The secret garden

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."