Heather which grows on the Yorkshire Moors
Mistress Mary travels across the black Yorkshire Moors to an uncertain future.
Read by Natasha.
CHAPTER III
ACROSS THE MOOR
She slept a long time, and when she awakened Mrs. Medlock had bought a
lunch basket at one of the stations and they had some chicken and cold
beef and bread and butter and some hot tea. The rain seemed to be
streaming down more heavily than ever and everybody in the station wore
wet and glistening waterproofs. The guard lighted the lamps in the
carriage, and Mrs. Medlock cheered up very much over her tea and
chicken and beef. She ate a great deal and afterward fell asleep
herself, and Mary sat and stared at her and watched her fine bonnet
slip on one side until she herself fell asleep once more in the corner
of the carriage, lulled by the splashing of the rain against the
windows. It was quite dark when she awakened again. The train had
stopped at a station and Mrs. Medlock was shaking her.
"You have had a sleep!" she said. "It's time to open your eyes! We're
at Thwaite Station and we've got a long drive before us."
Mary stood up and tried to keep her eyes open while Mrs. Medlock
collected her parcels. The little girl did not offer to help her,
because in India native servants always picked up or carried things and
it seemed quite proper that other people should wait on one.
The station was a small one and nobody but themselves seemed to be
getting out of the train. The station-master spoke to Mrs. Medlock in
a rough, good-natured way, pronouncing his words in a queer broad
fashion which Mary found out afterward was Yorkshire.
"I see tha's got back," he said. "An' tha's browt th' young 'un with
thee."
"Aye, that's her," answered Mrs. Medlock, speaking with a Yorkshire
accent herself and jerking her head over her shoulder toward Mary.
"How's thy Missus?"
"Well enow. Th' carriage is waitin' outside for thee."
A brougham stood on the road before the little outside platform. Mary
saw that it was a smart carriage and that it was a smart footman who
helped her in. His long waterproof coat and the waterproof covering of
his hat were shining and dripping with rain as everything was, the
burly station-master included.
When he shut the door, mounted the box with the coachman, and they
drove off, the little girl found herself seated in a comfortably
cushioned corner, but she was not inclined to go to sleep again. She
sat and looked out of the window, curious to see something of the road
over which she was being driven to the queer place Mrs. Medlock had
spoken of. She was not at all a timid child and she was not exactly
frightened, but she felt that there was no knowing what might happen in
a house with a hundred rooms nearly all shut up--a house standing on
the edge of a moor.
"What is a moor?" she said suddenly to Mrs. Medlock.
"Look out of the window in about ten minutes and you'll see," the woman
answered. "We've got to drive five miles across Missel Moor before we
get to the Manor. You won't see much because it's a dark night, but
you can see something."
Mary asked no more questions but waited in the darkness of her corner,
keeping her eyes on the window. The carriage lamps cast rays of light
a little distance ahead of them and she caught glimpses of the things
they passed. After they had left the station they had driven through a
tiny village and she had seen whitewashed cottages and the lights of a
public house. Then they had passed a church and a vicarage and a
little shop-window or so in a cottage with toys and sweets and odd
things set out for sale. Then they were on the highroad and she saw
hedges and trees. After that there seemed nothing different for a long
time--or at least it seemed a long time to her.
At last the horses began to go more slowly, as if they were climbing
up-hill, and presently there seemed to be no more hedges and no more
trees. She could see nothing, in fact, but a dense darkness on either
side. She leaned forward and pressed her face against the window just
as the carriage gave a big jolt.
"Eh! We're on the moor now sure enough," said Mrs. Medlock.
The carriage lamps shed a yellow light on a rough-looking road which
seemed to be cut through bushes and low-growing things which ended in
the great expanse of dark apparently spread out before and around them.
A wind was rising and making a singular, wild, low, rushing sound.
"It's--it's not the sea, is it?" said Mary, looking round at her
companion.
