18 Sharing a Secret

CHAPTER 18 Sharing a Secret Mary slept late into the next morning. Martha awoke her and said, "Colin is feeling ill after his tantrum, but he asked, 'Please see if Miss Mary will come talk to me.' Imagine him saying 'please'! Will you go?" Mary agreed. She was wearing her hat when she went into Colin's room. "Are you going somewhere?" he asked in a

weary but pleased voice. "I have to talk to Dickon, but I'll be back soon," she said. "It's—about the secret garden." Colin's eyes lit up. "Oh, I dreamed about it last night!" he remarked. "I'll keep imagining it until you come back." Five minutes later, Mary was in the garden. Dickon was working, with two squirrels called Nut and Shell sitting on his shoulders. Captain lay on the ground, and Soot perched on a tree branch. Mary told Dickon her idea that he could visit Colin the next day with the animals. After a few days, they could bring Colin outside.

"Aye, a good plan," Dickon agreed. Mary wanted to stay in the garden, but she knew Colin was waiting. She hurried back to

his bedside, where Colin did a strange thing. He sniffed at her. "I smell flowers and fresh things," he said. "It's cool and warm and sweet at the same time." "Aye, lad," she said just like Dickon would, "it's the wind from the moor and the smell of new grass in springtime." Mary talked to Colin about Dickon and his animals. She told him about Soot and Captain and the two squirrels. She described the wild pony that followed Dickon across the moor. "Does the pony really understand Dickon?" Colin asked. "It seems like magic," Mary replied, "but Dickon says that anything will understand you if you're friends with it for sure." "I've never had anyone to be friends with," Colin said sadly, "and I can't bear other

people." "What about me?" Mary asked. "Oh, I like you," Colin said. "I used to not like anybody," Mary admitted, "but I got to know Ben and the robin and Dickon. I probably wouldn't like you if I hadn't liked them first." "I wouldn't mind Dickon looking at me," Colin said. "I'm glad," Mary answered, "because..." Then she told him about the plan for Dickon's visit, about finding the key and the ivy-covered door, and about their work to make the secret garden grow. "Oh, Mary," he said with a kind of sob, "will I live to go in and see it?" "Of course you will!" Mary snapped. "Don't be silly." Colin relaxed and laughed at himself. Then Mary said, "I couldn't tell you about

the garden before because I was afraid. But now I trust you for sure!"