“Her heart sank at the thought, and she sighed, anticipating much bitterness and disappointment.”
Esther knew that life was unfair, especially to young girls without a penny to their names. “The old yellow thing” that once was a pretty dress and a suitcase full of books she couldn’t even read and kept them only for her mother’s sake were all her belongings. Her heart “sank” at the thought of her grim and cheerless future, and she sighed, “anticipating much bitterness and disappointments.” Even when her first “quarter’s wages came due” she would hardly be able “to buy herself a dress.” What was more, she had a family to help.
“Esther was absorbed in the consideration of her own perilous position.”
Margaret’s sad story about Jim, who had been sent away “as if he was a dog”, made Esther think about her “own perilous position.” She wondered if they “would send her away at the end of the week, or that very afternoon.” She wondered if they would give her “a week’s wages,” or they would turn her out “destitute to find her way back to London as best she might.”The poor girl wasn’t even sure if it was possible to walk back to London. “Not a friend, not a penny in the world.” Esther couldn’t understand why did “such misfortune” fell on “a poor girl” who had never harmed anyone in the world.
“There’s a good time coming.”
Esther had never been happier. Her boy was an adult; Jackie turned out to be a fine young fellow whose mere presence in his mother’s life filled her heart with warmth and love. She kept on “working,” doing “the best” she could for her boy and her dear friend, Mrs. Barfield. She believed that there was “a good time coming” with all her heart, for she had finally found her place in that severe and merciless world that had treated her so badly. Esther had longed for that simple working life for so long that she couldn’t believe her luck. With Mrs. Barfield by her side, she wasn’t lonely anymore.
