the secret garden-第37节

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Dickon's　round　eyes　were　full　of　eager　curiousness　but　he　said　not　a　word。　　Ben　Weatherstaff　looked　on　with　interested　face。

Colin　persevered。　　After　he　had　turned　a　few　trowelfuls　of　soil　he　spoke　exultantly　to　Dickon　in　his　best　Yorkshire。

〃Tha'　said　as　tha'd　have　me　walkin'　about　here　same　as　other　folkan'　tha'　said　tha'd　have　me　diggin'。　I　thowt　tha'　was　just　leein'　to　please　me。　　This　is　only　th'　first　day　an'　I've　walkedan'　here　I　am　diggin'。〃

Ben　Weatherstaff's　mouth　fell　open　again　when　he　heard　him；　but　he　ended　by　chuckling。

〃Eh！〃　he　said；　〃that　sounds　as　if　tha'd　got　wits　enow。　Tha'rt　a　Yorkshire　lad　for　sure。　　An'　tha'rt　diggin'；　too。　How'd　tha'　like　to　plant　a　bit　o'　somethin'？　I　can　get　thee　a　rose　in　a　pot。〃

〃Go　and　get　it！〃　said　Colin；　digging　excitedly。　〃Quick！　Quick！〃

It　was　done　quickly　enough　indeed。　　Ben　Weatherstaff　went　his　way　forgetting　rheumatics。　　Dickon　took　his　spade　and　dug　the　hole　deeper　and　wider　than　a　new　digger　with　thin　white　hands　could　make　it。　　Mary　slipped　out　to　run　and　bring　back　a　watering…can。　When　Dickon　had　deepened　the　hole　Colin　went　on　turning　the　soft　earth　over　and　over。　　He　looked　up　at　the　sky；　flushed　and　glowing　with　the　strangely　new　exercise；　slight　as　it　was。

〃I　want　to　do　it　before　the　sun　goes　quitequite　down；〃　he　said。

Mary　thought　that　perhaps　the　sun　held　back　a　few　minutes　just　on　purpose。　　Ben　Weatherstaff　brought　the　rose　in　its　pot　from　the　greenhouse。　　He　hobbled　over　the　grass　as　fast　as　he　could。　　He　had　begun　to　be　excited；　too。　He　knelt　down　by　the　hole　and　broke　the　pot　from　the　mould。

〃Here；　lad；〃　he　said；　handing　the　plant　to　Colin。　〃Set　it　in　the　earth　thysel'　same　as　th'　king　does　when　he　goes　to　a　new　place。〃

The　thin　white　hands　shook　a　little　and　Colin's　flush　grew　deeper　as　he　set　the　rose　in　the　mould　and　held　it　while　old　Ben　made　firm　the　earth。　　It　was　filled　in　and　pressed　down　and　made　steady。　　Mary　was　leaning　forward　on　her　hands　and　knees。　　Soot　had　flown　down　and　marched　forward　to　see　what　was　being　done。　Nut　and　Shell　chattered　about　it　from　a　cherry…tree。

〃It's　planted！〃　said　Colin　at　last。　　〃And　the　sun　is　only　slipping　over　the　edge。　　Help　me　up；　Dickon。　　I　want　to　be　standing　when　it　goes。　　That's　part　of　the　Magic。〃

And　Dickon　helped　him；　and　the　Magicor　whatever　it　wasso　gave　him　strength　that　when　the　sun　did　slip　over　the　edge　and　end　the　strange　lovely　afternoon　for　them　there　he　actually　stood　on　his　two　feetlaughing。



CHAPTER　XXIII

MAGIC


Dr。　Craven　had　been　waiting　some　time　at　the　house　when　they　returned　to　it。　　He　had　indeed　begun　to　wonder　if　it　might　not　be　wise　to　send　some　one　out　to　explore　the　garden　paths。　　When　Colin　was　brought　back　to　his　room　the　poor　man　looked　him　over　seriously。

〃You　should　not　have　stayed　so　long；〃　he　said。　　〃You　must　not　overexert　yourself。〃

〃I　am　not　tired　at　all；〃　said　Colin。　　〃It　has　made　me　well。　Tomorrow　I　am　going　out　in　the　morning　as　well　as　in　the　afternoon。〃

