# ■ 5 Meeting Colin

In the middle of the night Mary woke up．Heavy rain had started falling again，and the wind was blowing violently round the walls of the old house．Suddenly she heard crying again．This time she decided to discover who it was．She left her room，and in the darkness followed the crying sound，round corners and through doors，up and down stairs，to the other side of the big house．At last she found the right room．She pushed the door open and went in．

It was a big room with beautiful old furniture and pictures．In the large bed was a boy，who looked tired and cross，with a thin，white，tearful face．He stared at Mary．

‘Who are you？’he whispered．‘Are you a dream？’

‘No，I'm not．I'm Mary Lennox．Mr Craven's my uncle．’

‘He's my father，’said the boy．‘I'm Colin Craven．’

‘No one ever told me he had a son！’said Mary，very surprised．

‘Well，no one ever told me you'd come to live here．I'm ill，you see．I don't want people to see me and talk about me．If I live，I may have a crooked back like my father，but I'll probably die．’

‘What a strange house this is！’said Mary．‘So many secrets！Does your father come and see you often？’

‘Not often．He doesn't like seeing me because it makes him remember my mother．She died when I was born，so he almost hates me，I think．’

‘Why do you say you're going to die？’asked Mary．

‘I've always been ill．I've nearly died several times，and my back's never been strong．My doctor feels sure that I'm going to die．But he's my father's cousin，and verv poor，so he'd like me to die．Then he'd get all the money when my father dies．He gives me medicine and tells me to rest．We had a grand doctor from London once，who told me to go out in the fresh air and try to get well．But I hate fresh air．And another thing，all the servants have to do what I want，because if I'm angry，I become ill．’

Mary thought she liked this boy，although he seemed so strange．He asked her lots of questions，and she told him all about her life in India．

‘How old are you？’he asked suddenly．

‘I'm ten，and so are you，’replied Mary，forgetting to be careful，‘because when you were born the garden door was locked and the key was buried．And I know that was ten years ago．

Colin sat up in bed and looked very interested．‘What door？Who locked it？Where's the key？I want to see it．I'll make the servants tell me where it is．They'll take me there and you can come too．’

‘Oh，please！Don'tdon't do that！’cried Mary．

Colin stared at her．‘Don't you want to see it？’

‘Yes，but if you make them open the door，it will never be a secret again．You see，if only we know about it，if weif we can find the key，we can go and play there every day．We can help the garden come alive again．And no one will know about itexcept us！’

‘I see，’said Colin slowly．‘Yes，I'd like that．It'll be our secret．I've never had a secret before．’

‘And perhaps，’added Mary cleverly，‘we can find a boy to push you in your wheelchair，if you can't walk，and we can go there together without any other people．You'll feel better outside．I know I do．’

‘I'd like that，’he said dreamily．‘I think I'd like fresh air，in a secret garden．’

Then Mary told him about the moor，and Dickon，and Ben Weatherstaff，and the robin，and Golin listened to it all with great interest．He began to smile and look much happier．

‘I like having you here，’he said．‘You must come and see me every day．But I'm tired now．’

‘I'll sing you a song．My servant Kamala used to do that in India，’said Mary，and very soon Colin was asleep．

The next afternoon Mary visited Colin again，and he seemed very pleased to see her．He had sent his nurse away and had told nobody about Mary's visit．Mary had not told anybody either．They read some of his books together，and told each other stories．They were enjoying themselves and laughing loudly when suddenly the door opened．Dr Craven and Mrs Medlock came in．They almost fell over in surprise．

‘What's happening here？’asked Dr Craven．

Colin sat up straight．To Mary he looked just like an Indian prince．‘This is my cousin，Mary Lennox，’he said calmly．‘I like her．She must visit me often．’

‘Oh，I'm sorry，sir，’said poor Mrs Medlock to the doctor．‘I don't know how she discovered him．I told the servants to keep it a secret．’

‘Don't be stupid，Medlock，’said the Indian prince coldly．‘Nobody told her．She heard me crying and found me herself．Bring our tea up now．’

‘I'm afraid you're getting too hot and excited，my boy，’said Dr Craven．‘That's not good for you．Don't forget you're ill．’

‘I want to forget！’said Colin．‘I'll be angry if Mary doesn't visit me！She makes me feel better．’

Dr Craven did not look happy when he left the room．

‘What a change in the boy，sir！’said the housekeeper．‘He's usually so disagreeable with all of us．He really seems to like that strange little girl．And he does look better．’Dr Craven had to agree．

■ 5 見到柯林

半夜的時候，瑪麗醒了。天又開始下雨了，狂風在房子周圍猛烈地颳著。突然，她又聽見了哭聲，這次她決定要搞清楚那個人是誰。她走出房間，在黑暗中循著哭泣的聲音，繞過牆角，穿過一扇扇門，上下樓梯，來到這所大房子的另一側。終於她找到了那個房間，推開門，走了進去。

