"I knowed tha' wanted to see her an' I told her where th' door was hid." Colin held out his hand with a sort of flushed royal shyness but his eyes quite devoured her face.
"Even when I was ill I wanted to see you," he said, "you and Dickon and the secret garden.

I'd never wanted to see any one or anything before." The sight of his uplifted face brought about a sudden change in her own.
She flushed and the corners of her mouth shook and a mist seemed to sweep over her eyes.
"Eh! dear lad!" she broke out tremulously.

"Eh! dear lad!" as if she had not known she were going to say it.

She did not say, "Mester Colin," but just "dear lad" quite suddenly.

She might have said it to Dickon in the same way if she had seen something in his face which touched her.
Colin liked it.
"Are you surprised because I am so well ?" he asked.
She put her hand on his shoulder and smiled the mist out of her eyes.
"Aye, that I am!" she said; "but tha'rt so like thy mother tha' made my heart jump." "Do you think," said Colin a little awkwardly, "that will make my father like me ?" "Aye, for sure, dear lad," she answered and she gave his shoulder a soft quick pat.