the secret garden-第42节

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　seemed　to　have　conveyed　to　the　soul　of　the　little　pair　that　in　the　garden　there　was　nothing　which　was　not　quite　like　themselvesnothing　which　did　not　understand　the　wonderfulness　of　what　was　happening　to　themthe　immense；　tender；　terrible；　heart…breaking　beauty　and　solemnity　of　Eggs。　　If　there　had　been　one　person　in　that　garden　who　had　not　known　through　all　his　or　her　innermost　being　that　if　an　Egg　were　taken　away　or　hurt　the　whole　world　would　whirl　round　and　crash　through　space　and　come　to　an　endif　there　had　been　even　one　who　did　not　feel　it　and　act　accordingly　there　could　have　been　no　happiness　even　in　that　golden　springtime　air。　　But　they　all　knew　it　and　felt　it　and　the　robin　and　his　mate　knew　they　knew　it。

At　first　the　robin　watched　Mary　and　Colin　with　sharp　anxiety。　For　some　mysterious　reason　he　knew　he　need　not　watch　Dickon。　The　first　moment　he　set　his　dew…bright　black　eye　on　Dickon　he　knew　he　was　not　a　stranger　but　a　sort　of　robin　without　beak　or　feathers。　　He　could　speak　robin　（which　is　a　quite　distinct　language　not　to　be　mistaken　for　any　other）。　To　speak　robin　to　a　robin　is　like　speaking　French　to　a　Frenchman。　Dickon　always　spoke　it　to　the　robin　himself；　so　the　queer　gibberish　he　used　when　he　spoke　to　humans　did　not　matter　in　the　least。　　The　robin　thought　he　spoke　this　gibberish　to　them　because　they　were　not　intelligent　enough　to　understand　feathered　speech。　　His　movements　also　were　robin。　They　never　startled　one　by　being　sudden　enough　to　seem　dangerous　or　threatening。　　Any　robin　could　understand　Dickon；　so　his　presence　was　not　even　disturbing。

But　at　the　outset　it　seemed　necessary　to　be　on　guard　against　the　other　two。　　In　the　first　place　the　boy　creature　did　not　come　into　the　garden　on　his　legs。　He　was　pushed　in　on　a　thing　with　wheels　and　the　skins　of　wild　animals　were　thrown　over　him。　　That　in　itself　was　doubtful。　　Then　when　he　began　to　stand　up　and　move　about　he　did　it　in　a　queer　unaccustomed　way　and　the　others　seemed　to　have　to　help　him。　　The　robin　used　to　secrete　himself　in　a　bush　and　watch　this　anxiously；　his　head　tilted　first　on　one　side　and　then　on　the　other。　He　thought　that　the　slow　movements　might　mean　that　he　was　preparing　to　pounce；　as　cats　do。　　When　cats　are　preparing　to　pounce　they　creep　over　the　ground　very　slowly。　The　robin　talked　this　over　with　his　mate　a　great　deal　for　a　few　days　but　after　that　he　decided　not　to　speak　of　the　subject　because　her　terror　was　so　great　that　he　was　afraid　it　might　be　injurious　to　the　Eggs。

When　the　boy　began　to　walk　by　himself　and　even　to　move　more　quickly　it　was　an　immense　relief。　　But　for　a　long　timeor　it　seemed　a　long　time　to　the　robinhe　was　a　source　of　some　anxiety。　He　did　not　act　as　the　other　humans　did。　　He　seemed　very　fond　of　walking　but　he　had　a　way　of　sitting　or　lying　down　for　a　while　and　then　getting　up　in　a　disconcerting　manner　to　begin　again。

