What an unhappy face he had! His black eyes seemed as if they scarcely saw her, as if they were seeing something else, and he could hardly keep his thoughts upon her.
"I forgot you," he said."How could I remember you? Iintended to send you a governess or a nurse, or some one of that sort, but I forgot.""Please," began Mary."Please--" and then the lump in her throat choked her.
"What do you want to say?" he inquired.
"I am--I am too big for a nurse," said Mary.
"And please--please don't make me have a governess yet."He rubbed his forehead again and stared at her.
"That was what the Sowerby woman said," he muttered absentmindedly.
Then Mary gathered a scrap of courage.
"Is she--is she Martha's mother?" she stammered.
"Yes, I think so," he replied.
"She knows about children," said Mary."She has twelve.
She knows."
He seemed to rouse himself.
"What do you want to do?"
"I want to play out of doors," Mary answered, hoping that her voice did not tremble."I never liked it in India.
It makes me hungry here, and I am getting fatter."He was watching her.
"Mrs.Sowerby said it would do you good.Perhaps it will,"he said."She thought you had better get stronger before you had a governess.""It makes me feel strong when I play and the wind comes over the moor," argued Mary.
"Where do you play?" he asked next.
"Everywhere," gasped Mary."Martha's mother sent me a skipping-rope.I skip and run--and I look about to see if things are beginning to stick up out of the earth.
I don't do any harm."
"Don't look so frightened," he said in a worried voice.
"You could not do any harm, a child like you! You may do what you like."Mary put her hand up to her throat because she was afraid he might see the excited lump which she felt jump into it.
She came a step nearer to him.
"May I?" she said tremulously.
Her anxious little face seemed to worry him more than ever.
"Don't look so frightened," he exclaimed."Of course you may.
I am your guardian, though I am a poor one for any child.
I cannot give you time or attention.I am too ill, and wretched and distracted; but I wish you to be happy and comfortable.I don't know anything about children, but Mrs.Medlock is to see that you have all you need.
I sent for you to-day because Mrs.Sowerby said Iought to see you.Her daughter had talked about you.
She thought you needed fresh air and ******* and running about.""She knows all about children," Mary said again in spite of herself.
"She ought to," said Mr.Craven."I thought her rather bold to stop me on the moor, but she said--Mrs.Craven had been kind to her." It seemed hard for him to speak his dead wife's name."She is a respectable woman.
Now I have seen you I think she said sensible things.
Play out of doors as much as you like.It's a big place and you may go where you like and amuse yourself as you like.
Is there anything you want?" as if a sudden thought had struck him."Do you want toys, books, dolls?""Might I," quavered Mary, "might I have a bit of earth?"In her eagerness she did not realize how queer the words would sound and that they were not the ones she had meant to say.Mr.Craven looked quite startled.
"Earth!" he repeated."What do you mean?""To plant seeds in--to make things grow--to see them come alive," Mary faltered.
He gazed at her a moment and then passed his hand quickly over his eyes.
"Do you--care about gardens so much," he said slowly.
"I didn't know about them in India," said Mary."I was always ill and tired and it was too hot.I sometimes made littlebeds in the sand and stuck flowers in them.
But here it is different."
