I says to mother, 'Mother,' I says, 'I got a secret
to keep. It's not a bad 'un, tha' knows that. It's
no worse than hidin' where a bird's nest is. Tha'
doesn't mind it, does tha'?'"

Mary always wanted to hear about mother.

"What did she say?" she asked, not at all
afraid to hear.

Dickon grinned sweet-temperedly.

"It was just like her, what she said," he answered.
"She give my head a bit of a rub an'
laughed an' she says, 'Eh, lad, tha' can have all
th' secrets tha' likes. I've knowed thee twelve
year'.'"

"How did you know about Colin?" asked
Mary.

"Everybody as knowed about Mester Craven
knowed there was a little lad as was like to be a
cripple, an' they knowed Mester Craven didn't
like him to be talked about. Folks is sorry for
Mester Craven because Mrs. Craven was such a
pretty young lady an' they was so fond of each
other. Mrs. Medlock stops in our cottage whenever
she goes to Thwaite an' she doesn't mind
talkin' to mother before us children, because she
knows us has been brought up to be trusty. How
did tha' find out about him? Martha was in
fine trouble th' last time she came home. She
said tha'd heard him frettin' an' tha' was askin'

[[201]]

p200 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p201w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p202

v?