Look at that! she said. This is a house of mystery, and those two
children are the greatest mysteries in it.
If they keep that up every day, said the strong young footman John,
there d be small wonder that he weighs twice as much today as he did a
month ago. I should have to give up my place in time, for fear of doing
my muscles an injury.
That afternoon Mary noticed that something new had happened in Colin s
room. She had noticed it the day before but had said nothing because
she thought the change might have been made by chance. She said nothing
today but she sat and looked fixedly at the picture over the mantel.
She could look at it because the curtain had been drawn aside. That was
the change she noticed.
I know what you want me to tell you, said Colin, after she had stared
a few minutes. I always know when you want me to tell you something.
You are wondering why the curtain is drawn back. I am going to keep it
like that.
Why? asked Mary.
Because it doesn t make me angry any more to see her laughing. I
wakened when it was bright moonlight two nights ago and felt as if the
Magic was filling the room and making everything so splendid that I
couldn t lie still. I got up and looked out of the window. The room was
quite light and there was a patch of moonlight on the curtain and
somehow that made me go and pull the cord. She looked right down at me
as if she were laughing because she was glad I was standing there. It
made me like to look at her. I want to see her laughing like that all
the time. I think she must have been a sort of Magic person perhaps.
You are so like her now, said Mary, that sometimes I think perhaps
you are her ghost made into a boy.
That idea seemed to impress Colin. He thought it over and then answered
her slowly.
If I were her ghost my father would be fond of me, he said.
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