Only five folk as tha' likes

　　"Only five folk as tha' likes?" he said. "Who is th'
　　other four?""Your mother and Martha," Mary checked them offon her fingers,fake uggs boots, "and the robin and Ben Weatherstaff."Dickon laughed so that he was obliged to stifle the soundby putting his arm over his mouth.
　　"I know tha' thinks I'm a queer lad," he said, "but Ithink tha' art th' queerest little lass I ever saw."Then Mary did a strange thing. She leaned forwardand asked him a question she had never dreamed of askingany one before. And she tried to ask it in Yorkshirebecause that was his lan- guage, and in India a nativewas always pleased if you knew his speech.
　　"Does tha' like me?" she said.
　　"Eh!" he answered heartily, "that I does. I likesthee wonderful, an' so does th' robin, I do believe!""That's two, then,fake ugg delaine boots," said Mary. "That's two for me."And then they began to work harder than ever and more joyfully.
　　Mary was startled and sorry when she heard the big clockin the courtyard strike the hour of her midday dinner.
　　"I shall have to go," she said mournfully. "And youwill have to go too, won't you?"Dickon grinned.
　　"My dinner's easy to carry about with me," he said.
　　"Mother always lets me put a bit o' somethin' in my pocket."He picked up his coat from the grass and brought out ofa pocket a lumpy little bundle tied up in a quite clean,coarse, blue and white handkerchief. It held two thickpieces of bread with a slice of something laid between them.
　　"It's oftenest naught but bread," he said, "but I've gota fine slice o' fat bacon with it today."Mary thought it looked a queer dinner, but he seemedready to enjoy it.
　　"Run on an' get thy victuals," he said. "I'll be donewith mine first. I'll get some more work done before Istart back home."He sat down with his back against a tree.
　　"I'll call th' robin up," he said,adidas jeremy scott wings, "and give him th'
　　rind o' th' bacon to peck at. They likes a bit o'
　　fat wonderful."Mary could scarcely bear to leave him. Suddenly itseemed as if he might be a sort of wood fairy whomight be gone when she came into the garden again.
　　He seemed too good to be true. She went slowly half-wayto the door in the wall and then she stopped and went back.
　　"Whatever happens, you--you never would tell?" she said.
　　His poppy-colored cheeks were distended with his first bigbite of bread and bacon, but he managed to smile encouragingly.
　　"If tha' was a missel thrush an' showed me where thy nest was,does tha' think I'd tell any one,mens rolex datejust? Not me," he said.
　　"Tha' art as safe as a missel thrush."And she was quite sure she was.
Chapter 12 Might I Have A Bit Of Earth
Mary ran so fast that she was rather out of breath when shereached her room. Her hair was ruffled on her foreheadand her cheeks were bright pink. Her dinner was waitingon the table, and Martha was waiting near it.
　　"Tha's a bit late," she said. "Where has tha' been?""I've seen Dickon!" said Mary. "I've seen Dickon!""I knew he'd come," said Martha exultantly. "How does tha'
　　like him?""I think--I think he's beautiful!" said Mary in a determinedvoice.
　　Martha looked rather taken aback but she looked pleased, too.