CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

BEN WEATHERSTAFF

Mary had never seen such a beautiful afternoon. Even Dickon, who lived every day outside, shook his head and said, "Well, I've seen a lot of pretty days, but never one as nice as this."

They pushed Colin's chair under a tree. Colin could not stop staring at everything. Mary and Dickon brought him things to look at—small flowers, bird feathers, and an egg shell from a bird that had just been born. The cherry and apple trees had white and pink flowers. In summer there would be delicious fruit to eat. Bees flew everywhere, drinking from the flowers. It was like being in a magical world. Dickon pushed the chair slowly around the garden so Colin could see everything.

After a while Mary and Dickon decided to work a little. They dug and cleaned around the flowers while Colin watched them. Colin kept seeing the birds flying through the air. They were bringing pieces of food to their little ones. "It looks like the birds are having their afternoon tea," he said to Dickon and Mary. They all laughed at this idea.

Soon the thought of afternoon tea made them hungry. "Go and make one of the servants bring some in a basket. You can go and meet them at the kitchen door," said Colin. It was agreed that this was a very good idea. Soon they were having a wonderful afternoon meal. There was hot tea, and bread, and cake. Dickon's little squirrels took pieces of bread and ate them. His large black bird had a large piece of cake, and seemed to enjoy it very much.

They ate quietly for a while. Soon Colin said, "I don't want this afternoon to end. But I'll come back tomorrow, and every day after that. I'll get fresh air every day! I've seen the spring now, and I'll see the summer. I'll watch everything grow here, and I'll grow here, too!"

"Certainly you will!" said Dickon. "We'll have you walking and digging with us, before long."

Colin's face turned red.

"Walk?" he said. "Dig? Will I?"

Dickon looked at him carefully. So did Mary. Neither of them knew if anything was really wrong with Colin's legs. Could he walk, if he wanted to?

"Of course you'll walk. You—you've got legs, the same as other people!"

Mary felt worried until Colin answered.

"Nothing's really wrong with my legs," he said. "They're very thin and weak, however. I always thought I shouldn't walk, and all the doctors and nurses did too. So I haven't tried to for a long time. They shake so much that I'm afraid to try to stand up."

Dickon and Mary both felt better. "When you stop being afraid, you'll stand on them," said Dickon cheerfully. "And you'll stop being afraid pretty soon!"

"I will!" said Colin, as if it surprised him.

They lay still for a while, enjoying the day. Suddenly, Colin whispered, "Mary! Dickon! Who is that man?"

Dickon and Mary jumped up and looked where Colin was pointing. Ben Weatherstaff was there, on the other side of the wall! They saw his angry face looking at them, over the top of the wall. He had climbed up a ladder on the other side. He shook his head at them.

"If you were my child," he cried, looking angrily at Mary, "I'd beat you, that's for sure! I always knew you were a bad child—always asking questions. I don't know why I made friends with you. Now, if it hadn't been for that robin—"

"But, Ben Weatherstaff," cried Mary, "It was the robin who showed me the way in!"

Ben looked like he wanted to jump over the wall. "That's ridiculous! Don't blame the robin for this," he said sternly. But Mary could see he was really curious. "How did you ever get in here?"

"Ben Weatherstaff, I can't tell you when you're shaking your fist at me like that," said Mary.

Colin had been watching all this from his chair. Ben hadn't seen him yet. He had to do something. "Push me over there! I want to talk to that man!" he whispered to Dickon.

Then Ben Weatherstaff saw something that amazed him. Coming toward him was a large chair that looked like a king's chair. In the chair sat a boy who looked like a prince. He had enormous gray eyes and was thin and very white. But to Ben, it seemed that the ghost of Mrs Craven was looking at him. Colin looked so much like his mother. He couldn't believe his eyes.

"Do you know who I am?" said Colin. "Answer me!"

"Do—do I know who you are? Of course—your mother's eyes are looking at me, from your face. I don't know how you came here. You're the poor crippled boy."

Colin sat up in his chair. He was not a cripple! He wasn't going to let this poor gardener think so. He might have a weak back, but there was nothing wrong with his legs. "Listen, you! I am not a cripple!" he cried.