"No, not it," answered Mrs. Medlock. "Nor it isn't fields nor
mountains, it's just miles and miles and miles of wild land that
nothing grows on but heather and gorse and broom, and nothing lives on
but wild ponies and sheep."
"I feel as if it might be the sea, if there were water on it," said
Mary. "It sounds like the sea just now."
"That's the wind blowing through the bushes," Mrs. Medlock said. "It's
a wild, dreary enough place to my mind, though there's plenty that
likes it--particularly when the heather's in bloom."
On and on they drove through the darkness, and though the rain stopped,
the wind rushed by and whistled and made strange sounds. The road went
up and down, and several times the carriage passed over a little bridge
beneath which water rushed very fast with a great deal of noise. Mary
felt as if the drive would never come to an end and that the wide,
bleak moor was a wide expanse of black ocean through which she was
passing on a strip of dry land.
"I don't like it," she said to herself. "I don't like it," and she
pinched her thin lips more tightly together.
The horses were climbing up a hilly piece of road when she first caught
sight of a light. Mrs. Medlock saw it as soon as she did and drew a
long sigh of relief.
"Eh, I am glad to see that bit o' light twinkling," she exclaimed.
"It's the light in the lodge window. We shall get a good cup of tea
after a bit, at all events."
It was "after a bit," as she said, for when the carriage passed through
the park gates there was still two miles of avenue to drive through and
the trees (which nearly met overhead) made it seem as if they were
driving through a long dark vault.
They drove out of the vault into a clear space and stopped before an
immensely long but low-built house which seemed to ramble round a stone
court. At first Mary thought that there were no lights at all in the
windows, but as she got out of the carriage she saw that one room in a
corner upstairs showed a dull glow.
The entrance door was a huge one made of massive, curiously shaped
panels of oak studded with big iron nails and bound with great iron
bars. It opened into an enormous hall, which was so dimly lighted that
the faces in the portraits on the walls and the figures in the suits of
armor made Mary feel that she did not want to look at them. As she
stood on the stone floor she looked a very small, odd little black
figure, and she felt as small and lost and odd as she looked.
A neat, thin old man stood near the manservant who opened the door for
them.
"You are to take her to her room," he said in a husky voice. "He
doesn't want to see her. He's going to London in the morning."
"Very well, Mr. Pitcher," Mrs. Medlock answered. "So long as I know
what's expected of me, I can manage."
"What's expected of you, Mrs. Medlock," Mr. Pitcher said, "is that you
make sure that he's not disturbed and that he doesn't see what he
doesn't want to see."
And then Mary Lennox was led up a broad staircase and down a long
corridor and up a short flight of steps and through another corridor
and another, until a door opened in a wall and she found herself in a
room with a fire in it and a supper on a table.
Mrs. Medlock said unceremoniously:
"Well, here you are! This room and the next are where you'll live--and
you must keep to them. Don't you forget that!"
It was in this way Mistress Mary arrived at Misselthwaite Manor and she
had perhaps never felt quite so contrary in all her life.
It is a gloomy place indeed, the big house in which she has arrived. I think she might be frightened.
Thanks Natasha, and everyone at Storynory.
Beatrix — July 17, 2012
Good, I like this chapter^^
I hope for more chapters to come soon.
Jane — July 17, 2012
natasha how many chapters are there?
Anonymous — July 17, 2012
that was a great story….
i’ve read all of the books except wicked uncle( i am reading the chapters).
i am looking forward to more chapters of the secret garden
so pleeeeeeeeease make some more chapters, pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese
shreya — July 18, 2012
dont worry there are more to come there is a new called the secret garden of india so be ready
Anonymous — February 17, 2016
nice I liked the book to
dimitri — March 18, 2016
yea yea
vivan — July 19, 2012
please help mi,how can we translate words in this article, it offer only one language, and I need a Czech.
elen — July 19, 2012
how can I translate words in this article, it offer only one language, and I need a Czech.
elen — July 19, 2012
We do offer Czech, please select it from the box in the sidebar.
