Таємничий сад
XXI. Ben Weatherstaff
“Eh!itisgraidely,”hesaid.“I’mtwelvegoin’onthirteenan’there’saloto’afternoonsinthirteenyears,butseemstomelikeIneverseedoneasgraidelyasthis’ere.”
“Aye,itisagraidelyone,”saidMary,andshesighedformerejoy.“I’llwarrantit’sthegraidelestoneaseverwasinthisworld.”
“Doestha’think,”saidColinwithdreamycarefulness,“ashappenitwasmadeloikethis’ereallo’purposeforme?”
“Myword!”criedMaryadmiringly,“thatthereisabito’goodYorkshire.Tha’rtshapin’first-rate—thattha’art.”
Anddelightreigned.
Theydrewthechairundertheplum-tree,whichwassnow-whitewithblossomsandmusicalwithbees.Itwaslikeaking’scanopy,afairyking’s.Therewerefloweringcherry-treesnearandapple-treeswhosebudswerepinkandwhite,andhereandthereonehadburstopenwide.Betweentheblossomingbranchesofthecanopybitsofblueskylookeddownlikewonderfuleyes.
MaryandDickonworkedalittlehereandthereandColinwatchedthem.Theybroughthimthingstolookat—budswhichwereopening,budswhichweretightclosed,bitsoftwigwhoseleaveswerejustshowinggreen,thefeatherofawoodpeckerwhichhaddroppedonthegrass,theemptyshellofsomebirdearlyhatched.Dickonpushedthechairslowlyroundandroundthegarden,stoppingeveryothermomenttolethimlookatwondersspringingoutoftheearthortrailingdownfromtrees.Itwaslikebeingtakeninstateroundthecountryofamagickingandqueenandshownallthemysteriousrichesitcontained.