times callin Jem a drunken brute, said Ben Weatherstaff dryly.
Summat allus come o that, sure enough. He gave her a good hidin an
went to th Blue Lion an got as drunk as a lord.
Colin drew his brows together and thought a few minutes. Then he
cheered up.
Well, he said, you see something did come of it. She used the wrong
Magic until she made him beat her. If she d used the right Magic and
had said something nice perhaps he wouldn t have got as drunk as a lord
and perhaps perhaps he might have bought her a new bonnet.
Ben Weatherstaff chuckled and there was shrewd admiration in his little
old eyes.
Tha rt a clever lad as well as a straight-legged one, Mester Colin,
he said. Next time I see Bess Fettleworth I ll give her a bit of a
hint o what Magic will do for her. She d be rare an pleased if th
sinetifik speriment worked an so ud Jem.
Dickon had stood listening to the lecture, his round eyes shining with
curious delight. Nut and Shell were on his shoulders and he held a
long-eared white rabbit in his arm and stroked and stroked it softly
while it laid its ears along its back and enjoyed itself.
Do you think the experiment will work? Colin asked him, wondering
what he was thinking. He so often wondered what Dickon was thinking
when he saw him looking at him or at one of his creatures with his
happy wide smile.
He smiled now and his smile was wider than usual.
Aye, he answered, that I do. It ll work same as th seeds do when
th sun shines on em. It ll work for sure. Shall us begin it now?
Colin was delighted and so was Mary. Fired by recollections of fakirs
and devotees in illustrations Colin suggested that they should all sit
cross-legged under the tree which made a canopy.
It will be like sitting in a sort of temple, said Colin. I m rather
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