dig and pull up weeds, and do whatever you tell
me. Oh! do come, Dickon!"

"I'll come every day if tha' wants me, rain or
shine," he answered stoutly. "It's th' best fun
I ever had in my life -- shut in here an' wakenin'
up a garden."

"If you will come," said Mary, "if you will
help me to make it alive I'll -- I don't know what
I'll do," she ended helplessly. What could you
do for a boy like that?

"I'll tell thee what tha'll do," said Dickon,
with his happy grin. "Tha'll get fat an' tha'll
get as hungry as a young fox an' tha'll learn how
to talk to th' robin same as I do. Eh! we'll have
a lot o' fun."

He began to walk about, looking up in the trees
and at the walls and bushes with a thoughtful
expression.

"I wouldn't want to make it look like a gardener's
garden, all clipped an' spick an' span, would
you?" he said. "It's nicer like this with things
runnin' wild, an' swingin' an' catchin' hold of each
other."

"Don't let us make it tidy," said Mary anxiously.
"It wouldn't seem like a secret garden
if it was tidy."

Dickon stood rubbing his rusty-red head with
a rather puzzled look.

[[134]]

p133 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p134w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p135

v?