CHAPTER XV 139
their way o ' thinkin ' and doin ' things an ' a body had better not meddle. You can lose a friend in springtime easier than any other season if you ' re too curious."
" If we talk about him I can ' t help looking at him," Mary said as softly as possible. " We must talk of something else. There is something I want to tell you."
" He ' ll like it better if us talks o ' somethin ' else," said Dickon. " What is it tha ' s got to tell me?"
" Well--do you know about Colin?" she whispered. He turned his head to look at her. " What does tha ' know about him?" he asked.
" I ' ve seen him. I have been to talk to him every day this week. He wants me to come. He says I ' m making him forget about being ill and dying," answered Mary.
Dickon looked actually relieved as soon as the surprise died away from his round face.
" I am glad o ' that," he exclaimed. " I ' m right down glad. It makes me easier. I knowed I must say nothin ' about him an ' I don ' t like havin ' to hide things."
" Don ' t you like hiding the garden?" said Mary.
" I ' ll never tell about it," he answered. " But I says to mother, ' Mother,' I says, ' I got a secret to keep. It ' s not a bad ' un, tha ' knows that. It ' s no worse than hidin ' where a bird ' s nest is. Tha ' doesn ' t mind it, does tha '?'"
Mary always wanted to hear about mother. " What did she say?" she asked, not at all afraid to hear.