and let him go. He did not know that Dr.
Craven would have said that his nerves had relaxed
and rested themselves. Instead of lying and
staring at the wall and wishing he had not awakened,
his mind was full of the plans he and Mary
had made yesterday, of pictures of the garden and
of Dickon and his wild creatures. It was so nice
to have things to think about. And he had not
been awake more than ten minutes when he heard
feet running along the corridor and Mary was at
the door. The next minute she was in the room
and had run across to his bed, bringing with her
a waft of fresh air full of the scent of the morning.

"You've been out! You've been out!
There's that nice smell of leaves!" he cried.

She had been running and her hair was loose
and blown and she was bright with the air and
pink-cheeked, though he could not see it.

"It's so beautiful!" she said, a little breathless
with her speed. "You never saw anything so
beautiful! It has _come_! I thought it had come
that other morning, but it was only coming. It is
here now! It has come, the Spring! Dickon
says so!"

"Has it?" cried Colin, and though he really
knew nothing about it he felt his heart beat. He
actually sat up in bed.

[[246]]

p245 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p246w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p247

v?