the secret garden-第2节

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　doors　and　look　into　rooms。　　〃What　desolation！〃　she　heard　one　voice　say。　　〃That　pretty；　pretty　woman！　I　suppose　the　child；　too。　　I　heard　there　was　a　child；　though　no　one　ever　saw　her。〃

Mary　was　standing　in　the　middle　of　the　nursery　when　they　opened　the　door　a　few　minutes　later。　　She　looked　an　ugly；　cross　little　thing　and　was　frowning　because　she　was　beginning　to　be　hungry　and　feel　disgracefully　neglected。　The　first　man　who　came　in　was　a　large　officer　she　had　once　seen　talking　to　her　father。　　He　looked　tired　and　troubled；　but　when　he　saw　her　he　was　so　startled　that　he　almost　jumped　back。

〃Barney！〃　he　cried　out。　　〃There　is　a　child　here！　A　child　alone！　In　a　place　like　this！　Mercy　on　us；　who　is　she！〃

〃I　am　Mary　Lennox；〃　the　little　girl　said；　drawing　herself　up　stiffly。　　She　thought　the　man　was　very　rude　to　call　her　father's　bungalow　〃A　place　like　this！〃　〃I　fell　asleep　when　everyone　had　the　cholera　and　I　have　only　just　wakened　up。　Why　does　nobody　come？〃

〃It　is　the　child　no　one　ever　saw！〃　exclaimed　the　man；　turning　to　his　companions。　　〃She　has　actually　been　forgotten！〃

〃Why　was　I　forgotten？〃　Mary　said；　stamping　her　foot。　〃Why　does　nobody　come？〃

The　young　man　whose　name　was　Barney　looked　at　her　very　sadly。　Mary　even　thought　she　saw　him　wink　his　eyes　as　if　to　wink　tears　away。

〃Poor　little　kid！〃　he　said。　　〃There　is　nobody　left　to　come。〃

It　was　in　that　strange　and　sudden　way　that　Mary　found　out　that　she　had　neither　father　nor　mother　left；　that　they　had　died　and　been　carried　away　in　the　night；　and　that　the　few　native　servants　who　had　not　died　also　had　left　the　house　as　quickly　as　they　could　get　out　of　it；　none　of　them　even　remembering　that　there　was　a　Missie　Sahib。　That　was　why　the　place　was　so　quiet。　　It　was　true　that　there　was　no　one　in　the　bungalow　but　herself　and　the　little　rustling　snake。



Chapter　II

MISTRESS　MARY　QUITE　CONTRARY


Mary　had　liked　to　look　at　her　mother　from　a　distance　and　she　had　thought　her　very　pretty；　but　as　she　knew　very　little　of　her　she　could　scarcely　have　been　expected　to　love　her　or　to　miss　her　very　much　when　she　was　gone。　She　did　not　miss　her　at　all；　in　fact；　and　as　she　was　a　self…absorbed　child　she　gave　her　entire　thought　to　herself；　as　she　had　always　done。　　If　she　had　been　older　she　would　no　doubt　have　been　very　anxious　at　being　left　alone　in　the　world；　but　she　was　very　young；　and　as　she　had　always　been　taken　care　of；　she　supposed　she　always　would　be。　What　she　thought　was　that　she　would　like　to　know　if　she　was　going　to　nice　people；　who　would　be　polite　to　her　and　give　her　her　own　way　as　her　Ayah　and　the　other　native　servants　had　done。

She　knew　that　she　was　not　going　to　stay　at　the　English　clergyman's　house　where　she　was　taken　at　first。　　She　did　not　want　to　stay。　　The　English　clergyman　was　poor　and　he　had　five　children　nearly　all　the　same　age　and　they　wore　shabby　clothes　and　were　always　quarreling　and　snatching　toys　from　each　other。　　Mary　hated　their　untidy　bungalow　and　was　so　disagreeable　to　them　that　after　the　first　day　or　two　nobody　would　play　with　her。　　By　the　second　day　they　had　given　her　a　nickname　which　made　her　furious。

