"What sort of a garden is it?" Colin persisted
eagerly.

"No one has been allowed to go into it for ten
years," was Mary's careful answer.

But it was too late to be careful. He was too
much like herself. He too had had nothing to
think about and the idea of a hidden garden attracted
him as it had attracted her. He asked
question after question. Where was it? Had
she never looked for the door? Had she never
asked the gardeners?

"They won't talk about it," said Mary. "I
think they have been told not to answer questions."

"I would make them," said Colin.

"Could you?" Mary faltered, beginning to feel
frightened. If he could make people answer questions,
who knew what might happen!

"Every one is obliged to please me. I told
you that," he said. "If I were to live, this place
would sometime belong to me. They all know
that. I would make them tell me."

Mary had not known that she herself had been
spoiled, but she could see quite plainly that this
mysterious boy had been. He thought that the
whole world belonged to him. How peculiar he
was and how coolly he spoke of not living.

"Do you think you won't live?" she asked,

[[163]]

p162 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p163w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p164

v?