The secret garden

70 THE SECRET GARDENstopped to look at the children, and wonder whattheir names were, and where they had gone, andwhy they wore such odd clothes. There was astiff, plain little girl rather like herself. Shewore a green brocade dress and held a green parroton her finger. Her eyes had a sharp, curiouslook.to her.'Where do you live now?u I wish you were here."said Mary aloudSurely no other little girl ever spent such a queermorning. It seemed as if there was no one inall the huge rambling house but her own smallself, wandering about up-stairs and down, throughnarrow passages and wide ones, where it seemedto her that no one but herself had ever walked.Since so many rooms had been built, people musthave lived in them, but it all seemed so empty thatshe could not quite believe it true.It was not until she climbed to the second floorthat she thought of turning the handle of a door.fill the doors were shut, as Mrs. Medlock hadsaid they were, but at last she put her hand on thehandle of one of them and turned it. She wasalmost frightened for a moment when she felt thatit turned without difficulty and that when shepushed upon the door itself it slowly and heavilyopened. It was a massive door and opened intoa big bedroom. There were embroidered hang-