stars waiting and watching makes one sure; and
sometimes a sound of far-off music makes it true;
and sometimes a look in some one's eyes.

And it was like that with Colin when he first
saw and heard and felt the Springtime inside the
four high walls of a hidden garden. That afternoon
the whole world seemed to devote itself to
being perfect and radiantly beautiful and kind to
one boy. Perhaps out of pure heavenly goodness
the spring came and crowded everything it possibly
could into that one place. More than once
Dickon paused in what he was doing and stood
still with a sort of growing wonder in his eyes,
shaking his head softly.

"Eh! it is graidely," he said. "I'm twelve
goin' on thirteen an' there's a lot o' afternoons in
thirteen years, but seems to me like I never seed
one as graidely as this 'ere."

"Aye, it is a graidely one," said Mary, and she
sighed for mere joy. "I'll warrant it's th'
graidelest one as ever was in this world."

"Does tha' think," said Colin with dreamy carefulness,
"as happen it was made loike this 'ere
all o' purpose for me?"

"My word!" cried Mary admiringly, "that
there is a bit o' good Yorkshire. Tha'rt shapin'
first-rate -- that tha' art."

And delight reigned.

[[269]]

p268 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p269w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p270

v?