CHAPTER XIV 128
" The servants--and of course Dr. Craven because he would get Misselthwaite and be rich instead of poor. He daren ' t say so, but he always looks cheerful when I am worse. When I had typhoid fever his face got quite fat. I think my father wishes it, too."
" I don ' t believe he does," said Mary quite obstinately. That made Colin turn and look at her again. " Don ' t you?" he said.
And then he lay back on his cushion and was still, as if he were thinking. And there was quite a long silence. Perhaps they were both of them thinking strange things children do not usually think of.
" I like the grand doctor from London, because he made them take the iron thing off," said Mary at last. " Did he say you were going to die?"
" No." " What did he say?"
" He didn ' t whisper," Colin answered. " Perhaps he knew I hated whispering. I heard him say one thing quite aloud. He said, ' The lad might live if he would make up his mind to it. Put him in the humor.' It sounded as if he was in a temper."
" I ' ll tell you who would put you in the humor, perhaps," said Mary reflecting. She felt as if she would like this thing to be settled one way or the other. " I believe Dickon would. He ' s always talking about live things. He never talks about dead things or things that are ill. He ' s always looking up in the sky to watch birds flying--or looking down at the earth to see something growing. He has such round blue eyes and they are so wide open with looking about. And he laughs such a big laugh with his wide mouth--and his cheeks are as red--as red as cherries."