the secret garden-第38节

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　the　things　to　talk　about　and　think　over。

And　this　was　not　the　half　of　the　Magic。　　The　fact　that　he　had　really　once　stood　on　his　feet　had　set　Colin　thinking　tremendously　and　when　Mary　told　him　of　the　spell　she　had　worked　he　was　excited　and　approved　of　it　greatly。　He　talked　of　it　constantly。

〃Of　course　there　must　be　lots　of　Magic　in　the　world；〃　he　said　wisely　one　day；　〃but　people　don't　know　what　it　is　like　or　how　to　make　it。　　Perhaps　the　beginning　is　just　to　say　nice　things　are　going　to　happen　until　you　make　them　happen。　I　am　going　to　try　and　experiment〃

The　next　morning　when　they　went　to　the　secret　garden　he　sent　at　once　for　Ben　Weatherstaff。　　Ben　came　as　quickly　as　he　could　and　found　the　Rajah　standing　on　his　feet　under　a　tree　and　looking　very　grand　but　also　very　beautifully　smiling。

〃Good　morning；　Ben　Weatherstaff；〃　he　said。　　〃I　want　you　and　Dickon　and　Miss　Mary　to　stand　in　a　row　and　listen　to　me　because　I　am　going　to　tell　you　something　very　important。〃

〃Aye；　aye；　sir！〃　answered　Ben　Weatherstaff；　touching　his　forehead。　　（One　of　the　long　concealed　charms　of　Ben　Weatherstaff　was　that　in　his　boyhood　he　had　once　run　away　to　sea　and　had　made　voyages。　　So　he　could　reply　like　a　sailor。）

〃I　am　going　to　try　a　scientific　experiment；〃　explained　the　Rajah。　〃When　I　grow　up　I　am　going　to　make　great　scientific　discoveries　and　I　am　going　to　begin　now　with　this　experiment〃

〃Aye；　aye；　sir！〃　said　Ben　Weatherstaff　promptly；　though　this　was　the　first　time　he　had　heard　of　great　scientific　discoveries。

It　was　the　first　time　Mary　had　heard　of　them；　either；　but　even　at　this　stage　she　had　begun　to　realize　that；　queer　as　he　was；　Colin　had　read　about　a　great　many　singular　things　and　was　somehow　a　very　convincing　sort　of　boy。　When　he　held　up　his　head　and　fixed　his　strange　eyes　on　you　it　seemed　as　if　you　believed　him　almost　in　spite　of　yourself　though　he　was　only　ten　years　oldgoing　on　eleven。　At　this　moment　he　was　especially　convincing　because　he　suddenly　felt　the　fascination　of　actually　making　a　sort　of　speech　like　a　grown…up　person。

〃The　great　scientific　discoveries　I　am　going　to　make；〃　he　went　on；　〃will　be　about　Magic。　　Magic　is　a　great　thing　and　scarcely　any　one　knows　anything　about　it　except　a　few　people　in　old　booksand　Mary　a　little；　because　she　was　born　in　India　where　there　are　fakirs。　　I　believe　Dickon　knows　some　Magic；　but　perhaps　he　doesn't　know　he　knows　it。　He　charms　animals　and　people。　　I　would　never　have　let　him　come　to　see　me　if　he　had　not　been　an　animal　charmerwhich　is　a　boy　charmer；　too；　because　a　boy　is　an　animal。　I　am　sure　there　is　Magic　in　everything；　only　we　have　not　sense　enough　to　get　hold　of　it　and　make　it　do　things　for　uslike　electricity　and　horses　and　steam。〃

This　sounded　so　imposing　that　Ben　Weatherstaff　became　quite　excited　and　really　could　not　keep　still。　　〃Aye；　aye；　sir；〃　he　said　and　he　began　to　stand　up　quite　straight。

