“The ‘creatures’ have come,” said Colin gravely.  “They want to help us.”

Colin really looked quite beautiful, Mary thought.  He held his head high as if he felt like a sort of priest and his strange eyes had a wonderful look in them.  The light shone on him through the tree canopy.

“Now we will begin,” he said.  “Shall we sway backward and forward, Mary, as if we were dervishes?”

“I canna’ do no swayin’ back’ard and for’ard,” said Ben Weatherstaff.  “I’ve got th’ rheumatics.”

“The Magic will take them away,” said Colin in a High Priest tone, “but we won’t sway until it has done it.  We will only chant.”

“I canna’ do no chantin’,” said Ben Weatherstaff a trifle testily.  “They turned me out o’ th’ church choir th’ only time I ever tried it.”

No one smiled.  They were all too much in earnest.  Colin’s face was not even crossed by a shadow.  He was thinking only of the Magic.

“Then I will chant,” he said.  And he began, looking like a strange boy spirit.  “The sun is shining—­the sun is shining.  That is the Magic.  The flowers are growing—­the roots are stirring.  That is the Magic.  Being alive is the Magic—­being strong is the Magic.  The Magic is in me—­the Magic is in me.  It is in me—­it is in me.  It’s in every one of us.  It’s in Ben Weatherstaff’s back.  Magic!  Magic!  Come and help!”

He said it a great many times—­not a thousand times but quite a goodly number.  Mary listened entranced.  She felt as if it were at once queer and beautiful and she wanted him to go on and on.  Ben Weatherstaff began to feel soothed into a sort of dream which was quite agreeable.  The humming of the bees in the blossoms mingled with the chanting voice and drowsily melted into a doze.  Dickon sat cross-legged with his rabbit asleep on his arm and a hand resting on the lamb’s back.  Soot had pushed away a squirrel and huddled close to him on his shoulder, the gray film dropped over his eyes.  At last Colin stopped.

“Now I am going to walk round the garden,” he announced.

Ben Weatherstaff’s head had just dropped forward and he lifted it with a jerk.

“You have been asleep,” said Colin.

“Nowt o’ th’ sort,” mumbled Ben.  “Th’ sermon was good enow—­but I’m bound to get out afore th’ collection.”

He was not quite awake yet.

“You’re not in church,” said Colin.

“Not me,” said Ben, straightening himself.  “Who said I were?  I heard every bit of it.  You said th’ Magic was in my back.  Th’ doctor calls it rheumatics.”

The Rajah waved his hand.

“That was the wrong Magic,” he said.  “You will get better.  You have my permission to go to your work.  But come back to-morrow.”

“I’d like to see thee walk round the garden,” grunted Ben.

It was not an unfriendly grunt, but it was a grunt.  In fact, being a stubborn old party and not having entire faith in Magic he had made up his mind that if he were sent away he would climb his ladder and look over the wall so that he might be ready to hobble back if there were any stumbling.