the secret garden-第45节

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un　into　his　room。〃　〃That'd　be　a　fine　start　for　him；〃　said　Susan　Sowerby。　　〃I'd　like　to　see　his　face；　lad。　　I　would　that！　He　mun　come　back　that　he　mun。〃

One　of　the　things　they　talked　of　was　the　visit　they　were　to　make　to　her　cottage。　　They　planned　it　all。　They　were　to　drive　over　the　moor　and　lunch　out　of　doors　among　the　heather。　　They　would　see　all　the　twelve　children　and　Dickon's　garden　and　would　not　come　back　until　they　were　tired。

Susan　Sowerby　got　up　at　last　to　return　to　the　house　and　Mrs。　Medlock。　　It　was　time　for　Colin　to　be　wheeled　back　also。　　But　before　he　got　into　his　chair　he　stood　quite　close　to　Susan　and　fixed　his　eyes　on　her　with　a　kind　of　bewildered　adoration　and　he　suddenly　caught　hold　of　the　fold　of　her　blue　cloak　and　held　it　fast。

〃You　are　just　what　Iwhat　I　wanted；〃　he　said。　　〃I　wish　you　were　my　motheras　well　as　Dickon's！〃

All　at　once　Susan　Sowerby　bent　down　and　drew　him　with　her　warm　arms　close　against　the　bosom　under　the　blue　cloakas　if　he　had　been　Dickon's　brother。　The　quick　mist　swept　over　her　eyes。

〃Eh！　dear　lad！〃　she　said。　　〃Thy　own　mother's　in　this　'ere　very　garden；　I　do　believe。　　She　couldna'　keep　out　of　it。　Thy　father　mun　come　back　to　theehe　mun！〃



CHAPTER　XXVII

IN　THE　GARDEN


In　each　century　since　the　beginning　of　the　world　wonderful　things　have　been　discovered。　　In　the　last　century　more　amazing　things　were　found　out　than　in　any　century　before。　In　this　new　century　hundreds　of　things　still　more　astounding　will　be　brought　to　light。　　At　first　people　refuse　to　believe　that　a　strange　new　thing　can　be　done；　then　they　begin　to　hope　it　can　be　done；　then　they　see　it　can　be　donethen　it　is　done　and　all　the　world　wonders　why　it　was　not　done　centuries　ago。　　One　of　the　new　things　people　began　to　find　out　in　the　last　century　was　that　thoughtsjust　mere　thoughtsare　as　powerful　as　electric　batteriesas　good　for　one　as　sunlight　is；　or　as　bad　for　one　as　poison。　　To　let　a　sad　thought　or　a　bad　one　get　into　your　mind　is　as　dangerous　as　letting　a　scarlet　fever　germ　get　into　your　body。　　If　you　let　it　stay　there　after　it　has　got　in　you　may　never　get　over　it　as　long　as　you　live。

So　long　as　Mistress　Mary's　mind　was　full　of　disagreeable　thoughts　about　her　dislikes　and　sour　opinions　of　people　and　her　determination　not　to　be　pleased　by　or　interested　in　anything；　she　was　a　yellow…faced；　sickly；　bored　and　wretched　child。　　Circumstances；　however；　were　very　kind　to　her；　though　she　was　not　at　all　aware　of　it。　They　began　to　push　her　about　for　her　own　good。　　When　her　mind　gradually　filled　itself　with　robins；　and　moorland　cottages　crowded　with　children；　with　queer　crabbed　old　gardeners　and　common　little　Yorkshire　housemaids；　with　springtime　and　with　secret　gardens　coming　alive　day　by　day；　and　also　with　a　moor　boy　and　his　〃creatures；〃　there　was　no　room　left　for　the　disagreeable　thoughts　which　affected　her　liver　and　her　digestion　and　made　her　yellow　and　tired。

