He is told to wait whilst Mrs Postlethwaite tends to the girl. A lump emerges in his throat as he thinks about his mother and the tears she shed when he left. His lower lip swells and his chin begins the wither whilst a tear develops in his eye. He peers out of the tiny dirty window and looks at the hill and track he’d carried the cases up. Then he turns as he hears Mrs Postlethwaite return. She appears with a pale yellow dress hung over her arm and a set of girl’s undergarments in her hand. “Please don’t make me wear those,” he mumbles as she lays the items on his bed.
“When I offered to take you in you promised you’d be obedient.” she reminded him. “Anything less and you’ll be sleeping outside,” she stated. “Do you understand?”