〃I　am　not　sure　that　I　can　allow　it；〃　answered　Dr。　Craven。　〃I　am　afraid　it　would　not　be　wise。〃

〃It　would　not　be　wise　to　try　to　stop　me；〃　said　Colin　quite　seriously。　　〃I　am　going。〃

Even　Mary　had　found　out　that　one　of　Colin's　chief　peculiarities　was　that　he　did　not　know　in　the　least　what　a　rude　little　brute　he　was　with　his　way　of　ordering　people　about。　He　had　lived　on　a　sort　of　desert　island　all　his　life　and　as　he　had　been　the　king　of　it　he　had　made　his　own　manners　and　had　had　no　one　to　compare　himself　with。　Mary　had　indeed　been　rather　like　him　herself　and　since　she　had　been　at　Misselthwaite　had　gradually　discovered　that　her　own　manners　had　not　been　of　the　kind　which　is　usual　or　popular。　　Having　made　this　discovery　she　naturally　thought　it　of　enough　interest　to　communicate　to　Colin。　So　she　sat　and　looked　at　him　curiously　for　a　few　minutes　after　Dr。　Craven　had　gone。　　She　wanted　to　make　him　ask　her　why　she　was　doing　it　and　of　course　she　did。

〃What　are　you　looking　at　me　for？〃　he　said。

〃I'm　thinking　that　I　am　rather　sorry　for　Dr。　Craven。〃

〃So　am　I；〃　said　Colin　calmly；　but　not　without　an　air　of　some　satisfaction。　　〃He　won't　get　Misselthwaite　at　all　now　I'm　not　going　to　die。〃

〃I'm　sorry　for　him　because　of　that；　of　course；〃　said　Mary；　〃but　I　was　thinking　just　then　that　it　must　have　been　very　horrid　to　have　had　to　be　polite　for　ten　years　to　a　boy　who　was　always　rude。　　I　would　never　have　done　it。〃

〃Am　I　rude？〃　Colin　inquired　undisturbedly。

〃If　you　had　been　his　own　boy　and　he　had　been　a　slapping　sort　of　man；〃　said　Mary；　〃he　would　have　slapped　you。〃

〃But　he　daren't；〃　said　Colin。

〃No；　he　daren't；〃　answered　Mistress　Mary；　thinking　the　thing　out　quite　without　prejudice。　　〃Nobody　ever　dared　to　do　anything　you　didn't　likebecause　you　were　going　to　die　and　things　like　that。　　You　were　such　a　poor　thing。〃

〃But；〃　announced　Colin　stubbornly；　〃I　am　not　going　to　be　a　poor　thing。　　I　won't　let　people　think　I'm　one。　I　stood　on　my　feet　this　afternoon。〃

〃It　is　always　having　your　own　way　that　has　made　you　so　queer；〃　Mary　went　on；　thinking　aloud。

Colin　turned　his　head；　frowning。

〃Am　I　queer？〃　he　demanded。

〃Yes；〃　answered　Mary；　〃very。　But　you　needn't　be　cross；〃　she　added　impartially；　〃because　so　am　I　queerand　so　is　Ben　Weatherstaff。　　But　I　am　not　as　queer　as　I　was　before　I　began　to　like　people　and　before　I　found　the　garden。〃

〃I　don't　want　to　be　queer；〃　said　Colin。　　〃I　am　not　going　to　be；〃　and　he　frowned　again　with　determination。

He　was　a　very　proud　boy。　　He　lay　thinking　for　a　while　and　then　Mary　saw　his　beautiful　smile　begin　and　gradually　change　his　whole　face。

〃I　shall　stop　being　queer；〃　he　said；　〃if　I　go　every　day　to　the　garden。　　There　is　Magic　in　theregood　Magic；　you　know；　Mary。　　I　am　sure　there　is。〃　〃So　am　I；〃　said　Mary。

〃Even　if　it　isn't　real　Magic；〃　Colin　said；　〃we　can　pretend　it　is。　　Something　is　theresomething！〃

