erby's advice about children myself.
She's what you might call healthy-minded--if you understand me."

"I understand," Mr. Craven answered. "Take Miss Mary away now and send
Pitcher to me."

When Mrs. Medlock left her at the end of her own corridor Mary flew back
to her room. She found Martha waiting there. Martha had, in fact,
hurried back after she had removed the dinner service.

"I can have my garden!" cried Mary. "I may have it where I like! I am
not going to have a governess for a long time! Your mother is coming to
see me and I may go to your cottage! He says a little girl like me could
not do any harm and I may do what I like--anywhere!"

"Eh!" said Martha delightedly, "that was nice of him wasn't it?"

"Martha," said Mary solemnly, "he is really a nice man, only his face is
so miserable and his forehead is all drawn together."

She ran as quickly as she could to the garden. She had been away so much
longer than she had thought she should and she knew Dickon would have to
set out early on his five-mile walk. When she slipped through the door
under the ivy, she saw he was not working where she had left him. The
gardening tools were laid together under a tree. She ran to them,
looking all round the place, but there was no Dickon to be seen. He had
gone away and the secret garden was empty--except for the robin who had
just flown across the wall and sat on a standard rose-bush watching
her.

"He's gone," she said wofully. "Oh! was he--was he--was he only a wood
fairy?"

Something white fastened to the standard rose-bush caught her eye. It
was a piece of paper--in fact, it was a piece of the letter she had
printed for Martha to send to Dickon. It was fastened on the bush with a
long thorn, and in a minute she knew Dickon had left it there. There
were some roughly printed letters on it and a sort of picture. At first
she could not tell what it was. Then she saw it was meant for a nest
with a bird sitting on it. Underneath were the printed letters and they
said:

"I will cum bak."

CHAPTER XIII

"I AM COLIN"

Mary took the picture back to the house when she went to her supper and
she showed it to Martha.

"Eh!" said Martha with great pride. "I never knew our Dickon was as
clever as that. That there's a picture of a missel thrush on her nest,
as large as life an' twice as natural."

Then Mary knew Dickon had meant the picture to be a message. He had
meant that she might be sure he would keep