hungry an I knowed it wouldn t be hungry if it hadn t lost its mother
somehow, so I set off searchin . Eh! I did have a look for it. I went
in an out among th gorse bushes an round an round an I always
seemed to take th wrong turnin . But at last I seed a bit o white by
a rock on top o th moor an I climbed up an found th little un
half dead wi cold an clemmin .
While he talked, Soot flew solemnly in and out of the open window and
cawed remarks about the scenery while Nut and Shell made excursions
into the big trees outside and ran up and down trunks and explored
branches. Captain curled up near Dickon, who sat on the hearth-rug from
preference.
They looked at the pictures in the gardening books and Dickon knew all
the flowers by their country names and knew exactly which ones were
already growing in the secret garden.
I couldna say that there name, he said, pointing to one under which
was written Aquilegia, but us calls that a columbine, an that there
one it s a snapdragon and they both grow wild in hedges, but these is
garden ones an they re bigger an grander. There s some big clumps o
columbine in th garden. They ll look like a bed o blue an white
butterflies flutterin when they re out.
I m going to see them, cried Colin. I am going to see them!
Aye, that tha mun, said Mary quite seriously. An tha munnot lose
no time about it.
CHAPTER XX.
I SHALL LIVE FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER!
But they were obliged to wait more than a week because first there came
some very windy days and then Colin was threatened with a cold, which
two things happening one after the other would no doubt have thrown him
into a rage but that there was so much careful and mysterious planning
163