It　was　Basil　who　thought　of　it　first。　　Basil　was　a　little　boy　with　impudent　blue　eyes　and　a　turned…up　nose；　and　Mary　hated　him。　　She　was　playing　by　herself　under　a　tree；　just　as　she　had　been　playing　the　day　the　cholera　broke　out。　She　was　making　heaps　of　earth　and　paths　for　a　garden　and　Basil　came　and　stood　near　to　watch　her。　　Presently　he　got　rather　interested　and　suddenly　made　a　suggestion。

〃Why　don't　you　put　a　heap　of　stones　there　and　pretend　it　is　a　rockery？〃　he　said。　　〃There　in　the　middle；〃　and　he　leaned　over　her　to　point。

〃Go　away！〃　cried　Mary。　　〃I　don't　want　boys。　　Go　away！〃

For　a　moment　Basil　looked　angry；　and　then　he　began　to　tease。　He　was　always　teasing　his　sisters。　　He　danced　round　and　round　her　and　made　faces　and　sang　and　laughed。

　　　　　　　　　〃Mistress　Mary；　quite　contrary；　　　　　　　　　　　How　does　your　garden　grow？　　　　　　　　　　　With　silver　bells；　and　cockle　shells；　　　　　　　　　　　And　marigolds　all　in　a　row。〃

He　sang　it　until　the　other　children　heard　and　laughed；　too；　and　the　crosser　Mary　got；　the　more　they　sang　〃Mistress　Mary；　quite　contrary〃；　and　after　that　as　long　as　she　stayed　with　them　they　called　her　〃Mistress　Mary　Quite　Contrary〃　when　they　spoke　of　her　to　each　other；　and　often　when　they　spoke　to　her。

〃You　are　going　to　be　sent　home；〃　Basil　said　to　her；　〃at　the　end　of　the　week。　　And　we're　glad　of　it。〃

〃I　am　glad　of　it；　too；〃　answered　Mary。　　〃Where　is　home？〃

〃She　doesn't　know　where　home　is！〃　said　Basil；　with　seven…year…old　scorn。　　〃It's　England；　of　course。　Our　grandmama　lives　there　and　our　sister　Mabel　was　sent　to　her　last　year。　　You　are　not　going　to　your　grandmama。　You　have　none。　　You　are　going　to　your　uncle。　　His　name　is　Mr。　Archibald　Craven。〃

〃I　don't　know　anything　about　him；〃　snapped　Mary。

〃I　know　you　don't；〃　Basil　answered。　　〃You　don't　know　anything。　Girls　never　do。　　I　heard　father　and　mother　talking　about　him。　He　lives　in　a　great；　big；　desolate　old　house　in　the　country　and　no　one　goes　near　him。　　He's　so　cross　he　won't　let　them；　and　they　wouldn't　come　if　he　would　let　them。　He's　a　hunchback；　and　he's　horrid。〃　〃I　don't　believe　you；〃　said　Mary；　and　she　turned　her　back　and　stuck　her　fingers　in　her　ears；　because　she　would　not　listen　any　more。

But　she　thought　over　it　a　great　deal　afterward；　and　when　Mrs。　Crawford　told　her　that　night　that　she　was　going　to　sail　away　to　England　in　a　few　days　and　go　to　her　uncle；　Mr。　Archibald　Craven；　who　lived　at　Misselthwaite　Manor；　she　looked　so　stony　and　stubbornly　uninterested　that　they　did　not　know　what　to　think　about　her。　　They　tried　to　be　kind　to　her；　but　she　only　turned　her　face　away　when　Mrs。　Crawford　attempted　to　kiss　her；　and　held　herself　stiffly　when　Mr。　Crawford　patted　her　shoulder。

〃She　is　such　a　plain　child；〃　Mrs。　Crawford　said　pityingly；　afterward。　　〃And　her　mother　was　such　a　pretty　creature。　She　had　a　very　pretty　manner；　too；　and　Mary　has　the　most　unattractive　ways　I　ever　saw　in　a　child。　　The　children　call　her　‘Mistress　Mary　Quite　Contrary；'　and　though　it's　naughty　of　them；　one　can't　help　understanding　it。〃

