CHAPTER IV 29
" Why don ' t you take it to them?" suggested Mary.
" It ' s not mine," answered Martha stoutly. " An ' this isn ' t my day out. I get my day out once a month same as th ' rest. Then I go home an ' clean up for mother an ' give her a day ' s rest."
Mary drank some tea and ate a little toast and some marmalade.
" You wrap up warm an ' run out an ' play you," said Martha. " It ' ll do you good and give you some stomach for your meat."
Mary went to the window. There were gardens and paths and big trees, but everything looked dull and wintry.
" Out? Why should I go out on a day like this?"
" Well, if tha ' doesn ' t go out tha ' lt have to stay in, an ' what has tha ' got to do?"
Mary glanced about her. There was nothing to do. When Mrs. Medlock had prepared the nursery she had not thought of amusement. Perhaps it would be better to go and see what the gardens were like.
" Who will go with me?" she inquired. Martha stared.
" You ' ll go by yourself," she answered. " You ' ll have to learn to play like other children does when they haven ' t got sisters and brothers. Our Dickon goes off on th ' moor by himself an ' plays for hours. That ' s how he made friends with th ' pony. He ' s got sheep on th ' moor that knows him, an ' birds as comes an ' eats out of his hand. However little there is to eat, he always saves a bit o ' his bread to coax his pets."
It was really this mention of Dickon which made Mary decide to go out, though she was not aware of it. There would be birds outside though there