Bertie — July 23, 2012
please can you make some more bertie stories?
sidney gorden eustice — July 19, 2012
Tasty,texurefull,when boiled fried or composted.
Egg — July 19, 2012
shakesprear is a good story maybe read that out loud
bacon — July 19, 2012
I’m looking forward to discover the character of Mary’s uncle. He must be an odd person too. And both of them can improve seeing the faults of each other.
This is a good story,
thanks Natasha for your beautiful voice
Beatrice — July 21, 2012
i think mary doesn’t look as ugly as the author wanted her to
mary — July 22, 2012
Okay????????☺️☺️☺️☺️????????
Ashley — October 30, 2015
This is my most favorite storie of all time. I check storynory a few times a day just to see if chapter 4 is ready yet. Im so excited to hear it.
Serina — July 23, 2012
Wonderful story can’t wait to hear more but Natasha if you could could you PLEASE! Tell a story about king Arthur I’d really like to learn about him
Madison — July 23, 2012
I’m looking forward to listening to the next chapter.
I hope soon.
Thanks.
Beatrix — July 23, 2012
wonderful I like it alot
Mahsa — July 25, 2012
thanks natasha and bertie I can’t wait til the next one.
Chloe Beth — July 25, 2012
Like others of you, though I’ve read the book I can’t wait for the next chapters and meeting the uncle in the next.
teresa — July 26, 2012
It is OK, please get #4 out soon.
mistress mary — July 27, 2012
I love this chapter and your reading Natasha. I wish I could read like that.
karlene — July 30, 2012
This is brill I heard about it at school I listen to Cinirella and it was awesome
Skye — August 26, 2012
I from Algeria and I’m student and I realy loved these stories and specially your voice miss natascha .
Walid — September 8, 2012
good stories
Walid — September 8, 2012
Good stories miss natascha.
Walid — September 8, 2012
Good day to all! This is Superstar Diva typing that I will change my name to calm penguin. I haven’t been to storynory for quite a long while. I luv the books here!
Calm Penguin — September 15, 2012
flowers……………………………………………………………………………………………
NPC villager — September 26, 2012
its okay so far but not that good
q — October 11, 2012
Boring
qu — October 11, 2012
enjoyable a bit
b — October 11, 2012
love storynory and all the stories here
lala — October 21, 2012
good story
i have a cat named lava beacuse his colour is like lava
and i have a big brother and he is 9 years old
maya — November 16, 2012
Mary changed a lot during the course of the book.
SI — December 6, 2012
a very nice story ,I like so much Mary’s personality ;sheis rough on the outside but certainly tender and gentel inside ;children deserve happiness
flower — January 27, 2013
I love this book, thank you for reading this story to the world . Thank you, Bertie, Natasha, Elizabeth, and ( i can’t remember your name ) the boy.
Please respond.
Risa — December 15, 2013
awesome ready to listen to four!!!!
caleb — April 14, 2014
Love your sttories
ruth — April 23, 2014
Where is the word “bleak”
Brandon — September 4, 2014
i really liked that chapter Natasha i am very excited to see what happens in the next chapter?
Hannah — October 1, 2014
its seems interesting….
Hastie — March 28, 2015
I am very excited what happens . : )
Zeren — April 5, 2015
I liked it because…it was interesting. I like how the uncle lives on a moor!
Kayleigh — April 14, 2015
good
z — August 6, 2015
To Bertie I love Storynory so much do you thinyou could do a new Katie story where katie and icis by accsident go into a movie please reply love Melody
Melody — September 11, 2015
Hello Melody,
Thank you for your idea. There is a new Katie being published very soon, maybe next week called Katie and no Miss Perfect.