One　day　the　robin　remembered　that　when　he　himself　had　been　made　to　learn　to　fly　by　his　parents　he　had　done　much　the　same　sort　of　thing。　　He　had　taken　short　flights　of　a　few　yards　and　then　had　been　obliged　to　rest。　So　it　occurred　to　him　that　this　boy　was　learning　to　flyor　rather　to　walk。　　He　mentioned　this　to　his　mate　and　when　he　told　her　that　the　Eggs　would　probably　conduct　themselves　in　the　same　way　after　they　were　fledged　she　was　quite　comforted　and　even　became　eagerly　interested　and　derived　great　pleasure　from　watching　the　boy　over　the　edge　of　her　nestthough　she　always　thought　that　the　Eggs　would　be　much　cleverer　and　learn　more　quickly。　　But　then　she　said　indulgently　that　humans　were　always　more　clumsy　and　slow　than　Eggs　and　most　of　them　never　seemed　really　to　learn　to　fly　at　all。　　You　never　met　them　in　the　air　or　on　tree…tops。

After　a　while　the　boy　began　to　move　about　as　the　others　did；　but　all　three　of　the　children　at　times　did　unusual　things。　They　would　stand　under　the　trees　and　move　their　arms　and　legs　and　heads　about　in　a　way　which　was　neither　walking　nor　running　nor　sitting　down。　　They　went　through　these　movements　at　intervals　every　day　and　the　robin　was　never　able　to　explain　to　his　mate　what　they　were　doing　or　tying　to　do。　He　could　only　say　that　he　was　sure　that　the　Eggs　would　never　flap　about　in　such　a　manner；　but　as　the　boy　who　could　speak　robin　so　fluently　was　doing　the　thing　with　them；　birds　could　be　quite　sure　that　the　actions　were　not　of　a　dangerous　nature。　　Of　course　neither　the　robin　nor　his　mate　had　ever　heard　of　the　champion　wrestler；　Bob　Haworth；　and　his　exercises　for　making　the　muscles　stand　out　like　lumps。　　Robins　are　not　like　human　beings；　their　muscles　are　always　exercised　from　the　first　and　so　they　develop　themselves　in　a　natural　manner。　If　you　have　to　fly　about　to　find　every　meal　you　eat；　your　muscles　do　not　become　atrophied　（atrophied　means　wasted　away　through　want　of　use）。

When　the　boy　was　walking　and　running　about　and　digging　and　weeding　like　the　others；　the　nest　in　the　corner　was　brooded　over　by　a　great　peace　and　content。　　Fears　for　the　Eggs　became　things　of　the　past。　　Knowing　that　your　Eggs　were　as　safe　as　if　they　were　locked　in　a　bank　vault　and　the　fact　that　you　could　watch　so　many　curious　things　going　on　made　setting　a　most　entertaining　occupation。　On　wet　days　the　Eggs'　mother　sometimes　felt　even　a　little　dull　because　the　children　did　not　come　into　the　garden。

But　even　on　wet　days　it　could　not　be　said　that　Mary　and　Colin　were　dull。　　One　morning　when　the　rain　streamed　down　unceasingly　and　Colin　was　beginning　to　feel　a　little　restive；　as　he　was　obliged　to　remain　on　his　sofa　because　it　was　not　safe　to　get　up　and　walk　about；　Mary　had　an　inspiration。

〃Now　that　I　am　a　real　boy；〃　Colin　had　said；　〃my　legs　and　arms　and　all　my　body　are　so　full　of　Magic　that　I　can't　keep　them　still。　　They　want　to　be　doing　things　all　the　time。　Do　you　know　that　when　I　waken　in　the　morning；　Mary；　when　it's　quite　early　and　the　birds　are　just　shouting　outside　and　everything　seems　just　shouting　for　joyeven　the　trees　and　things　we　can't　really　hearI　feel　as　if　I　must　jump　out　of　bed　and　shout　myself。　　If　I　did　it；　just　think　what　would　happen！〃

Mary　giggled　inordinately。

〃The　nurse　would　come　running　and　Mrs。　Medlock　would　come　running　and　they　would　be　sure　you　had　gone　crazy　and　they'd　send　for　the　doctor；〃　she　said。