那是個很大的房間，擺著古舊的傢俱和油畫，非常漂亮。在一張大床上躺著一個男孩，看上去疲憊、煩躁。他的臉頰消瘦、蒼白，掛滿了淚痕。他瞪大眼睛看著瑪麗。

“你是誰？”他小聲問。“我是在做夢吧？”

“不，不是。我是瑪麗·蓮諾絲。克萊文先生是我舅舅。”

“他是我父親，”那個男孩說道。“我叫柯林·克萊文。”

“從來沒有人告訴過我他有個兒子！”瑪麗說，覺得十分蹊蹺。

“嗯，也沒人告訴我你在這兒住。你看到了，我病了。我不想讓人們看見我議論我，要是我活下來，我可能會像父親一樣成為駝背，但是我可能會死的。”

“這所房子真是奇怪啊！”瑪麗說。“這麼多祕密！你父親常來看你嗎？”

“不常來。他不喜歡見到我，因為我讓他想起媽媽。她是生我的時候死的，所以他八成是恨我，我這麼想。”

“你為什麼說自己會死呢？”瑪麗問。

“我一直在生病。我已經死過幾次了，而且我的脊背向來就很弱。我的醫生肯定我會死的。他是我父親的表弟，而且很窮，所以他巴不得我死呢。那樣等我父親去世以後，所有的錢就都歸他了。他給我藥吃，讓我休息，有一回我們從倫敦請了個有名的大夫，他讓我到外面呼吸新鮮空氣，儘量休養好。可我不喜歡新鮮空氣。還有一件事，所有的用人都必須照我的想法去做，因為要是我一生氣，我就會生病的。”

雖然他看上去有些怪怪的，可瑪麗覺得自己挺喜歡這個孩子。他問了她很多問題，而她就給他講在印度的生活。

“你幾歲了？”他突然問道。

“我10歲了，你也是，”瑪麗回答，一時說漏了嘴，“因為你出生時花園的門就被鎖上，鑰匙也被埋起來了，我知道那是10年前的事。”

柯林從床上坐起來，一副好奇的樣子。“什麼門？誰把它鎖上的？鑰匙在哪兒？我要看看。我要讓用人告訴我它在什麼地方。他們會帶我和你去的。”

“哦，別這樣！請別這樣！”瑪麗大聲說。

柯林瞪著她。“難道你不想看看它嗎？”

“想，可要是你讓他們打開門，它就再也不是個祕密了。你想，如果只有我們知道這事，如果我們——如果我們能找到那把鑰匙，我們就能每天都去那兒玩兒了。我們還能讓花園重新充滿生機，而且誰也不會知道——只有我們！”

“我明白了，”柯林慢條斯理地說。“好吧，我願意這樣。它是我們的祕密，我從來沒有過自己的祕密。”

“也許，”瑪麗機敏地接著說道，“在你走不動的時候，我們也能找個男孩子用輪椅推著你，我們可以一起去那兒，再也沒有別人了。你到外面就會感覺好些的。我就是這樣，所以我知道。”

“我願意這樣做，”他憧憬著，說，“我想我會喜歡一座祕密花園裡的新鮮空氣的。”

瑪麗接著又給他講荒原，講狄肯，講本·威瑟斯塔夫，還有那隻知更鳥。柯林非常新奇地聽著這一切，他開始有了笑容，樣子開心多了。

“我喜歡你在這兒，”他說。“你得每天來看我，可我這會兒有點兒累了。”

“我給你唱個歌吧。在印度時我的用人卡瑪拉就常這樣。”瑪麗說。柯林很快就睡著了。

第二天下午，瑪麗又來看柯林。一見到她，柯林顯得很高興。他已經支走了他的護士，也沒有告訴其他人瑪麗來過。瑪麗同樣誰也沒有告訴。他們一起看柯林的書，互相講故事。就在他們自得其樂，放聲大笑的時候，門突然開了。克萊文醫生和梅洛太太走了進來，他們都很是吃驚。

“怎麼回事？”克萊文醫生問道。

柯林坐直身子。在瑪麗看來，他就像是個印度王子。“這是我的表妹，瑪麗·蓮諾絲，”他平靜地說，“我喜歡她，她必須經常來看我。”

“哦，真抱歉，先生，”可憐的梅洛太太對醫生說。“我不知道她是怎麼找到他的，我告訴過用人們要保密的。”

“別傻了，梅洛太太，”印度王子冷冷地說，“誰也沒告訴她，她聽見我哭就自己找來了。現在去給我們沏點茶來。”

“我恐怕你在發熱，過於激動，孩子，”克萊文醫生說。“這對你可不好，別忘了你有病。”

“我就想忘掉！”柯林說。“要是不讓瑪麗來看我我就要生氣了！她讓我覺得好多了。”

克萊文醫生離開的時候似乎很不高興。

“這孩子變多了，先生！”管家說。“他總是跟我們合不來，他好像真的喜歡這個古怪的小姑娘，而且他看著的確好些了。”克萊文醫生不得不同意她的話。