"It's a secret garden sure enough," he said,
"but seems like some one besides th' robin must
have been in it since it was shut up ten year' ago."

"But the door was locked and the key was buried,"
said Mary. "No one could get in."

"That's true," he answered. "It's a queer
place. Seems to me as if there'd been a bit o'
prunin' done here an' there, later than ten year'
ago."

"But how could it have been done?" said
Mary.

He was examining a branch of a standard rose
and he shook his head.

"Aye! how could it!" he murmured. "With
th' door locked an' th' key buried."

Mistress Mary always felt that however many
years she lived she should never forget that first
morning when her garden began to grow. Of
course, It did seem to begin to grow for her that
morning. When Dickon began to clear places to
plant seeds, she remembered what Basil had sung
at her when he wanted to tease her.

"Are there any flowers that look like bells?"
she inquired.

"Lilies o' th' valley does," he answered, digging
away with the trowel, "an' there's Canterbury
bells, an' campanulas."

"Let us plant some," said Mary.

[[135]]

p134 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p135w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p136

v?