Page 68 - Secret Garden

Colin was on the brink of sleep when he suddenly exclaimed, “Who’s that?” and pointed. Dickon and Mary scrambled to their feet.
There was Ben Weatherstaff, glaring at them over the garden wall, from atop a ladder. He actually shook his fist at Mary: “I knew tha’ was a bad’un first time
I saw thee!”
She called up to him: “Mr Robin showed me the way in!”
That made Ben angrier still. “Dun’t tha’ go blaming Robin!” But his fist froze in mid-air as caught sight of Colin Craven.
“Do you know who I am?” demanded the little emperor grandly.
Ben was flustered. “That I do. You’re that poor sickly creature as lives shut away and never sees the light o’ day.”
Colin was outraged.
“He is not sickly!” cried Mary hotly. “He’s wick, and
getting wick-er!”
Ben’s voice trembled. “Tha’ mean he can stand on his
two feet?”
Anger and hurt pride possessed Colin. He threw off the
rug over his lap. Dickon dashed over to him.
Mary caught her breath. “He can do it! He can do it! He
can!” she whispered, over and over.