Eventually someone explained to Mary that a terrible sickness was killing people Ayah was the fi rst of the household to die but the wailing sounded throughout the house over and over In the confusion and the sickness Mary hid herself in her nursery She was soon completely forgotten No one came to her or brought her food or news Once she crept out into the dining room and found the table set with food but no one there She ate some fruit and biscuits and wandered back to her room to sleep away the hours until someone would remember her again When she awakened the house was silent No one wailed No one rushed past her door Maybe everyone has gotten well she thought Maybe someone would remember her and bring her food and a cool drink But no one came Mary soon heard something rustling When she looked down she saw a small harmless snake crawling across the matting on her fl oor How queer and quiet it is she told him 8
He slipped out under her door as she watched Suddenly Mary heard men’s footsteps Low voices sounded outside her door and she crept closer to hear What desolation one man said That pretty pretty woman I heard there was a child too though no one ever saw her Mary glared at the door and it opened The offi cer who looked in was so startled at the sight of her that he jumped back Mercy a child In a place like this Mary frowned at the offi cer and said I am Mary Lennox I fell asleep while everyone was sick Why does no one come It’s the child no one saw a second offi cer said as men crowded around the door She was actually forgotten Poor little kid a kind-looking man said There is nobody left to come And so Mary learned that her father and mother were dead Any servants left alive had fl ed and she was alone in the world 9
2 Mistress Mary Quite Contrary For a time Mary lived with an English clergyman nearby He had fi ve children in shabby clothes who quarreled constantly Their house was never clean and Mary spent most of her time alone outside snarling whenever another child would come to tease her Everyone seemed relieved when Mary’s uncle was discovered in England She learned of it from the clergyman’s son Basil I heard Father and Mother talking about your uncle he said He lives in a big old house in the country No one goes near him He’s so cross he won’t let them and they wouldn’t come if he did let them He’s a hunchback and he’s horrid 10
I don’t believe you Mary said She turned her back and stuck her fi ngers in her ears She would not listen to any more He’s as horrid as you Basil danced around her and sang Mistress Mary Quite Contrary Basil’s mother confi rmed that Mary would be going to live with her uncle Mary made the long voyage to England under the care of an offi cer’s wife Although Mary threw no tantrums during the voyage the young wife was happy to hand her over to the woman Mr Archibald Craven had sent to meet her in London Mary’s cross little face and cold speech had made the trip quite gloomy Mary looked up at her new caretaker She was a stout woman with very red cheeks and sharp black eyes She wore a purple dress a black silk mantle with fringes and a black bonnet with a purple velvet fl ower that trembled when the woman moved her head 11
