ould push his carriage. The doctor
said he must have fresh air and if he wants us to take him out no one
dare disobey him. He won't go out for other people and perhaps they
will be glad if he will go out with us. He could order the gardeners
to keep away so they wouldn't find out."

Dickon was thinking very hard as he scratched Captain's back.

"It'd be good for him, I'll warrant," he said. "Us'd not be thinkin'
he'd better never been born. Us'd be just two children watchin' a
garden grow, an' he'd be another. Two lads an' a little lass just
lookin' on at th' springtime. I warrant it'd be better than doctor's
stuff."

"He's been lying in his room so long and he's always been so afraid of
his back that it has made him queer," said Mary. "He knows a good many
things out of books but he doesn't know anything else. He says he has
been too ill to notice things and he hates going out of doors and hates
gardens and gardeners. But he likes to hear about this garden because
it is a secret. I daren't tell him much but he said he wanted to see
it."

"Us'll have him out here sometime for sure," said Dickon. "I could
push his carriage well enough. Has tha' noticed how th' robin an' his
mate has been workin' while we've been sittin' here? Look at him
perched on that branch wonderin' where it'd be best to put that twig
he's got in his beak."

He made one of his low whistling calls and the robin turned his head
and looked at him inquiringly, still holding his twig. Dickon spoke to
him as Ben Weatherstaff did, but Dickon's tone was one of friendly
advice.

"Wheres'ever tha' puts it," he said, "it'll be all right. Tha' knew
how to build tha' nest before tha' came out o' th' egg. Get on with
thee, lad. Tha'st got no time to lose."

"Oh, I do like to hear you talk to him!" Mary said, laughing
delightedly. "Ben Weatherstaff scolds him and makes fun of him, and he
hops about and looks as if he understood every word, and I know he
likes it. Ben Weatherstaff says he is so conceited he would rather
have stones thrown at him than not be noticed."

Dickon laughed too and went on talking.

"Tha' knows us won't trouble thee," he said to the robin. "Us is near
bein' wild things ourselves. Us is nest-buildin' too, bless thee.
Look out tha' doesn't tell on us."

And though the robin did not answer, because his beak was occupied,
Mary knew that when he flew away with his twig to his own corner of the
garden the darkne