The Secret Garden, complete online version

First edition illustrated Children's Book By Frances Hodgson Burnett

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MARTHA
47
watched him a few moments in her cold little way. He took no notice of her and so at last she spoke to him.
" I have been into the other gardens," she said.
" There was nothin' to prevent thee," he an­swered crustily.
" I went into the orchard."
" There was no dog at th' door to bite thee," he answered.
" There was no door there into the other gar­den," said Mary.
"What garden?" he said in a rough voice, stopping his digging for a moment.
" The one on the other side of the wall," an­swered Mistress Mary. " There are trees there — I saw the tops of them. A bird with a red breast was sitting on one of them and he sang."
To her surprise the surly old weather-beaten face actually changed its expression. A slow smile spread over it and the gardener looked quite different. It made her think that it was curious how much nicer a person looked when he smiled. She had not thought of it before.
He turned about to the orchard side of his garden and began to whistle —• a low soft whistle. She could not understand how such a surly man could make such a coaxing sound.