"Might I Have a Bit of Earth?"
- When Mary arrives at lunch, she tells Martha that Dickon is "beautiful" (12.5).
- Martha is a bit surprised since, gosh, she loves him, he's her kid brother—but he's a bit funny-looking.
- Mary's like, nope, he's perfect, and she is so happy to have met him.
- Martha has some news for Mary: Mr. Craven is home briefly, and he wants to meet Mary.
- Mrs. Medlock arrives to bring Mary to Mr. Craven.
- The biggest thing Mary notices about Mr. Craven is that he has a deeply unhappy face. He's not ugly, but his face is just miserable.
- Mr. Craven agrees with Mrs. Sowerby (Martha's mother) that Mary needs to build up her strength before she starts school with a governess.
- Mr. Craven asks if Mary wants anything—books? Toys?
- All Mary wants is a bit of earth where she can grow things. (She doesn't specify that she already knows exactly where this bit of earth is going to be—Mr. Craven doesn't need to know the details.)
- Mr. Craven says that there was once someone he really loved who also liked to make plants grow, so he gives Mary permission to take some land and grow things in it.
- Mary runs down to the Secret Garden to find Dickon with the good news.
- He's gone, but he leaves a note with a drawing of a missel thrush and a promise to come back.
- Mary understands what Dickon means: He's going to keep her garden a secret, the same way he would keep a bird's nest safe by keeping it a secret.