The Secret Garden: Chapter 20 Summary & Analysis

The next week is rainy and Colin catches a cold, but he remains in good spirits. Dickon visits daily to talk about what's happening on the moor and to tell Colin and Mary about all the animals building nests and burrows. Most exciting to talk about are the plans the children make to transport Colin secretly into the garden. As the days pass, Colin becomes certain that the garden must remain a secret and that people must think that he's just going out with Dickon and Mary for fun. They devise a path to take and one day, Colin summons Mr. Roach to his room. Mr. Roach has never seen Colin, so he's curious to lay eyes on the boy. Mrs. Medlock tells the gardener that things are changing for the better and warns him that he'll probably see Dickon in Colin's room.

Upon entering, Mr. Roach is a bit surprised to see Dickon and a variety of animals sitting with Colin and Mary. Colin looks Mr. Roach over haughtily and tells him that he's going to go out in his chair. He says that the gardeners need to leave the area until he gives the word that they can return to work. Mr. Roach is relieved that Colin isn't asking him to cut down trees and almost laughs when he leaves the room. He and Mrs. Medlock laugh that if Colin lives and if Mary stays, he'll learn that the world isn't his alone.

Dickon returns to the garden, while Mary stays with Colin. During lunch, she notices that his eyes are especially big and asks him what he's thinking about. He admits that he's thinking about spring for the first time, and on the morning that Mary announced spring's arrival, he imagined a procession with music. Mary says that it feels like a celebration outside.

Later, the nurse gets Colin ready. Dr. Craven tells the nurse that he wishes she could go with him, but the nurse refuses to spoil Colin's good mood by insisting on going. A footman carries Colin downstairs, arranges him in his wheelchair, and Dickon begins to push the chair outside. Colin looks at the sky and breathes in deep breaths of air.

They wind along through the garden and when they approach the path by the ivy wall, they all start to whisper. Mary points out landmarks along the way—where the robin showed her the key and where Ben Weatherstaff works—and then, she steps into the bed, opens the door, and Dickon pushes the chair into the secret garden. Colin gasps happily and looks at all the growing things. Dickon and Mary watch Colin's face, which starts to take on some color, and Colin shouts that he's going to get well and live forever.