CHAPTER XV 141 day and find he ' s growed hunchback."
" Colin ' s so afraid of it himself that he won ' t sit up," said Mary. " He says he ' s always thinking that if he should feel a lump coming he should go crazy and scream himself to death."
" Eh! he oughtn ' t to lie there thinkin ' things like that," said Dickon. " No lad could get well as thought them sort o ' things."
The fox was lying on the grass close by him looking up to ask for a pat now and then, and Dickon bent down and rubbed his neck softly and thought a few minutes in silence. Presently he lifted his head and looked round the garden.
" When first we got in here," he said, " it seemed like everything was gray. Look round now and tell me if tha ' doesn ' t see a difference."
Mary looked and caught her breath a little.
" Why!" she cried, " the gray wall is changing. It is as if a green mist were creeping over it. It ' s almost like a green gauze veil."
" Aye," said Dickon. " An ' it ' ll be greener and greener till th ' gray ' s all gone. Can tha ' guess what I was thinkin '?"
" I know it was something nice," said Mary eagerly. " I believe it was something about Colin."
" I was thinkin ' that if he was out here he wouldn ' t be watchin ' for lumps to grow on his back; he ' d be watchin ' for buds to break on th ' rose-bushes, an ' he ' d likely be healthier," explained Dickon. " I was wonderin ' if us could ever get him in th ' humor to come out here an ' lie under th ' trees in his carriage."
" I ' ve been wondering that myself. I ' ve thought of it almost every time I ' ve talked to him," said Mary. " I ' ve wondered if he could keep a secret and I ' ve