Colin　giggled　himself。　　He　could　see　how　they　would　all　lookhow　horrified　by　his　outbreak　and　how　amazed　to　see　him　standing　upright。

〃I　wish　my　father　would　come　home；〃　he　said。　　〃I　want　to　tell　him　myself。　　I'm　always　thinking　about　itbut　we　couldn't　go　on　like　this　much　longer。　　I　can't　stand　lying　still　and　pretending；　and　besides　I　look　too　different。　I　wish　it　wasn't　raining　today。〃

It　was　then　Mistress　Mary　had　her　inspiration。

〃Colin；〃　she　began　mysteriously；　〃do　you　know　how　many　rooms　there　are　in　this　house？〃

〃About　a　thousand；　I　suppose；〃　he　answered。

〃There's　about　a　hundred　no　one　ever　goes　into；〃　said　Mary。　〃And　one　rainy　day　I　went　and　looked　into　ever　so　many　of　them。　No　one　ever　knew；　though　Mrs。　Medlock　nearly　found　me　out。　I　lost　my　way　when　I　was　coming　back　and　I　stopped　at　the　end　of　your　corridor。　　That　was　the　second　time　I　heard　you　crying。〃

Colin　started　up　on　his　sofa。

〃A　hundred　rooms　no　one　goes　into；〃　he　said。　　〃It　sounds　almost　like　a　secret　garden。　　Suppose　we　go　and　look　at　them。　wheel　me　in　my　chair　and　nobody　would　know　we　went〃

〃That's　what　I　was　thinking；〃　said　Mary。　　〃No　one　would　dare　to　follow　us。　　There　are　galleries　where　you　could　run。　We　could　do　our　exercises。　　There　is　a　little　Indian　room　where　there　is　a　cabinet　full　of　ivory　elephants。　There　are　all　sorts　of　rooms。〃

〃Ring　the　bell；〃　said　Colin。

When　the　nurse　came　in　he　gave　his　orders。

〃I　want　my　chair；〃　he　said。　　〃Miss　Mary　and　I　are　going　to　look　at　the　part　of　the　house　which　is　not　used。　John　can　push　me　as　far　as　the　picture…gallery　because　there　are　some　stairs。　　Then　he　must　go　away　and　leave　us　alone　until　I　send　for　him　again。〃

Rainy　days　lost　their　terrors　that　morning。　　When　the　footman　had　wheeled　the　chair　into　the　picture…gallery　and　left　the　two　together　in　obedience　to　orders；　Colin　and　Mary　looked　at　each　other　delighted。　　As　soon　as　Mary　had　made　sure　that　John　was　really　on　his　way　back　to　his　own　quarters　below　stairs；　Colin　got　out　of　his　chair。

〃I　am　going　to　run　from　one　end　of　the　gallery　to　the　other；〃　he　said；　〃and　then　I　am　going　to　jump　and　then　we　will　do　Bob　Haworth's　exercises。〃

And　they　did　all　these　things　and　many　others。　　They　looked　at　the　portraits　and　found　the　plain　little　girl　dressed　in　green　brocade　and　holding　the　parrot　on　her　finger。

〃All　these；〃　said　Colin；　〃must　be　my　relations。　They　lived　a　long　time　ago。　　That　parrot　one；　I　believe；　is　one　of　my　great；　great；　great；　great　aunts。　　She　looks　rather　like　you；　Marynot　as　you　look　now　but　as　you　looked　when　you　came　here。　　Now　you　are　a　great　deal　fatter　and　better　looking。〃

〃So　are　you；〃　said　Mary；　and　they　both　laughed。

They　went　to　the　Indian　room　and　amused　themselves　with　the　ivory　elephants。　　They　found　the　rose…colored　brocade　boudoir　and　the　hole　in　the　cushion　the　mouse　had　left；　but　the　mice　had　grown　up　and　run　away　and　the　hole　was　empty。　They　saw　more　rooms　and　made　more　discoveries　than　Mary　had　made　on　her　first　pilgrimage。　　They　f