Таинственный сад
XX. “I Shall Live Forever—and Ever—and Ever!”
“Ihadn’treallydecidedtosuggestit,”saidthedoctor,withhisslightnervousness.“We’lltrytheexperiment.Dickon’saladI’dtrustwithanew-bornchild.”
ThestrongestfootmaninthehousecarriedColindownstairsandputhiminhiswheeledchairnearwhichDickonwaitedoutside.AfterthemanservanthadarrangedhisrugsandcushionstheRajahwavedhishandtohimandtothenurse.
“Youhavemypermissiontogo,”hesaid,andtheybothdisappearedquicklyanditmustbeconfessedgiggledwhentheyweresafelyinsidethehouse.
Dickonbegantopushthewheeledchairslowlyandsteadily.MistressMarywalkedbesideitandColinleanedbackandliftedhisfacetothesky.Thearchofitlookedveryhighandthesmallsnowycloudsseemedlikewhitebirdsfloatingonoutspreadwingsbelowitscrystalblueness.Thewindsweptinsoftbigbreathsdownfromthemoorandwasstrangewithawildclearscentedsweetness.Colinkeptliftinghisthinchesttodrawitin,andhisbigeyeslookedasifitweretheywhichwerelistening—listening,insteadofhisears.
“Therearesomanysoundsofsingingandhummingandcallingout,”hesaid.“Whatisthatscentthepuffsofwindbring?”
“It’sgorseonth’moorthat’sopenin’out,”answeredDickon.“Eh!th’beesareatitwonderfultoday.”
Notahumancreaturewastobecaughtsightofinthepathstheytook.Infacteverygardenerorgardener’sladhadbeenwitchedaway.