〃When　Mary　found　this　garden　it　looked　quite　dead；〃　the　orator　proceeded。　　〃Then　something　began　pushing　things　up　out　of　the　soil　and　making　things　out　of　nothing。　One　day　things　weren't　there　and　another　they　were。　I　had　never　watched　things　before　and　it　made　me　feel　very　curious。　　Scientific　people　are　always　curious　and　I　am　going　to　be　scientific。　　I　keep　saying　to　myself；　‘What　is　it？　What　is　it？'　It's　something。　　It　can't　be　nothing！　I　don't　know　its　name　so　I　call　it　Magic。　I　have　never　seen　the　sun　rise　but　Mary　and　Dickon　have　and　from　what　they　tell　me　I　am　sure　that　is　Magic　too。　Something　pushes　it　up　and　draws　it。　　Sometimes　since　I've　been　in　the　garden　I've　looked　up　through　the　trees　at　the　sky　and　I　have　had　a　strange　feeling　of　being　happy　as　if　something　were　pushing　and　drawing　in　my　chest　and　making　me　breathe　fast。　　Magic　is　always　pushing　and　drawing　and　making　things　out　of　nothing。　　Everything　is　made　out　of　Magic；　leaves　and　trees；　flowers　and　birds；　badgers　and　foxes　and　squirrels　and　people。　　So　it　must　be　all　around　us。　　In　this　gardenin　all　the　places。　The　Magic　in　this　garden　has　made　me　stand　up　and　know　I　am　going　to　live　to　be　a　man。　　I　am　going　to　make　the　scientific　experiment　of　trying　to　get　some　and　put　it　in　myself　and　make　it　push　and　draw　me　and　make　me　strong。　I　don't　know　how　to　do　it　but　I　think　that　if　you　keep　thinking　about　it　and　calling　it　perhaps　it　will　come。　Perhaps　that　is　the　first　baby　way　to　get　it。　When　I　was　going　to　try　to　stand　that　first　time　Mary　kept　saying　to　herself　as　fast　as　she　could；　‘You　can　do　it！　You　can　do　it！'　and　I　did。　　I　had　to　try　myself　at　the　same　time；　of　course；　but　her　Magic　helped　meand　so　did　Dickon's。　Every　morning　and　evening　and　as　often　in　the　daytime　as　I　can　remember　I　am　going　to　say；　'Magic　is　in　me！　Magic　is　making　me　well！　I　am　going　to　be　as　strong　as　Dickon；　as　strong　as　Dickon！'　And　you　must　all　do　it；　too。　　That　is　my　experiment　Will　you　help；　Ben　Weatherstaff？〃

〃Aye；　aye；　sir！〃　said　Ben　Weatherstaff。　　〃Aye；　aye！〃

〃If　you　keep　doing　it　every　day　as　regularly　as　soldiers　go　through　drill　we　shall　see　what　will　happen　and　find　out　if　the　experiment　succeeds。　　You　learn　things　by　saying　them　over　and　over　and　thinking　about　them　until　they　stay　in　your　mind　forever　and　I　think　it　will　be　the　same　with　Magic。　　If　you　keep　calling　it　to　come　to　you　and　help　you　it　will　get　to　be　part　of　you　and　it　will　stay　and　do　things。〃　〃I　once　heard　an　officer　in　India　tell　my　mother　that　there　were　fakirs　who　said　words　over　and　over　thousands　of　times；〃　said　Mary。

〃I've　heard　Jem　Fettleworth's　wife　say　th'　same　thing　over　thousands　o'　timescallin'　Jem　a　drunken　brute；〃　said　Ben　Weatherstaff　dryly。　　〃Summat　allus　come　o'　that；　sure　enough。　He　gave　her　a　good　hidin'　an'　went　to　th'　Blue　Lion　an'　got　as　drunk　as　a　lord。〃

Colin　drew　his　brows　together　and　thought　a　few　minutes。　Then　he　cheered　up。

〃Well；〃　he　said；　〃you　see　something　did　come　of　it。　She　used　the　wrong　Magic　until　she　made　him　beat　her。　If　she'd　used　the　right　Magic　and　had　said　something　nice　perhaps　he　wouldn't　have　got　as　drunk　as　a　lord　and　perhapsperhaps　he　might　have　bought　her　a　new　bonnet。〃

Ben　Weatherstaff　chuckled　and　there　was　shrewd　admiration　in　his　little　old　eyes。

