The secret garden

72 THE SECRET GARDENshe got tired she set the elephants in order and shutthe door of the cabinet.In all her wanderings through the long corridorsand the empty rooms, she had seen nothingalive; but in this room she saw something. Justafter she had closed the cabinet door she heard atiny rustling sound. It made her jump and lookaround at the sofa by the fireplace, from which itseemed to come. In the corner of the sofa therewas a cushion, and in the velvet which coveredit there was a hole, and out of the holepeeped a tiny head with a pair of frightenedin it.eyesMary crept softlyacross the room to look.The bright eyes belonged to a littlegray mouse,and the mouse had eaten a hole into the cushionand made a comfortable nest there. Six baby micewere cuddled up asleep near her. If there wasno one else alive in the hundred rooms there wereseven mice who did not look lonely at all.'If they wouldn't be so frightened I wouldtake them back with me," said Mary.She had wandered about long enough tofeeltoo tired to wander any farther, and she turnedback. Two or three times she lost her way byturning down the wrong corridor and was obligedto ramble up and down until she found the rightone; but at last she reached her own floor again,