as a robin when he shows off -- and they are
nearly always doing it.

Mary Lennox had heard a great deal about
Magic in her Ayah's stories, and she always said
that what happened almost at that moment was
Magic.

One of the nice little gusts of wind rushed down
the walk, and it was a stronger one than the rest.
It was strong enough to wave the branches of the
trees, and it was more than strong enough to sway
the trailing sprays of untrimmed ivy hanging from
the wall. Mary had stepped close to the robin,
and suddenly the gust of wind swung aside
some loose ivy trails, and more suddenly still she
jumped toward it and caught it in her hand.
This she did because she had seen something
under it -- a round knob which had been covered
by the leaves hanging over it. It was the knob of
a door.

She put her hands under the leaves and began
to pull and push them aside. Thick as the ivy
hung, it nearly all was a loose and swinging curtain,
though some had crept over wood and iron.
Mary's heart began to thump and her hands to
shake a little in her delight and excitement. The
robin kept singing and twittering away and tilting
his head on one side, as if he were as excited as
she was. What was this under her hands which

[[95]]

p094 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p095w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p096

v?