The Secret Garden: Chapter 12 Summary & Analysis

Mary races back to her room and excitedly tells Martha that she's been with Dickon and thinks he's beautiful. Martha is confused and says that she's never thought of Dickon as handsome, but Mary assures her that she loves his face. They discuss gardening and then Martha asks if Mary has a place to plant her flowers. She says that Mary shouldn't ask the head gardener, Mr. Roach, and should ask Ben Weatherstaff instead. She also assures Mary that if Mary finds someplace out of the way, nobody will care if she plants things there.

As Mary grabs her hat to go back outside, Martha says that Mr. Craven is back and wants to see her. Mary turns white as Martha explains that Mother spoke to Mr. Craven in town and suggested he see Mary before he goes away again. Mary is relieved to learn that this next trip is supposed to last until fall or winter, which leaves her ample time to "watch the secret garden come alive."

Mrs. Medlock enters and tells Mary to put on her best dress and brush her hair. Martha helps her and then Mary silently follows Mrs. Medlock. Mrs. Medlock leaves Mary with Mr. Craven, who's sitting in an armchair in front of a fire. Mary notices that Mr. Craven isn't a hunchback; his shoulders are just a bit crooked. When he finally calls her to approach, she thinks that he'd be handsome if he didn't look so miserable and worried. He asks if she's well and then apologizes for forgetting to engage a governess.

Mary chokes a little bit on her words, but Mr. Craven encourages her to speak. She says that she doesn't want a governess, and Mr. Craven muses that Mrs. Sowerby, Martha's mother, said that Mary doesn't need one yet. Mary insists that Mrs. Sowerby knows about children, and boldly says that she wants to play outside so she can get stronger. She talks about her jump rope and assures Mr. Craven that she's not doing anything wrong. He seems put off by the anxiety in her face and to calm her, says that Mrs. Sowerby stopped him on the moor, said that Mrs. Craven had been a kind woman, and told him that Mary should be allowed to play outside.

Mr. Craven tells Mary she can go where she likes and asks if she'd like any dolls or toys. Mary asks for some earth to plant a garden, which seems to shock Mr. Craven. She goes on and says that she used to make pretend gardens in India. Mr. Craven paces, tells Mary that she can have as much earth as she wants, and then calls Mrs. Medlock to take Mary away. He tells Mrs. Medlock to feed Mary and let her run outside, and that Mary can visit Mrs. Sowerby. Mrs. Medlock is pleased that this all means she'll be required to do little for Mary, and she's also pleased that she'll get to see Mrs. Sowerby, as the two went to school together.

As soon as Mary is back in her room, she excitedly tells Martha all the good news and that Mr. Craven is nice, just miserable. She races back to the garden and discovers that Dickon is gone. However, she finds a paper stuck to a tree with a picture of a bird's nest and a note from Dickon saying that he will come back.