof- what in heaven's name did he hear? Washe losing his reason and thinking he heard thingswhich were not for human ears? Was it that thefar clear voice had meant?And then the moment came, the uncontrollablemoment when the sounds forgot to hush themselves.The feet ran faster and faster theywere nearing the garden door there was quickstrong young breathing and a wild outbreak oflaughing shouts which could not be containedand the door in the wall was flung wide open, thesheet of ivy swinging back, and a boy burstthrough it at full speed and, without seeing theoutsider, dashed almost into his arms.Mr. Craven had extended them just intime tosave him from falling as a result of his unseeingdash against him, and when he held him away tolook at him in amazement at his beingtruly gaspedfor breath.there heHe was a tall boy and a handsome one. Hewas glowing with life and his running had sent1to his face. He threw thesplendid color leapingthick hair back from his forehead and lifted apair of strange gray eyes eyes full of boyishlaughter and rimmed with black lashes like afringe.gasp for breath.It was the eyes which made Mr. Craven

IN THE GARDEN 371" Who What? Who !" he stammered.This was not what Colin had expected thiswas not what he had planned. He had neverthought of such a meeting. And yet to come dashingout winning a race perhapsit was evenbetter. He drew himself up to his very tallest.Mary, who had been running with him and haddashed through the door too, believed that hemanaged to make himself look taller than he hadever looked before inches taller." " Father," he said, I'm Colin. You can't believeit. I scarcely can myself. I'm Colin."Like Mrs. Medlock, he did not understandwhat his father meant when he said hurriedly:'In the garden In the 'garden ! !" " Yes," hurried on Colin. It was the gardenthat did itand Dickon and the crea-and Marytures and the Magic. No one knows. Wekept it to tell you when you came. I'm well, Ican beat Mary in a race. I'm going to be anathlete."He said it all so like a healthy boy his faceflushed, his words tumbling over each other in hiseagerness that Mr. Craven's soul shook withunbelieving joy.Colin put out his hand and laid it on his father'sarm."Aren't you glad ?Father?' he ended.

372 THE SECRET GARDEN!Aren't you glad? I'm going to live forever and4ever and ever!Mr. Craven put his hands on both the boy'sshoulders and held him still. He knew he darednot even try to speak for a moment.last.Take me into the garden, my boy," he " said atAnd tell me all about it."And so they led him in.The place was a wilderness of autumn gold andpurple and violet blue and flaming scarlet andon every side were sheaves of late lilies standingtogether lilies which were white or white andruby. He remembered well when the first of themhad been planted that just at this season of theyear their late glories should reveal themselves.Late roses climbed and hung and clustered and thesunshine deepening the hue of the yellowing treesmade one feel that one stood in an emboweredtemple of gold. The newcomer stood silent justas the children had done when they came into itsgrayness. He looked round and round.it'I thought it would be dead," he said."Mary thought so at first," said Colin." Butcame alive."Then they sat down under their tree all butColin, who wanted to stand while he told thestory.It was the strangest thing he had ever heard,

IN THE GARDENArchibald Craven thought, as it was poured forthin headlong boy fashion. Mystery and Magicand wild creatures, the weird midnight meetingthe coming of the spring the passion of insultedpride which had dragged the young Rajahto his feet to defy old Ben Weatherstaff to hisface. The odd companionship, the play acting,the great secret so carefully kept. The listenerlaughed until tears came into his eyes and sometimestears came into his eyes when he was notlaughing. The Athlete, the Lecturer, the ScientificDiscoverer was a laughable, lovable, healthyyoung human thing."Now," he said at the end of the story,"itneed not be a secret any more. I dare sayit willfrighten them nearly into fits when they see mebut I am never going to get into the chair again.I shall walk back with you, Father to thehouse."Ben Weatherstaff's duties rarely took him awayfrom the gardens, but on this occasion he made an^excuse to carry some vegetables to the kitchenand being invited into the servants' hall by Mrs,Medlock to drink a glass of beer he was on thespot as he had hoped to be when the mostdramatic event Misselthwaite Manor had seenduring the present generation actually took place.

374 THE SECRET GARDENOne of the windows looking upon the courtyardgave also a glimpse of the lawn. Mrs. Medlock,knowing Ben had come from the gardens, hopedthat he might have caught sight of his master andeven by chance of his meeting with Master Colin.:'" Did you see either of them, Weatherstaff? 1she asked.Ben took his beer-mug from his mouth andwiped his lips with the back of his hand."Aye, that I did," he answered with a shrewdlysignificantair." Both of them?"suggested Mrs. Medlock." Both of 'em,M returned Ben Weatherstaff." Thank ye kindly, ma'am, I could sup up anothermug ofit."" Together?" said Mrs. Medlock, hastily overfillinghis beer-mug in her excitement."Together, ma'am," and Ben gulped down halfof his new mug at one gulp."Where was Master Colin? How did helook? What did they say to each other? '" I didna' hear that," said Ben, " along o' onlybein' on th' step-ladder lookin' over th' wall. ButI'll tell thee this. There's been things goin' on'outside as you house people knows nowt about.An' what tha'll find out tha'll find out soon."And it was not two minutes before he swallowedthe last of his beer and waved his mug solemnly

IN THE GARDEN 375toward the window which took in through theshrubbery a piece of the lawn." "Look there," he said, if tha's curious.Look what's comin' across th'grass."When Mrs. Medlock looked she threw up herhands and gave a little shriek and every man andwoman servant within hearing bolted across theservants' hall and stood looking through the windowwith their eyes almost starting out of theirheads.Across the lawn came the Master of Misselthwaiteand he looked as many of them had neverseen him. And by his side with his head up inthe air and his eyes full of laughter walked asstrongly and steadily as any boy in YorkshireMaster Colin!THE END

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