# ■ 4 Meeting Dickon

Mary spent nearly a week working in the secret garden． Each day she found new shoots coming out of the ground．Soon，there would be flowers everywhere—thousands of them．It was an exciting game to her．When she was inside those beautiful old walls，no one knew where she was．

During that week she became more friendly with Ben，who was often digging in one of the vegetable gardens．

‘What are your favourite flowers，Ben？’she asked him one day．

‘Roses．I used to work for a young lady who loved roses，you see，and she had a lot in her garden．That was ten years ago． But she died．Very sad，it was．’

‘What happened to the roses？’asked Mary．

‘They were left there，in the garden．’

‘If rose branches look dry and grey，are they still alive？’ asked Mary．It was so important to know！

‘In the spring they'll show green shoots，and then—But why are you so interested in roses？’he asked．

Mary's face went red．‘I just…wanted to pretend I've got a garden．I haven't got anyone to play with．’

‘Well，that's true，’said Ben．He seemed to feel sorry for her．Mary decided she liked old Ben，although he was sometimes badtempered．

She skipped along and into the wood at the end of the gardens．Suddenly she heard a strange noise，and there in front of her was a boy．He was sitting under a tree，playing on a wooden pipe．He was about twelve，with a healthy red face and bright blue eyes．There was a squirrel and a crow in the tree， and two rabbits sitting on the grass near him．

‘They're listening to the music！’thought Mary．‘I mustn't frighten them！’She stood very still．

The boy stopped playing．‘That's right，’he said．‘Animals don't like it if you move suddenly．I'm Dickon and you must be Miss Mary．I've brought you the spade and the seeds．’

He spoke in an easy，friendly way．Mary liked him at once． As they were looking at the seed packets together，the robin hopped on to a branch near them．Dickon listened carefully to the robin's song．

‘He's saying he's your friend，he told Mary．

‘Really？Oh，I am pleased he likes me．Can you understand everything that birds say？’

‘I think I do，and they think I do．I've lived on the moor with them for so long．Sometimes I think I am a bird or an animal，not a boy at all！’His smile was the widest she had ever seen．

He explained how to plant the seeds．Suddenly he said，‘I can help you plant them！Where's your garden？’

Mary went red，then white．She had never thougt of this． What was she going to say？

‘Could you keep a secret？It's a great secret．If anyone discovers it，I'll…I'll die！’

‘I keep secrets for all the wild birds and animals on the moor．So I can keep yours too，’he replied．

‘I've stolen a garden，’she said very fast．‘Nobody goes into it，nobody wants it．I love it and nobody takes care of it！ They're letting it die！’And she threw her arms over her face and started crying．

‘Don't cry，’said Dickon gently．‘Where is it？’

‘Come with me and I'll show you，’said Miss Mary．

They went to the secret garden and entered it together． Dickon walked round，looking at everything．

‘Martha told me about this place，but I never thought I'd see it，’he said．‘It's wonderful！’

‘What about the roses？’asked Mary worriedly．‘Are they still alive？What do you think？’

‘Look at these shoots on the branches．Most of them are alive all right．’He took out his knife and cut away some of the dead wood from the rose trees．Mary showed him the work she had done in the garden，and they talked as they cut and cleared．

‘Dickon，’said Mary suddenly，‘I like you．I never thought I'd like as many as five people！’

‘Only five！’laughed Dickon．

He did look funny when he laughed，thought Mary．

‘Yes，your mother，Martha，the robin，Ben，and you．’Then she asked him a question in Yorkshire dialect，because that was his language．

‘Does tha’like me？’was her question．

‘Of course！I likes thee wonderful！’replied Dickon，a big smile on his round face．Mary had never been so happy．

When she went back to the house for her lunch，she told Martha about Dickon's visit．

‘I've got news for you too，’said Martha．‘Mr Craven's come home，and wants to see you！He's going away again tomorrow，for several months．’

‘Oh！’said Mary．That was good news．She would have all summer in the secret garden before he came back．But she must be careful．He mustn't guess her secret now．

Just then Mrs Medlock arrived，in her best black dress，to take Mary down to Mr Craven's room．

