The Secret Garden: Chapter 8 Summary & Analysis

Mary stares at the key for a while, thinking that if she could find the door, she could see what's inside. She's curious about what it looks like after being neglected for ten years and thinks that she could go inside, shut the door, and play alone. Life at Misselthwaite has made her imaginative and curious for the first time; it was too hot in India for her to think about anything. Mary puts the key in her pocket and walks up and down the wall. She finds it frustrating to be so close to the secret garden but unable to get in, and decides to carry the key with her everywhere from now on, so if she ever finds the door, she'll be ready.

Martha returns the next day with stories of her day out. She and Mother washed and mended clothes and baked good things to eat. The children all liked hearing about Mary, and Mary tells Martha that she'll tell her more about life in India so that next time she goes home, she'll have more to tell them. Mary asks if Dickon and Mother liked hearing about her. Dickon apparently was intrigued like the rest, but Mother seemed sad that Mary was alone with no one to cheer her up. Very seriously, Mary tells Martha that her talking does cheer her up.

Martha leaves and returns with a present for Mary, courtesy of Mother: a jump rope. Having never seen one, Mary wants to know what it's for. Incredulously, Martha picks up the rope and starts to skip in the middle of the room. Mary is transfixed, and when Martha stops, Mary feels excited. Martha hands over the rope and assures Mary that if she practices, she'll get better. She also says that Mother believes a jump rope is the best thing for Mary.

As Mary heads outside, she stiffly thanks Martha for the jump rope and holds out her hand. Martha shakes it, laughs, and says that if Mary were one of her sisters, she'd kiss her in thanks. In an even stiffer voice, Mary asks if Martha wants a kiss, but Martha just laughs and shoos Mary out.

Mary wanders through the gardens, skipping and counting. She skips to Ben Weatherstaff and he comments that the skipping is putting red in her cheeks. Mary is thrilled. Ben encourages her to keep skipping and notes that the robin will certainly follow her again today. Mary skips off to her favorite path along the ivy wall. As she skips, she feels the key in her pocket and with a laugh, asks the robin to show her where the door is. He just sings at her.

The narrator explains that Mary will go on to believe that what happens next is the work of Magic, which she first heard about in her Ayah's stories. A gust of wind blows the ivy where the robin is sitting, and as it moves, Mary catches the vines, having seen a doorknob underneath it. She starts to pull the ivy aside and reveals a door with a lock. Fishing out her key, Mary finds that it fits perfectly in the lock. Mary checks that nobody is watching before she turns the key, pushes the door open, and slips quietly into the secret garden.