Back at the house, Billy is put into his new green dress which he wears with a pair of white stockings and his new black shoes. He gives Alice her dress back and she tells him that his new dress is very pretty. “I wished she’d bought me boy’s clothes instead.” Billy moaned. “Does your corset hurt as much as mine?” he asked.
Alice nodded and said she couldn’t wait for bedtime when she’ll finally be free of its vice-like grip, even if it’s only for a few hours. However come bedtime, it quickly became clear that neither Alice nor Billy would be granted some night-time respite from their constricting corsets. Neither of them gave it a second thought when Mrs Postlethwaite purchased two separate yards of heavy gauge curb chain and two small padlocks from the hardware shop.