〃Tha'rt　a　clever　lad　as　well　as　a　straight…legged　one；　Mester　Colin；〃　he　said。　　〃Next　time　I　see　Bess　Fettleworth　I'll　give　her　a　bit　of　a　hint　o'　what　Magic　will　do　for　her。　She'd　be　rare　an'　pleased　if　th'　sinetifik　'speriment　worked　an'　so　'ud　Jem。〃

Dickon　had　stood　listening　to　the　lecture；　his　round　eyes　shining　with　curious　delight。　　Nut　and　Shell　were　on　his　shoulders　and　he　held　a　long…eared　white　rabbit　in　his　arm　and　stroked　and　stroked　it　softly　while　it　laid　its　ears　along　its　back　and　enjoyed　itself。

〃Do　you　think　the　experiment　will　work？〃　Colin　asked　him；　wondering　what　he　was　thinking。　　He　so　often　wondered　what　Dickon　was　thinking　when　he　saw　him　looking　at　him　or　at　one　of　his　〃creatures〃　with　his　happy　wide　smile。

He　smiled　now　and　his　smile　was　wider　than　usual。

〃Aye；〃　he　answered；　〃that　I　do。　　It'll　work　same　as　th'　seeds　do　when　th'　sun　shines　on　'em。　It'll　work　for　sure。　Shall　us　begin　it　now？〃

Colin　was　delighted　and　so　was　Mary。　　Fired　by　recollections　of　fakirs　and　devotees　in　illustrations　Colin　suggested　that　they　should　all　sit　cross…legged　under　the　tree　which　made　a　canopy。

〃It　will　be　like　sitting　in　a　sort　of　temple；〃　said　Colin。　〃I'm　rather　tired　and　I　want　to　sit　down。〃

〃Eh！〃　said　Dickon；　〃tha'　mustn't　begin　by　sayin'　tha'rt　tired。　　Tha'　might　spoil　th'　Magic。〃

Colin　turned　and　looked　at　himinto　his　innocent　round　eyes。

〃That's　true；〃　he　said　slowly。　　〃I　must　only　think　of　the　Magic。〃　It　all　seemed　most　majestic　and　mysterious　when　they　sat　down　in　their　circle。　　Ben　Weatherstaff　felt　as　if　he　had　somehow　been　led　into　appearing　at　a　prayer…meeting。　Ordinarily　he　was　very　fixed　in　being　what　he　called　〃agen'　prayer…meetin's〃　but　this　being　the　Rajah's　affair　he　did　not　resent　it　and　was　indeed　inclined　to　be　gratified　at　being　called　upon　to　assist。　　Mistress　Mary　felt　solemnly　enraptured。　Dickon　held　his　rabbit　in　his　arm；　and　perhaps　he　made　some　charmer's　signal　no　one　heard；　for　when　he　sat　down；　cross…legged　like　the　rest；　the　crow；　the　fox；　the　squirrels　and　the　lamb　slowly　drew　near　and　made　part　of　the　circle；　settling　each　into　a　place　of　rest　as　if　of　their　own　desire。

〃The　‘creatures'　have　come；〃　said　Colin　gravely。　〃They　want　to　help　us。〃

Colin　really　looked　quite　beautiful；　Mary　thought。　He　held　his　head　high　as　if　he　felt　like　a　sort　of　priest　and　his　strange　eyes　had　a　wonderful　look　in　them。　The　light　shone　on　him　through　the　tree　canopy。

〃Now　we　will　begin；〃　he　said。　　〃Shall　we　sway　backward　and　forward；　Mary；　as　if　we　were　dervishes？〃

〃I　canna'　do　no　swayin'　back'ard　and　for'ard；〃　said　Ben　Weatherstaff。　　〃I've　got　th'　rheumatics。〃

〃The　Magic　will　take　them　away；〃　said　Colin　in　a　High　Priest　tone；　〃but　we　won't　sway　until　it　has　done　it。　We　will　only　chant。〃

〃I　canna'　do　no　chantin'〃　said　Ben　Weatherstaff　a　trifle　testily。　　〃They　turned　me　out　o'　th'　church　choir　th'　only　time　I　ever　tried　it。〃

No　one　smiled。　　They　were　all　too　much　in　earnest。　Colin's　face　was　not　even　crossed　by　a　shadow。　　He　was　thinking　only　of　the　Magic。

〃Then　I　will　chant；〃　h