Colin looked down at them.

"Aye," he said slowly, "there couldna' be
bigger Magic then that there -- there couldna'
be."

He drew himself up straighter than ever.

"I'm going to walk to that tree," he said, pointing
to one a few feet away from him. "I'm going
to be standing when Weatherstaff comes here.
I can rest against the tree if I like. When I
want to sit down I will sit down, but not before.
Bring a rug from the chair."

He walked to the tree and though Dickon held
his arm he was wonderfully steady. When he
stood against the tree trunk it was not too plain
that he supported himself against it, and he still
held himself so straight that he looked tall.

When Ben Weatherstaff came through the door
in the wall he saw him standing there and he heard
Mary muttering something under her breath.

"What art sayin'?" he asked rather testily
because he did not want his attention distracted
from the long thin straight boy figure and proud
face.

But she did not tell him. What she was saying
was this:

"You can do it! You can do it! I told you
you could! You can do it! You can do it! You
_can_!"

[[285]]

p284 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p285w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p286

v?