‘But it’s a fac’, as it ’appens. They’ve got a secret room in the east wing containin’ some filfy family secret. There’s a winder but there’s no door, and when the son o’ the house is twenty-five ’is father takes ’im in and shows ’im the ’orror, and ’e’s never the same again. Like the king that ate the winkles. That’s why they leave comin’ of age till the boy is old enough to stand the shock.’ He paused dramatically and added by way of confirmation: ‘The bloke ’oo was telling me was a bit tight, and the others was tryin’ to shut ’im up. You could see it was the truth — they was so scared. It’s
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