The secret garden

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-