The Secret Garden

ned her eyes she satupright in bed

ver the moorland. Never, never had Mary dreamedof a sky so blue. In India skies were hot and blazing;this was of a deep cool blue which almost seemed tosparkle like the waters of some lovely bottomless lake

ul grin. "Th' storm'sover for a bi

off in a night lik

n here an' never m

longway off yet, but it's comin'.""I thought perhaps

t!""What does that mean?" asked Mary seriously. In Indiathe natives spoke different dialects wh

as she had done t

broad Yorkshire againlike Mrs. Medlo

lowly and carefully,"but it takes

tha'd like th' moor after a bit. Just you wait till you

heather flowerin',

rflies flutterin' a

se an' live out on it all day like Dickon does.""Could I ever get there

ig and wonderful and

nswered Martha. "Th

mile to our cottage.""I should like to see your cottage."Martha stared at her a mom

at this moment as it had done the first morningshe saw it. It looked ju

her about it," she

ly always sees a

oday an' I'm goin'

ther. Perhaps she could talkto he

ha' did," agreed Ma

er seen her

hasn't," rep

nd of hernose with the back of her hand as if pu

ensible an' hard work

ome to her on my dayout I just jump for joy when I'm crossin' the moor.""I like Dickon,"

him an' th' rabbits

y, "what Dickon would think of thee?""He wouldn't like me," said Mary in

?" she inquired, really quite

d a moment and

never thoughtof that before."Martha grinned

in a bad temper an' talkin' ill of folk,an' she turns round on me an' says:

that one. How does

s she had givenMary her breakfast. She was going to walk five milesacross the moor to the cottage, and

e. She went out into the garden as quicklyas possible, and the first thin

k different. The high, deep, blue skyarched over Misselthwaite as well as over the moor,and she kept lifting her face and l

arden and found BenWeatherstaff wor

weather seemed to

ngtime's comin,'"he said. "Cannot tha' sme

ng nice and fresh

rich earth," he ans

humor makin' rea

lantin' time comes

h' flower gardens outthere things will

You'll see bits o'

h after a bit.""What wi

owdrops an' daffyd

fter therains in India," said Mary. "And I think things growup

e, an' push out a spike more there, an' uncurl aleaf this day a

ng flight of wingsagain and she knew

eto her feet, and put his head on one side and looked a

k he remembers

e!" said Weather

lone th' people. He's never seen a little wenchhere

im.""Are things stirring down below in the dar

nted Weatherstaff, b

s are." She couldnot help asking,

mmer? Are there ever any roses?""Ask him," said Ben Weatherstaff, h

year'."Ten years was a long time, Mary

hat seemed a good many peopleto like--when you were not used to liking. She thoughtof the robin as one of the people. She went to her walkoutside the long, ivy-covered wall over

er-bed at her left side there he washopping about and pretending to pe

d the surprise so filledher with deli

hopped,and flirted his tail and twittered. It was as if hewere talking. His red waistcoat was like satin and hepuffed his tiny breast out

life when he allowed her to draw closer and closerto him, and

in the world would makeher put out her hand toward him or startle him in theleast tiniest

that she scarcely

inter rest, but there were tall shrubs and low ones which grewtogether at the back of the bed, and as the robin hopp

a dog had been tryingto dig up a mole

ething almost buried in thenewly-turned soil. It was something like a ring of rustyiron or b

; it was an old keywhich looked as

ed at it with an almostfrightened

en years," she saidin a whisper. "P