The secret garden

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? "