‘Well,I'm very cross with him,’said Mary,and jumped out of bed.‘I'm going to stop him!’
‘That's right,’said Martha.‘He needs someone like you,to argue with.It'll give him something new to think about.’
Mary ran into Colin's room,right up to his bed.
‘Stop screaming!’she shouted furiously.‘Stop at once!I hate you!Everybody hates you!You'll die if you go on screaming like this,and I hope you will!’
The screams stopped immediately.This was the first time that anyone had spoken so angrily to Colin,and he was shocked.But he went on crying quietly to himself.
‘My back's becoming crooked,I can feel it!I know I'm going to die!’Large tears ran down his face.
‘Don't be stupid!’cried Mary.‘There's nothing the matter with your horrid back!Martha,come here and help me look at his back!’
Martha and Mrs Medlock were standing at the door,staring at Mary,their mouths half open.They both looked very frightened.Martha came forward to help,and Miss Mary looked carefully at Colin's thin white back,up and down.Her face was serious and angry at the same time.The room was very quiet.
‘There's nothing wrong with your back!’she said at last.‘Nothing at all!It's as straight as mine!’
Only Colin knew how important those crossly spoken,childish words were.All his life he had been afraid to ask about his back,and his terrible fear had made him ill.Now an angry little girl told him his back was straight,and he believed her.He was no longer afraid.
They were both calmer now.He gave Mary his hand.‘I thinkI'm almost sure I will live,if we can go out in the garden together sometimes.I'm very tired now.Will you stay with me until I go to sleep?’
The servants went out very quietly.