The Secret Garden Frances Hodgson Burnett (recommended reading .TXT) đ
- Author: Frances Hodgson Burnett
Book online «The Secret Garden Frances Hodgson Burnett (recommended reading .TXT) đ». Author Frances Hodgson Burnett
She asked a great many questions and her blue eyes were full of deep thinking.
âWhat do they make of it at thâ Manorâ âhim being so well anâ cheerful anâ never complaininâ?â she inquired.
âThey donât know what to make of it,â answered Dickon. âEvery day as comes round his face looks different. Itâs fillinâ out and doesnât look so sharp anâ thâ waxy color is goinâ. But he has to do his bit oâ complaininâ,â with a highly entertained grin.
âWhat for, iâ Mercyâs name?â asked Mrs. Sowerby.
Dickon chuckled.
âHe does it to keep them from guessinâ whatâs happened. If the doctor knew heâd found out he could stand on his feet heâd likely write and tell Mester Craven. Mester Colinâs savinâ thâ secret to tell himself. Heâs goinâ to practise his Magic on his legs every day till his father comes back anâ then heâs goinâ to march into his room anâ show him heâs as straight as other lads. But him anâ Miss Mary thinks itâs best plan to do a bit oâ groaninâ anâ frettinâ now anâ then to throw folk off thâ scent.â
Mrs. Sowerby was laughing a low comfortable laugh long before he had finished his last sentence.
âEh!â she said, âthat pairâs enjoyinâ theirselves, Iâll warrant. Theyâll get a good bit oâ play actinâ out of it anâ thereâs nothinâ children likes as much as play actinâ. Letâs hear what they do, Dickon lad.â
Dickon stopped weeding and sat up on his heels to tell her. His eyes were twinkling with fun.
âMester Colin is carried down to his chair every time he goes out,â he explained. âAnâ he flies out at John, thâ footman, for not carryinâ him careful enough. He makes himself as helpless lookinâ as he can anâ never lifts his head until weâre out oâ sight oâ thâ house. Anâ he grunts anâ frets a good bit when heâs beinâ settled into his chair. Him anâ Miss Maryâs both got to enjoyinâ it anâ when he groans anâ complains sheâll say, âPoor Colin! Does it hurt you so much? Are you so weak as that, poor Colin?ââ âbut thâ trouble is that sometimes they can scarce keep from burstinâ out laughinâ. When we get safe into the garden they laugh till theyâve no breath left to laugh with. Anâ they have to stuff their faces into Mester Colinâs cushions to keep the gardeners from hearinâ, if any of âemâs about.â
âThâ more they laugh thâ better for âem!â said Mrs. Sowerby, still laughing herself. âGood healthy child laughinâs better than pills any day oâ thâ year. That pairâll plump up for sure.â
âThey are plumpinâ up,â said Dickon. âTheyâre that hungry they donât know how to get enough to eat without makinâ talk. Mester Colin says if he keeps sendinâ for more food they wonât believe heâs an invalid at all. Miss Mary says sheâll let him eat her share, but he says that if she goes hungry sheâll get thin anâ they mun both get fat at once.â
Mrs. Sowerby laughed so heartily at the revelation of this difficulty, that she quite rocked backward and forward in her blue cloak, and Dickon laughed with her.
âIâll tell thee what, lad,â Mrs. Sowerby said when she could speak. âIâve thought of a way to help âem. When thaâ goes to âem in thâ morninâs thaâ shall take a pail oâ good new milk anâ Iâll bake âem a crusty cottage loaf or some buns wiâ currants in âem, same as you children like. Nothinâs so good as fresh milk anâ bread. Then they could take off thâ edge oâ their hunger while they were in their garden anâ thâ fine food they get indoors âud polish off thâ corners.â
âEh! mother!â said Dickon admiringly, âwhat a wonder thaâ art! Thaâ always sees a way out oâ things. They was quite in a pother yesterday. They didnât see how they was to manage without orderinâ up more foodâ âthey felt that empty inside.â
âTheyâre two young âuns growinâ fast, anâ healthâs cominâ back to both of âem. Children like that feels like young wolves anâ foodâs flesh anâ blood to âem,â said Mrs. Sowerby. Then she smiled Dickonâs own curving smile. âEh! but theyâre enjoyinâ theirselves for sure,â she said.
She was quite right, the comfortable wonderful mother creatureâ âand she had never been more so than when she said their âplay actinâââ would be their joy. Colin and Mary found it one of their most thrilling sources of entertainment. The idea of protecting themselves from suspicion had been unconsciously suggested to them first by the puzzled nurse and then by Dr. Craven himself.
âYour appetite is improving very much, Master Colin,â the nurse had said one day. âYou used to eat nothing, and so many things disagreed with you.â
âNothing disagrees with me now,â replied Colin, and then seeing the nurse looking at him curiously he suddenly remembered that perhaps he ought not to appear too well just yet. âAt least things donât so often disagree with me. Itâs the fresh air.â
âPerhaps it is,â said the nurse, still looking at him with a mystified expression. âBut I must talk to Dr. Craven about it.â
âHow she stared at you!â said Mary when she went away. âAs if she thought there must be something to find out.â
âI wonât have her finding out things,â said Colin. âNo one must begin to find out yet.â When Dr. Craven came that morning he seemed puzzled, also. He asked a number of questions, to Colinâs great annoyance.
âYou stay out in the garden a great deal,â he suggested. âWhere do you go?â
Colin put on his favorite air of dignified indifference to opinion.
âI will not let anyone know where I go,â he answered. âI go to a place I like. Everyone has orders to keep out of the way. I wonât be watched and stared at. You know that!â
âYou seem to be out all day but I do not think it has
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