So　long　as　Colin　shut　himself　up　in　his　room　and　thought　only　of　his　fears　and　weakness　and　his　detestation　of　people　who　looked　at　him　and　reflected　hourly　on　humps　and　early　death；　he　was　a　hysterical　half…crazy　little　hypochondriac　who　knew　nothing　of　the　sunshine　and　the　spring　and　also　did　not　know　that　he　could　get　well　and　could　stand　upon　his　feet　if　he　tried　to　do　it。　When　new　beautiful　thoughts　began　to　push　out　the　old　hideous　ones；　life　began　to　come　back　to　him；　his　blood　ran　healthily　through　his　veins　and　strength　poured　into　him　like　a　flood。　　His　scientific　experiment　was　quite　practical　and　simple　and　there　was　nothing　weird　about　it　at　all。　Much　more　surprising　things　can　happen　to　any　one　who；　when　a　disagreeable　or　discouraged　thought　comes　into　his　mind；　just　has　the　sense　to　remember　in　time　and　push　it　out　by　putting　in　an　agreeable　determinedly　courageous　one。　Two　things　cannot　be　in　one　place。

　　　　　　　　　〃Where；　you　tend　a　rose；　my　lad；　　　　　　　　　　A　thistle　cannot　grow。〃

While　the　secret　garden　was　coming　alive　and　two　children　were　coming　alive　with　it；　there　was　a　man　wandering　about　certain　far…away　beautiful　places　in　the　Norwegian　fiords　and　the　valleys　and　mountains　of　Switzerland　and　he　was　a　man　who　for　ten　years　had　kept　his　mind　filled　with　dark　and　heart…broken　thinking。　　He　had　not　been　courageous；　he　had　never　tried　to　put　any　other　thoughts　in　the　place　of　the　dark　ones。　　He　had　wandered　by　blue　lakes　and　thought　them；　he　had　lain　on　mountain…sides　with　sheets　of　deep　blue　gentians　blooming　all　about　him　and　flower　breaths　filling　all　the　air　and　he　had　thought　them。　　A　terrible　sorrow　had　fallen　upon　him　when　he　had　been　happy　and　he　had　let　his　soul　fill　itself　with　blackness　and　had　refused　obstinately　to　allow　any　rift　of　light　to　pierce　through。　He　had　forgotten　and　deserted　his　home　and　his　duties。　When　he　traveled　about；　darkness　so　brooded　over　him　that　the　sight　of　him　was　a　wrong　done　to　other　people　because　it　was　as　if　he　poisoned　the　air　about　him　with　gloom。　Most　strangers　thought　he　must　be　either　half　mad　or　a　man　with　some　hidden　crime　on　his　soul。　　He；　was　a　tall　man　with　a　drawn　face　and　crooked　shoulders　and　the　name　he　always　entered　on　hotel　registers　was；　〃Archibald　Craven；　Misselthwaite　Manor；　Yorkshire；　England。〃

He　had　traveled　far　and　wide　since　the　day　he　saw　Mistress　Mary　in　his　study　and　told　her　she　might　have　her　〃bit　of　earth。〃　He　had　been　in　the　most　beautiful　places　in　Europe；　though　he　had　remained　nowhere　more　than　a　few　days。　He　had　chosen　the　quietest　and　remotest　spots。　He　had　been　on　the　tops　of　mountains　whose　heads　were　in　the　clouds　and　had　looked　down　on　other　mountains　when　the　sun　rose　and　touched　them　with　such　light　as　made　it　seem　as　if　the　world　were　just　being　born。

But　the　light　had　never　seemed　to　touch　himself　until　one　day　when　he　realized　that　for　the　first　time　in　ten　years　a　strange　thing　had　happened。　　He　was　in　a　wonderful　valley　in　the　Austrian　Tyrol　and　he　had　been　walking　alone　through　such　beauty　as　might　have　lifted；　any　man's　soul　out　of　shadow。　　He　had　walked　a　long　way　and　it　had　not　lifted　his。　　But　at　last　he　had　felt　tired　and　had　thrown　himself　down　to　rest　on　a　carpet　of　moss　by　a　stream。　It　was　a　clear　little　stream　which　ran　quite　merrily　along　on　its　narrow　way　through　the　luscious　damp　greenness。　Sometimes　it　made　a　sound　rather　like　very　low　laughter　as　it　bubbled　over　and　round　stones。　　He　saw　birds　come　and　dip　their　heads　to　drink　in　it　and　then　flick　their　wings　and　fly　away。　　It　seemed　like　a　thing　alive　and　yet　its　tiny　voice　made　the　stillness　seem　deeper。　The　valley　was　very；　very　still。