Mary's uncle had black hair with some white in it，and high， crooked shoulders．His face was not ugly，but very sad．During their conversation he watched her in a worried way．Perhaps he was thinking of other things at the same time．

He looked at the thin child．‘Are you well？’he asked．Mary tried to keep her voice calm as she replied，

‘I'm getting stronger and healthier．’

‘What do you want to do，in this big empty house？’

‘I…I just want to play outside—I enjoy that．’

‘Yes，Martha's mother，Susan Sowerby，spoke to me the other day．She's a sensible woman—and she said you needed fresh air．But where do you play？’ ‘Everywhere！I just skip and runand look for green shoots．I don't damage anything！’

‘Don't look so frightened！Of course a child like you couldn't damage anything．Play where you like．Is there anything that you want？’

Mary came a step nearer to him，and her voice shook a little as she spoke．‘Could Icould I have a bit of garden？’

Mr Craven looked very surprised．

‘To plant seeds in…to make them come alive！’Mary went on bravely．‘It was too hot in India，so I was always ill and tired there．But here it's different．I…I love the garden！’

He passed a hand quickly over his eyes．Then he looked kindly at Mary．‘I knew someone once who loved growing things，like you．Yes，child，take as much of the garden as you want．’He smiled gently at her．‘Now leave me．I'm very tired．’

Mary ran all the way back to her room．

‘Martha！’she shouted．‘Mr Graven's really a nice man，but he looks very unhappy．He said I can have my own garden！’

She was planning to work in the garden with Dickon every day，to make it beautiful for the summer．

■ 4 見到狄肯

瑪麗花了將近一個星期的時間在祕密花園裡幹活兒。每天，她都看到新的嫩芽從土裡冒出來，很快，到處都將開滿成千上萬的花朵。對她來說，這是一個讓她興奮不已的遊戲。她一走進那道美麗的舊圍牆，就沒人知道她去了哪兒。

那個星期她開始對經常不停地在那塊菜地裡挖土的本更加友好了。

一天，她問他，“本，你最喜歡什麼花？”

“玫瑰。我曾經給一位喜愛玫瑰的女士幹活兒，她的花園裡有好多玫瑰，那都是10年前的事了。可是她死了，很慘，是不是？”

“那些玫瑰怎麼樣了？”瑪麗問。

“它們就留在花園裡了。”

“要是玫瑰的枝子看上去又幹又暗，它們還活著嗎？”瑪麗問道。弄懂這個簡直是太重要了！

“到了春天它們就會長出綠色的嫩芽，然後——你怎麼會對玫瑰有興趣呢？”他問。

瑪麗的臉紅了。“我只是——設想自己有個花園，沒人跟我一起玩兒。”

“嗯，那倒是真的，”本說。他似乎是在為她感到難過。瑪麗知道自己喜歡本，儘管他有時脾氣不大好。

她蹦跳著來到花園盡頭的樹叢中，突然，她聽到一個陌生的聲音，有個男孩出現在她的面前。他正坐在一棵樹下，吹著一根木管。他大約十二歲，臉色健康、紅潤，有一雙明亮的藍眼睛。樹上有一隻松鼠，還有隻烏鴉，他身邊的草地上還有兩隻小兔子。

瑪麗想，“它們都在聽音樂，我可別嚇著它們！”她靜靜地站著。

男孩停下來，說，“這就對了，動物們不喜歡你唐突的動作。我是狄肯，你肯定就是瑪麗小姐了。我給你帶鏟子和花籽來了。”

他說話的樣子輕鬆友善，瑪麗一下子就喜歡上他了。他們一起看裝著花籽的小包時，知更鳥在旁邊的樹枝上蹦著，狄肯仔細聽著知更鳥的歌聲。

他告訴瑪麗說，“它說它是你的朋友。”

“真的嗎？哦，它喜歡我，我真太高興了。你能聽懂鳥說的每一句話嗎？”

“我覺得是，它們也這麼想。我跟它們一起在荒原上住了這麼久，有時候我覺得自己就是一隻鳥或是一隻動物，根本就不是個孩子！”瑪麗從來沒有見過像他這樣開心的笑容。

他講解著該怎麼種那些花籽，他說，“我可以幫你種！你的花園在哪兒？”