〃Perhaps　if　her　mother　had　carried　her　pretty　face　and　her　pretty　manners　oftener　into　the　nursery　Mary　might　have　learned　some　pretty　ways　too。　　It　is　very　sad；　now　the　poor　beautiful　thing　is　gone；　to　remember　that　many　people　never　even　knew　that　she　had　a　child　at　all。〃

〃I　believe　she　scarcely　ever　looked　at　her；〃　sighed　Mrs。　Crawford。　　〃When　her　Ayah　was　dead　there　was　no　one　to　give　a　thought　to　the　little　thing。　Think　of　the　servants　running　away　and　leaving　her　all　alone　in　that　deserted　bungalow。　　Colonel　McGrew　said　he　nearly　jumped　out　of　his　skin　when　he　opened　the　door　and　found　her　standing　by　herself　in　the　middle　of　the　room。〃

Mary　made　the　long　voyage　to　England　under　the　care　of　an　officer's　wife；　who　was　taking　her　children　to　leave　them　in　a　boarding…school。　She　was　very　much　absorbed　in　her　own　little　boy　and　girl；　and　was　rather　glad　to　hand　the　child　over　to　the　woman　Mr。　Archibald　Craven　sent　to　meet　her；　in　London。　　The　woman　was　his　housekeeper　at　Misselthwaite　Manor；　and　her　name　was　Mrs。　Medlock。　She　was　a　stout　woman；　with　very　red　cheeks　and　sharp　black　eyes。　　She　wore　a　very　purple　dress；　a　black　silk　mantle　with　jet　fringe　on　it　and　a　black　bonnet　with　purple　velvet　flowers　which　stuck　up　and　trembled　when　she　moved　her　head。　　Mary　did　not　like　her　at　all；　but　as　she　very　seldom　liked　people　there　was　nothing　remarkable　in　that；　besides　which　it　was　very　evident　Mrs。　Medlock　did　not　think　much　of　her。

〃My　word！　she's　a　plain　little　piece　of　goods！〃　she　said。　〃And　we'd　heard　that　her　mother　was　a　beauty。　　She　hasn't　handed　much　of　it　down；　has　she；　ma'am？〃　〃Perhaps　she　will　improve　as　she　grows　older；〃　the　officer's　wife　said　good…naturedly。　〃If　she　were　not　so　sallow　and　had　a　nicer　expression；　her　features　are　rather　good。　Children　alter　so　much。〃

〃She'll　have　to　alter　a　good　deal；〃　answered　Mrs。　Medlock。　〃And；　there's　nothing　likely　to　improve　children　at　Misselthwaiteif　you　ask　me！〃　They　thought　Mary　was　not　listening　because　she　was　standing　a　little　apart　from　them　at　the　window　of　the　private　hotel　they　had　gone　to。　She　was　watching　the　passing　buses　and　cabs　and　people；　but　she　heard　quite　well　and　was　made　very　curious　about　her　uncle　and　the　place　he　lived　in。　　What　sort　of　a　place　was　it；　and　what　would　he　be　like？　What　was　a　hunchback？　She　had　never　seen　one。　　Perhaps　there　were　none　in　India。

Since　she　had　been　living　in　other　people's　houses　and　had　had　no　Ayah；　she　had　begun　to　feel　lonely　and　to　think　queer　thoughts　which　were　new　to　her。　She　had　begun　to　wonder　why　she　had　never　seemed　to　belong　to　anyone　even　when　her　father　and　mother　had　been　alive。　Other　children　seemed　to　belong　to　their　fathers　and　mothers；　but　she　had　never　seemed　to　really　be　anyone's　little　girl。　She　had　had　servants；　and　food　and　clothes；　but　no　one　had　taken　any　notice　of　her。　　She　did　not　know　that　this　was　because　she　was　a　disagreeable　child；　but　then；　of　course；　she　did　not　know　she　was　disagreeable。　She　often　thought　that　other　people　were；　but　she　did　not　know　that　she　was　so　herself。

She　thought　Mrs。　Medlock　the　most　disa