〃It's　Magic；〃　said　Mary；　〃but　not　black。　　It's　as　white　as　snow。〃

They　always　called　it　Magic　and　indeed　it　seemed　like　it　in　the　months　that　followedthe　wonderful　monthsthe　radiant　monthsthe　amazing　ones。　　Oh！　the　things　which　happened　in　that　garden！　If　you　have　never　had　a　garden　you　cannot　understand；　and　if　you　have　had　a　garden　you　will　know　that　it　would　take　a　whole　book　to　describe　all　that　came　to　pass　there。　　At　first　it　seemed　that　green　things　would　never　cease　pushing　their　way　through　the　earth；　in　the　grass；　in　the　beds；　even　in　the　crevices　of　the　walls。　　Then　the　green　things　began　to　show　buds　and　the　buds　began　to　unfurl　and　show　color；　every　shade　of　blue；　every　shade　of　purple；　every　tint　and　hue　of　crimson。　　In　its　happy　days　flowers　had　been　tucked　away　into　every　inch　and　hole　and　corner。　Ben　Weatherstaff　had　seen　it　done　and　had　himself　scraped　out　mortar　from　between　the　bricks　of　the　wall　and　made　pockets　of　earth　for　lovely　clinging　things　to　grow　on。　Iris　and　white　lilies　rose　out　of　the　grass　in　sheaves；　and　the　green　alcoves　filled　themselves　with　amazing　armies　of　the　blue　and　white　flower　lances　of　tall　delphiniums　or　columbines　or　campanulas。

〃She　was　main　fond　o'　themshe　was；〃　Ben　Weatherstaff　said。　〃She　liked　them　things　as　was　allus　pointin'　up　to　th'　blue　sky；　she　used　to　tell。　　Not　as　she　was　one　o'　them　as　looked　down　on　th'　earthnot　her。　　She　just　loved　it　but　she　said　as　th'　blue　sky　allus　looked　so　joyful。〃

The　seeds　Dickon　and　Mary　had　planted　grew　as　if　fairies　had　tended　them。　　Satiny　poppies　of　all　tints　danced　in　the　breeze　by　the　score；　gaily　defying　flowers　which　had　lived　in　the　garden　for　years　and　which　it　might　be　confessed　seemed　rather　to　wonder　how　such　new　people　had　got　there。　And　the　rosesthe　roses！　Rising　out　of　the　grass；　tangled　round　the　sun…dial；　wreathing　the　tree　trunks　and　hanging　from　their　branches；　climbing　up　the　walls　and　spreading　over　them　with　long　garlands　falling　in　cascades　they　came　alive　day　by　day；　hour　by　hour。　Fair　fresh　leaves；　and　budsand　budstiny　at　first　but　swelling　and　working　Magic　until　they　burst　and　uncurled　into　cups　of　scent　delicately　spilling　themselves　over　their　brims　and　filling　the　garden　air。

Colin　saw　it　all；　watching　each　change　as　it　took　place。　Every　morning　he　was　brought　out　and　every　hour　of　each　day　when　it　didn't　rain　he　spent　in　the　garden。　　Even　gray　days　pleased　him。　　He　would　lie　on　the　grass　〃watching　things　growing；〃　he　said。　　If　you　watched　long　enough；　he　declared；　you　could　see　buds　unsheath　themselves。　Also　you　could　make　the　acquaintance　of　strange　busy　insect　things　running　about　on　various　unknown　but　evidently　serious　errands；　sometimes　carrying　tiny　scraps　of　straw　or　feather　or　food；　or　climbing　blades　of　grass　as　if　they　were　trees　from　whose　tops　one　could　look　out　to　explore　the　country。　　A　mole　throwing　up　its　mound　at　the　end　of　its　burrow　and　making　its　way　out　at　last　with　the　long…nailed　paws　which　looked　so　like　elfish　hands；　had　absorbed　him　one　whole　morning。　　Ants'　ways；　beetles'　ways；　bees'　ways；　frogs'　ways；　birds'　ways；　plants'　ways；　gave　him　a　new　world　to　explore　and　when　Dickon　revealed　them　all　and　added　foxes'　ways；　otters'　ways；　ferrets'　ways；　squirrels'　ways；　and　trout'　and　water…rats'　and　badgers'　ways；　there　was　no　end　to　the　things　to　talk　about　and　think　over。

And　this