The secret garden

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