Kind of impulse, I suppose. What have
you been doing to little Alf?"
Burton looked at her in bewilderment.
"Doing to the boy?" he repeated. "I haven't seen him since I saw you
last."
"That's all very well for a tale," Ellen replied, "but you're not going
to tell me that he's come into these ways naturally."
"What ways?" Burton exclaimed. "My dear Ellen, you must be a little
more explicit. I tell you that I have not seen the child since I was at
Garden Green. I am utterly ignorant of anything which may have happened
to him."
Ellen remained entirely unconvinced.
"There's things about," she declared, "which I don't understand nor
don't want to. First of all you go dotty. Now the same sort of thing
seems to have come to little Alf, and what I want to know is what you
mean by it? It's all rubbish for you to expect me to believe that he's
taken to this naturally."
Burton put his hand to his head for a moment.
"Go on," he said. "Unless you tell me what has happened to Alfred, I
cannot even attempt to help you."
"Well, I'll tell you fast enough," Ellen assured him, "though you
needn't take that for a proof that I believe what you say. He's been a
changed child ever since you were down last.
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