'He won't like me,' said Mary, 'No one does.'
'But do you like yourself? That's what Mother would ask.'
'No, not really. I've never thought of that.'
'Well, I must go now. It's my day off, so I'm going home
to help Mother with the housework. Goodbye, miss. See you tomorrow.'
Mary felt lonelier than ever when Martha had gone, so she went outside. The sunshine made the gardens look different. And the change in the weather had even made
Ben Weatherstaff easier to talk to.
'Can you smell spring in the air?' he asked her. 'Things are growing, deep down in the ground. Soon you'll see little green shoots coming up - young plants, they are. You
watch them.'