‘No. You see Ethel hev rabbits, and afore the row I allust used to help her get their cow parsley; and I still do, though I ain’t supposed to. While we was plucking the parsley, Ethel say to me she’s going to hev another accident, she know; there’s something her granny want her to do and she ’on’t, and whenever she ’on’t do what her granny want, then she hev a accident. Poured a kettle of water over her foot last time – that was when I told my mum. So last night Ethel and me, we took the rabbit food round their yard, and her granny was in the wash-house. She say to me, “You run along, Sydney Baines, don’t you’ll get your breeches warmed. And you come here, Ethel, and give us a hand with this mangling.” I didn’t go straight away, I looked in the wash-house winder and I seen Ethel’s granny take her hand and hold it in the rollers time she give the handle a twist.’ He shuddered and gulped, and Miss Mayfield held him more firmly.

‘You’re sure that it wasn’t an accident, Sydney?’

‘Sure as sure. It was done deliberate. Besides, Ethel knew something was going to happen to her.’

‘What happened then?’

‘Ethel give a terrible screech and fell down. I give a shout and went round to the door, and as soon as she see me, Granny Rigby say as sweet as pie, “Sydney,” she say, “what a good thing you’re here. Run for your mum and tell her to bring her first-aid things.” So I did, and my mum come and did Ethel up as good as any doctor. And then, on the way home, she kept saying it was just a accident and anyway I shouldn’t hev been there and tonight I got to write “Honour thy father and thy mother” coupla hundred times. Though my dad never said nothing about going near Ethel any more. Only my mum.’

There was something entirely convincing about the boy’s account, strange and horrible as the central incident sounded.

‘You hoped that I should take this matter up?’

He nodded.

‘We don’t hev a Sunday paper, my dad don’t hold with them, but once I see one that somebody had brought wrapped round their shoes. It had a bit in it about some children treated like Ethel, and it said the schoolteacher told the Cruelty people and got it stopped.’

‘I see. Well, I shall certainly investigate. I shall go round and see Ethel this evening. Meanwhile you and I will keep this between ourselves, shall we? I think you acted rightly, and bravely, Sydney.’

‘You ain’t afraid of getting shingles?’

‘Not from Ethel’s granny, certainly. That would be quite impossible.’