ver his eyes. At last Colin stopped.

"Now I am going to walk round the garden," he announced.

Ben Weatherstaff's head had just dropped forward and he lifted it with a
jerk.

"You have been asleep," said Colin.

"Nowt o' th' sort," mumbled Ben. "Th' sermon was good enow--but I'm
bound to get out afore th' collection."

He was not quite awake yet.

"You're not in church," said Colin.

"Not me," said Ben, straightening himself. "Who said I were? I heard
every bit of it. You said th' Magic was in my back. Th' doctor calls it
rheumatics."

The Rajah waved his hand.

"That was the wrong Magic," he said. "You will get better. You have my
permission to go to your work. But come back to-morrow."

"I'd like to see thee walk round the garden," grunted Ben.

It was not an unfriendly grunt, but it was a grunt. In fact, being a
stubborn old party and not having entire faith in Magic he had made up
his mind that if he were sent away he would climb his ladder and look
over the wall so that he might be ready to hobble back if there were any
stumbling.

The Rajah did not object to his staying and so the procession was
formed. It really did look like a procession. Colin was at its head with
Dickon on one side and Mary on the other. Ben Weatherstaff walked
behind, and the "creatures" trailed after them, the lamb and the fox cub
keeping close to Dickon, the white rabbit hopping along or stopping to
nibble and Soot following with the solemnity of a person who felt
himself in charge.

It was a procession which moved slowly but with dignity. Every few yards
it stopped to rest. Colin leaned on Dickon's arm and privately Ben
Weatherstaff kept a sharp lookout, but now and then Colin took his hand
from its support and walked a few steps alone. His head was held up all
the time and he looked very grand.

"The Magic is in me!" he kept saying. "The Magic is making me strong! I
can feel it! I can feel it!"

It seemed very certain that something was upholding and uplifting him.
He sat on the seats in the alcoves, and once or twice he sat down on the
grass and several times he paused in the path and leaned on Dickon, but
he would not give up until he had gone all round the garden. When he
returned to the canopy tree his cheeks were flushed and he looked
triumphant.

"I did it! The Magic worked!" he cried. "That is my first scientific
discovery."

"What will Dr. Craven say?" broke out Mary.

"He won't say anything," Colin answe