Jana Elizabeth — September 11, 2015
This is so bad I don’t like it at all!!!!!;(
Mr Garason — September 16, 2015
THIS WAS SO BAD THAT I GOT SO BORED I ALLMOST FELL ASLEEP!!!!!;(
YEE — September 16, 2015
Ahhh! Story is brillant! The reason you almost fell asleep is the beautiful, calming effect of the person reading the book! 😀
Bella — August 17, 2016
Nice story
Jeff — November 4, 2015
It was OK not worst
Anonymous — February 4, 2016
I like this story allllllllllot
Ellia — January 23, 2016
id like the story
mary — February 16, 2016
? my name is olive and I love this story ????? ?
Anonymous — March 2, 2016
Awesome
James — March 17, 2016
i just love it…..$$$$$$$$$$$453
abigail — March 18, 2016
I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:) :):):):):):):):)
saidey — April 27, 2016
Saidey
I LOVE LOVE LOVE it:):):):):):):)
saidey — April 27, 2016
that is a nice chapter
opal — May 24, 2016
I really like your books! They are so awesome !??
Kate — May 30, 2016
LOVE LOVE LOVE every Chapter!!! ???
Bella — August 17, 2016
I really liked it took me into the book i am delighted to read the next chapter
Jack — October 3, 2016
Really nice and fabulous!
Fionë — December 18, 2016
Is very good story I reed in italian. i love it
Mirò — January 7, 2017
is very good book, i reed in italian. it so cool
Mirò — January 7, 2017
cool
george — February 8, 2017
i love it
i want more chapters i love so much ples mack more
ryan — February 13, 2017
cool
holly — February 27, 2017
cool
me — March 6, 2017
I like it it is okay that’s a clap😍💋
Skylia — March 28, 2017
I love it
Cerys — April 30, 2017
Amazing😍
Meha — May 1, 2017
It is a lovely app and story 🤡😛😎😝😜😏😩😯😠🙃😗😍🙃😇😇🤣☺️😇😒😍😂🤔😇😙
Amy — May 22, 2017
Wow cool this is turnning out to be a good story.Thanks
AMELIA ROSE — August 21, 2017
like it
emma — August 23, 2017
This was a a very good chapter
Anthony — August 26, 2017
cool
sam — August 30, 2017
BOOOOOOOOO
GJKH — August 30, 2017
i like it
alden — August 30, 2017
What a place.
Elena — October 12, 2017
what are two literary elements in this chapter?
May — December 3, 2017
I love this story thanks for sharing this with me
Anonymous — December 31, 2017
I love this story thanks for sharing this with me
Emma — December 31, 2017
I love it soooooooooooooooooo much ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️💕💕💕💕👍👍👍👍👍👌👏🤲👋
Nevaeh — February 21, 2018
Its the best story ever
Aaron — March 26, 2018
this is one of my favorite books
Emmy — May 18, 2018
I love it!
Anonymous — June 5, 2018
c o o l ! : )
R e b e c c a d i a z — October 17, 2018
The was book ever in the world
Jeff — October 22, 2018
i love ti
joseph — March 7, 2019
what does contrary mean
Anonymous — March 17, 2019
Contrary means opposite.. it’s used to show that one thinks or feels the opposite of what has just been stated. E.g. “I will never give up.. on the contrary, I will climb mountains to achieve my goal.”
Jana Elizabeth — March 18, 2019
This is a awsome story i have been liking it.
sheyla — April 22, 2019
good story you should put more pictures up maybe?
sand — June 4, 2019
i hate it
izhar677 — December 13, 2019
good story
Liam Dupre — December 13, 2019
this is good
Liam Dupre — December 13, 2019
SHE CREPT INTO THE DINNING ROOM
YA YEET — March 11, 2020
i like this story so mouch
imran — March 17, 2020
I liked the story it was very nice I can see why people like it so much.
Anonymous — March 21, 2020
BEST EVER
Anonymous — March 26, 2020
every time more interesting, I like it
gaby 8-3 — August 5, 2020