瑪麗臉紅了，然後又變得蒼白。她從沒想到這一點，她該怎麼說呢？

“你能保守祕密嗎？這可是個大祕密。要是有人知道了，我就……我就得死！”

狄肯回答，“我在荒原上為所有的鳥和獸保密，所以我也能為你保密。”

“我偷了一個花園，”她說得很快。“誰都沒進去過，誰也不想進去。我喜歡它，可是沒人照理它，他們就由著它死掉！”她的手蒙著臉，哭了起來。

狄肯輕輕地說，“別哭了，它在哪兒呢？”

“你跟我來，我讓你看看它。”瑪麗說。

他們來到祕密花園，一起走了進去。狄肯四處走著，每樣東西都看看。

“瑪莎跟我說過這個地方，可我從沒想到能見到它，”他說，“它可太棒了！”

“那些玫瑰怎麼樣？”瑪麗掛念地問道。“它們還活著嗎？你覺得呢？”

“看看枝子上的那些嫩芽，大部分已經活了。”他掏出小刀割去一些已經枯死的枝條。瑪麗給他看了自己在花園裡乾的活兒。他們一邊修剪枝條，清理殘葉，一邊說著話。

“狄肯，”瑪麗說道，“我喜歡你。我從沒想到能喜歡5個人！”

“才5個人！”狄肯笑了。

他笑的樣子很滑稽，瑪麗心裡想。

“是的，你媽媽、瑪莎、知更鳥，本和你。”然後她用約克郡的方言問了一個問題，因為他就講這種話。

她的問題是．“你喜歡我嗎？”

“當然！我很喜歡你！”狄肯回答，圓圓的臉上露出燦爛的笑容。瑪麗從來沒有這麼開心過。

回去吃午飯時，她告訴瑪莎狄肯來過了。

“我也有事要告訴你，”瑪莎說。“克萊文先生回來了，而且要見你！他明天又要走了，要走幾個月呢。”

“哦！”瑪麗說。那可是好消息。在他回來之前，她可以整個夏天都呆在祕密花園裡。不過她一定要小心，可不能讓他這會兒就猜出她的祕密。

這時，梅洛太太進來了。她穿上了她最好的黑色長裙，帶瑪麗下樓到克萊文先生的房間。

瑪麗的舅舅黑髮中夾著銀絲，高高的個子，背有些駝。他長得並不醜，但臉色陰沉。談話中他神色憂鬱的看著她，也許他同時在想著什麼別的事情。

他看著這個瘦弱的孩子，問道，“你好嗎？”瑪麗在回答時儘量使自己的聲音保持平靜。

“我越來越結實、健康了。”

“在這樣一座空蕩蕩的大房子裡，你想做些什麼呢？”

“我……我只是在外面玩——我喜歡那樣。”

“是啊，瑪莎的母親，蘇珊·索爾比那天也這麼說。她是個聰明人——她說你需要新鮮空氣。可你都在哪兒玩呢？”

“哪兒都玩！我跳跳繩，跑來跑去——找那些綠色的嫩芽。我什麼也沒弄壞！”

“別這麼害怕！像你這樣的孩子當然什麼也弄不壞。喜歡哪兒就在哪兒玩兒吧。你想要什麼東西嗎？”

瑪麗往他身邊走了一步，說話時聲音有點發抖，“我能——我能有一小塊花園嗎？”

克萊文先生顯得有些不解。

“用來播種子，讓它們長起來！”瑪麗壯著膽子接著說道，“在印度天氣太熱了，所以我老是生病，老是覺得累。可這兒就不一樣。我……我喜歡花園！”

克萊文先生很快地用一隻手擋在眼睛前面，然後他和藹地看著瑪麗，“我曾經認識一個人，也喜歡種東西，像你一樣。好吧，孩子，花園你想要多大都成。”他和善地對她笑著。“現在你可以走了，我很累了。”

瑪麗一路小跑回到了自己的房間。

“瑪莎！”她喊道，“克萊文先生真是個好人，可他看不上去很不開心。他說我能有自己的花園！”

她打算每天與狄肯一起在花園裡幹活兒，讓花園在夏天漂亮起來。