found Martha waiting there. Martha had, in
fact, hurried back after she had removed the dinner
service.

"I can have my garden!" cried Mary. "I
may have it where I like! I am not going
to have a governess for a long time! Your
mother is coming to see me and I may go to your
cottage! He says a little girl like me could not
do any harm and I may do what I like -- anywhere!"

"Eh!" said Martha delightedly, "that was
nice of him wasn't it?"

"Martha," said Mary solemnly, "he is really
a nice man, only his face is so miserable and his
forehead is all drawn together."

She ran as quickly as she could to the garden.
She had been away so much longer than she had
thought she should and she knew Dickon would
have to set out early on his five-mile walk. When
she slipped through the door under the ivy, she
saw he was not working where she had left him.
The gardening tools were laid together under
a tree. She ran to them, looking all round the
place, but there was no Dickon to be seen. He
had gone away and the secret garden was empty
-- except for the robin who had just flown across
the wall and sat on a standard rose-bush watching
her.

[[151]]

p150 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p151w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p152

v?