"He's not!" shouted Mary. "He's really not! And he's not a hunchback, either. I looked and there's not even one lump there!"

Ben didn't know what to think. He put his hand over his eyes. "You—you haven't got bad legs?" he asked.

"No!" shouted Colin.

"And—you haven't got a bad back?"

"Come here! Come here!" Colin shouted to Dickon. Dickon ran over to help him. "Take these blankets off me. I'll show him!"

Dickon threw off the blankets that covered Colin. Colin's anger gave his body strength. Mary watched him, thinking, "He can do it! He can! He can!"

Slowly, with his hand on Dickon's arm, Colin stood up. He stared at Ben Weatherstaff angrily. His back was straight, and his legs were straight. His head was held up proudly.

"There! Look at me, you! Just look at me!" he said.

Ben Weatherstaff burst into tears. He never thought he would see this boy. He had loved the boy's mother very much. To see her son standing before him was like a miracle.

"The lies people tell!" Ben cried. "You're as thin and white as a ghost, but you'll grow up to be a man."

"I'm your master, while my father is gone," Colin said to Ben. "You must obey me. This is my garden. You cannot tell anyone we are here! Now, get down from the ladder. Miss Mary will meet you at the door and bring you to me. We did not want you, but now you have to know the secret, too. Be quick!"

"My boy!" whispered Ben. "My boy!" He couldn't take his eyes off Colin. Then he seemed to remember where he was. "Yes, sir! Yes, sir!" he said, and climbed down the ladder.

Mary ran to meet Ben. While she was doing this, Colin said to Dickon, "Dickon, I am going to walk over to that cherry tree. I want to be standing when Weatherstaff comes here. Put a rug under the tree. When I want to sit down, I will, but not before." His cheeks were red, and he didn't look tired at all.

Dickon held Colin's arm, but Colin was strong on his feet. He slowly walked over to the tree and stood there. Then Mary and Ben Weatherstaff entered.

Mary had been telling Ben about Colin's recovery. The important thing that Ben must remember was that Colin was getting well. Nothing could be said about sickness, or dying, or back problems.

"Come here, Weatherstaff," Colin said to Ben. "Now, look at me! Do I have bad legs, or a bad back?"

"No, sir!" cried Ben. "It's a miracle. I never thought I'd see you, my boy. What have you been doing all your life? You've been hiding away in your room."

"Well, that's over now," said Colin firmly. "Everyone thought I was going to die, but I'm not!"

"Of course you're not. Not you! You've got too much strength in you," said Ben. "Now sit down on the rug for a while, young Master, and give me my orders."

"What do you do here, Weatherstaff?" asked Colin.

"I work in all the gardens," said Ben. "Master Craven lets me stay here, because—because your mother liked me."

"My mother!" said Colin. He looked around. "This was her garden, wasn't it?"

"Yes. She loved it very much. She once said to me, 'Ben, if I'm ever ill, or I go away, you must take care of my roses.' She loved those roses, like they were her children!"

"Well, it is my garden now," said Colin. "I love it, too. I will come here every day. Mary and Dickon have done a lot of work here. You cannot tell anyone. You will come here sometimes, and help us. But you must come when no one can see you," he said to Ben.

"Yes, sir. I'll come whenever you want me," said Ben. He was very happy with this plan.

"I'm glad you knew my mother, Weatherstaff," said Colin. "You'll know how to keep the secret."

Colin picked up Mary's little shovel. He pushed it into the dirt and tried to dig. His hand was still very weak and thin, so he couldn't push very deep. But soon he turned some soil over.

"Do you want to plant something, young Master?" asked Ben. "I can get you a rose in a pot."

"Go and get it!" said Colin excitedly.

Dickon quickly dug a wide, deep hole in the ground. When Ben brought the rose, he took it out of its pot. He handed it to Colin.

"Here, boy," he said. "Put it in the ground yourself, like a king does when he goes to a new place."

Colin placed the rose in the hole in the ground. Then Dickon and Ben put dirt around the plant. They pressed it down firmly.

"It's planted!" said Colin. "Look, the sun is going down. I want to be standing when it leaves the sky. Help me, Dickon."

And when the sun went down, Colin was standing on his feet, laughing. It seemed there really was magic in the garden.

(end of section)