Read the excerpt from chapter 16 of The Secret Garden.

Something he had heard Mrs. Medlock whispering to the nurse had given him the idea and he had thought over it in secret until it was quite firmly fixed in his mind. Mrs. Medlock had said his father’s back had begun to show its crookedness in that way when he was a child. He had never told anyone but Mary that most of his “tantrums” as they called them grew out of his hysterical hidden fear.

How does this excerpt contribute to the development of the plot?

It gives background information that explains Colin's behavior.

It implies that Colin and his father will face similar conflicts.

It foreshadows the actions that Colin will take in the future.

It provides a flashback describing Colin's conflict with his father.