ever knew, though Mrs. Medlock nearly found me
out. I lost my way when I was coming back and
I stopped at the end of your corridor. That was
the second time I heard you crying."

Colin started up on his sofa.

"A hundred rooms no one goes into," he said.
"It sounds almost like a secret garden. Suppose
we go and look at them. You could wheel
me in my chair and nobody would know where we
went."

"That's what I was thinking," said Mary.
"No one would dare to follow us. There are
galleries where you could run. We could do our
exercises. There is a little Indian room where
there is a cabinet full of ivory elephants. There
are all sorts of rooms."

"Ring the bell," said Colin.

When the nurse came in he gave his orders.

"I want my chair," he said. "Miss Mary and
I are going to look at the part of the house which
is not used. John can push me as far as the
picture-gallery because there are some stairs. Then
he must go away and leave us alone until I send
for him again."

Rainy days lost their terrors that morning.
When the footman had wheeled the chair into the
picture-gallery and left the two together in obedience
to orders, Colin and Mary looked at each

[[334]]

p333 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p334w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p335

v?