As　he　sat　gazing　into　the　clear　running　of　the　water；　Archibald　Craven　gradually　felt　his　mind　and　body　both　grow　quiet；　as　quiet　as　the　valley　itself。　He　wondered　if　he　were　going　to　sleep；　but　he　was　not。　He　sat　and　gazed　at　the　sunlit　water　and　his　eyes　began　to　see　things　growing　at　its　edge。　　There　was　one　lovely　mass　of　blue　forget…me…nots　growing　so　close　to　the　stream　that　its　leaves　were　wet　and　at　these　he　found　himself　looking　as　he　remembered　he　had　looked　at　such　things　years　ago。　He　was　actually　thinking　tenderly　how　lovely　it　was　and　what　wonders　of　blue　its　hundreds　of　little　blossoms　were。　He　did　not　know　that　just　that　simple　thought　was　slowly　filling　his　mindfilling　and　filling　it　until　other　things　were　softly　pushed　aside。　　It　was　as　if　a　sweet　clear　spring　had　begun　to　rise　in　a　stagnant　pool　and　had　risen　and　risen　until　at　last　it　swept　the　dark　water　away。　But　of　course　he　did　not　think　of　this　himself。　　He　only　knew　that　the　valley　seemed　to　grow　quieter　and　quieter　as　he　sat　and　stared　at　the　bright　delicate　blueness。　He　did　not　know　how　long　he　sat　there　or　what　was　happening　to　him；　but　at　last　he　moved　as　if　he　were　awakening　and　he　got　up　slowly　and　stood　on　the　moss　carpet；　drawing　a　long；　deep；　soft　breath　and　wondering　at　himself。　Something　seemed　to　have　been　unbound　and　released　in　him；　very　quietly。

〃What　is　it？〃　he　said；　almost　in　a　whisper；　and　he　passed　his　hand　over　his　forehead。　　〃I　almost　feel　as　ifI　were　alive！〃

I　do　not　know　enough　about　the　wonderfulness　of　undiscovered　things　to　be　able　to　explain　how　this　had　happened　to　him。　Neither　does　any　one　else　yet。　　He　did　not　understand　at　all　himselfbut　he　remembered　this　strange　hour　months　afterward　when　he　was　at　Misselthwaite　again　and　he　found　out　quite　by　accident　that　on　this　very　day　Colin　had　cried　out　as　he　went　into　the　secret　garden：

〃I　am　going　to　live　forever　and　ever　and　ever！〃

The　singular　calmness　remained　with　him　the　rest　of　the　evening　and　he　slept　a　new　reposeful　sleep；　but　it　was　not　with　him　very　long。　　He　did　not　know　that　it　could　be　kept。　　By　the　next　night　he　had　opened　the　doors　wide　to　his　dark　thoughts　and　they　had　come　trooping　and　rushing　back。　　He　left　the　valley　and　went　on　his　wandering　way　again。　　But；　strange　as　it　seemed　to　him；　there　were　minutessometimes　half…hourswhen；　without　his　knowing　why；　the　black　burden　seemed　to　lift　itself　again　and　he　knew　he　was　a　living　man　and　not　a　dead　one。　Slowlyslowlyfor　no　reason　that　he　knew　ofhe　was　〃coming　alive〃　with　the　garden。

As　the　golden　summer　changed　into　the　deep　golden　autumn　he　went　to　the　Lake　of　Como。　　There　he　found　the　loveliness　of　a　dream。　　He　sp