The Secret Garden

ssionor consult her elders about things. All she thought aboutthe key was that if it was the key to the closed garden,and she could find out where the door was, she c

iked it shecould go into it every day and shut the door behind her,and she could make up some play of her own and play itquite alone, because nobod

y closed rooms and having nothing whateverto do to amuse herself, had se

eat deal to do with it. Just as it had givenher an appetite, and fighting

d weakto care much about anything, but in this place

ss "contrary," though

herself ever seemed to come there,so she could walk slowly and look at th

svery much disappointed. Something of her contrarinesscame back to her as she paced the walk and looked over

e made up her mind that she would alwayscarry it with her when she went

the cottage, but she was back at her work in the mornin

'clock," she said. "E

ds gettin' up an' t

A mangave me a ride in his cart an' I did enjoy myself.

aking and washing all out of the way. She had even madeeach

pin' hot when they

cottage all smelt o'

ood fire, an' they

mother had sewed patches on tornclothes and mended stockings and Martha had told themabout the little girl who had come from In

ike to hear about

now all about th' b

uldn't tell 'em enough."

fore your next day out,"she said, "so

ighted Martha. "It would set 'emclean off their heads. Would tha' really do that,Miss? It would be same as a wild beast show like we heardt

n's eyes nearly started out o' his head,they got that round," answered Marth

, he hasn't, though Mrs. Medlocksays he will when he thinks of it, but she says he may

ought to be learnin' yo

a woman to look afte

feel yourself, in a bigplace like that,

p,' she says, an' I said I would.

talk."Presently Martha went out of the room and came

hink," she said, wi

claimed Mistress Mary. How could a cottagefull

across the moor peddl

his cart at our do

anythin'. Just as he was goin' away our 'Lizabeth Ellenc

`Here, stop, mister! How much are they?' An' he says`Tu

n' I've got four places to put every penny,but I'm just goin' to take tu

uite proudly. It was a strong, slender ropewith a striped red and blue

it with a mysti

for?" she as

notgot skippin'-ropes in India, for all they've got elep

skip, and skip, and skip,while Mary turned in her chair to stare at her, and thequeer faces in the old portraits seemed to

yin Mistress Mary's face delighted her, and she went on skipp

er than that," she s

t I wasn't as fat then as I am now, an' I was in practice."M

she said. "Your mot

e that?""You just try it," urged Mar

ceyou'll mount up. That's what mother said. She says,`N

child can have. Let

an' it'll stretch h

of strengthin Mistress Mary's arms and legs when she first beganto skip. She wa

ip out o' doors,"said Martha. "Mothe

ry put on her coat and hat and took her skipping-ropeover her arm. She opened the

aid it stifflybecause she was not used to thanking people or noticingthat they did things f

ttle shake, as if shewas not accus

she l

ueer, old-womanish

Ellen tha'd have given mea kiss

to kiss you?"Mar

likedher very much, but now she did not. The skipping-ropewas a wonderful thing. She counted and skipped,and skipped and counted, until her cheeks were quite red,and she was more interested than she had ever been sinceshe was born. The sun was shining and a little wind wasblowing--not a rough wind, b

him and he liftedhis head and looke

would notice her. She w

laimed. "Upon my

p'raps tha's gotchild's blood in t

s as sure as my name'sBen Weathers

skipped before," Mary sa

pes well enough at itfor a young 'un that's lived with heathen. J

thee yesterday. He'll

o find out what th

s head at the bird,"tha' curiosity wil

alk and made up her mind to try if shecould skip the whole length of it. It was a good longskip and she began slowly, but before she had gonehal

easure, and there,lo and behold, was th

her and he greeted

ng heavyin her pocket strike against her at each

here the key was y

of ivy on to thetop of the wall and he opened his beak and sang a loud,lovely trill, merely to show off. Not

c in herAyah's stories, and she always said tha

wind rushed downthe walk, and it

ingsprays of untrimmed ivy hanging from the wall. Mary hadstepped close to the robin, and suddenly the gust o

thing under it--a roundknob which had be

the knob

hung, it nearlyall was a loose and swinging curtain, though some had creptover wood and ir

g away and tiltinghis head on one side

ich was square and madeof iron and

er hand in her pocket, drew out the keyand found it fitted the keyhole. Sh

and looked behindher up the long

er long breath, because she could nothelp it, and she held back the swi

stood with her back against it, looking about herand bre

ding inside th