partly because she was curious and partly in hope
of making him forget the garden.

"I don't suppose I shall," he answered as indifferently
as he had spoken before. "Ever since
I remember anything I have heard people say I
shan't. At first they thought I was too little to
understand and now they think I don't hear. But
I do. My doctor is my father's cousin. He is
quite poor and if I die he will have all Misselthwaite
when my father is dead. I should think
he wouldn't want me to live."

"Do you want to live?" inquired Mary.

"No," he answered, in a cross, tired fashion.
"But I don't want to die. When I feel ill I lie
here and think about it until I cry and cry."

"I have heard you crying three times," Mary
said, "but I did not know who it was. Were you
crying about that?" She did so want him to
forget the garden.

"I dare say," he answered. "Let us talk
about something else. Talk about that garden.
Don't you want to see it?"

"Yes," answered Mary, in quite a low voice.

"I do," he went on persistently. "I don't
think I ever really wanted to see anything before,
but I want to see that garden. I want the key dug
up. I want the door unlocked. I would let them
take me there in my chair. That would be getting

[[164]]

p163 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p164w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p165

v?