The secret garden

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