The Secret Garden / Таинственный сад

Dickon he doesn't mind th' wet. He goes out just th' same as if th' sun was shinin'. He says he sees things on rainy days as doesn't show when it's fair weather. He once found a little fox cub [63 - fox cub – лисенок] half drowned in its hole and he brought it home in th' bosom of his shirt [64 - bosom of his shirt – за пазухой] to keep it warm. Its mother had been killed nearby an' th' hole was swum out an' th' rest o' th' litter was dead. He's got it at home now. He found a halfdrowned young crow another time an' he brought it home, too, an' tamed [65 - tame – приручать] it.

It's named Soot because it's so black, an' it hops an' flies about with him everywhere.”

Mary had even begun to find all the stories Martha told very interesting and to be sorry when she stopped or went away. Mary was most attracted by the mother and Dickon. When Martha told stories of what “mother” said or did they always sounded comfortable.

“If I had a raven or a fox cub I could play with it,” said Mary.

“But I have nothing.”

Martha looked perplexed[66 - perplex – приводить в недоумение].

“Can tha' knit?” she asked.

“No,” answered Mary.

“Can tha'sew?”

“No.”

“Can tha' read?”

“Yes.”

“Then why doesn't tha, read somethin', or learn a bit o' spellin'? Tha'st old enough to be learnin' thy book a good bit now.”

“I haven't any books,” said Mary. “Those I had were left in India.

”

“That's a pity,” said Martha. “If Mrs. Medlock'd let thee go into th' library, there's thousands o' books there.”

Mary did not ask where the library was. She made up her mind to go and find it herself. She was not troubled about Mrs. Medlock. Mrs. Medlock seemed always to be in her comfortable housekeeper's sitting-room downstairs. In this queer place one scarcely ever saw any one at all. In fact, there was no one to see but the servants. Mary's meals were served regularly, and Martha waited on her, but no one troubled themselves about her in the least.

Mrs. Medlock came and looked at her every day or two, but no one inquired what she did or told her what to do. She supposed that perhaps this was the English way of treating children. She was followed by nobody and was learning to dress herself because Martha looked as though she thought she was silly and stupid when she wanted to have things handed to her and put on.