or the punishment cell. He can’t wait to send me there. Mind you – he should
get the guardians’ agreement before he does that.’ Then he muttered beneath his breath, ‘But usually he doesn’t bother.’
‘What – what’ll he do to me?’
Again Jake glanced swiftly and then looked away again. Then he shrugged. ‘Nothing, probably. If – if you’re nice to him.’
‘Nice to him? What do you mean?’
‘I dunno really. I just know that he’s not so strict on the girls. And you’re new here, so if you smile prettily at him and say you’re sorry, mebbe you’ll get away
with it.’
The door flew open and Isaac stood there. He looked nothing like the kindly, avuncular figure he had seemed before. Now he resembled a raging bull.
‘You, boy, in here.’
As Jake stepped forward, Meg did so too, but the master said sharply, ‘No, you stay there, girl. I’ll see you in a moment.’
The second that Jake stepped into the room the door was slammed behind him, but because the master was shouting Meg could hear every word.
‘How many beatings do I have to give you, boy, before you learn the rules? Eh? Eh? Answer me that. It’s not as if you’ve any excuse. You’ve been here all your life. You
were born here, yet you still flout the rules at every end and turn. And don’t expect Miss Pendleton to come running to your aid. Not this time when I tell her what you’ve done. Such
disgusting behaviour with a young and innocent wench. In broad daylight and in the middle of the yard too. Have you no shame, boy?’
Meg heard Jake’s muttered response, but she could not make out the words. His voice was too low.
‘Upset, you say? Of course the lass was upset. Her mother has just lost her baby. But that’s no excuse for what you were trying to do.’
Again, a low reply from Jake.
‘Comfort?’ Isaac laughed cruelly. ‘I know the kind of “comfort” you had in mind, you dirty little tyke. Taking advantage of the poor lass when she was upset.
That’s what you were doing.’
Another murmur from Jake and then the sound of a slap. ‘Don’t answer me back, boy. And like I say, it’ll be no good running to matron. Not this time. You may have been her
blue-eyed boy up to now, but when she hears you’ve been after a young girl, then she’ll have no more sympathy for you. You mark my words. You’ll have blotted your copybook with
her good an’ proper.’
Meg blinked. The master sounded gleeful, as if he had been waiting for just such an occasion.
‘It’s the cell for you, boy, for a couple of days and nothing to eat but bread and water. Let’s see if that’ll curb your beastly desires.’
This time, Meg heard Jake argue. ‘You can’t do that. Not without the guardians’ say-so.’
Isaac’s answering bellow seemed to shake the door. ‘How dare you argue with me?’
Heavy footsteps moved across the room, then came the sound of something swishing through the air. Meg shuddered, knowing that the master had picked up the cane from his desk. ‘Bend over,
boy. We’ll see what a good thrashing can do for you. I don’t need to ask the guardians’ permission for that!’
Meg was forced to stand listening to every swipe of the cane. They seemed to go on and on, yet Jake made no sound. Not a cry, not even a whimper.
When she could bear it no longer, she turned and ran out into the men’s backyard, looking wildly to right and left. But the dusk had deepened. It was almost dark now and the yard was
deserted. Then she heard a noise behind her in the building and turned to see a strange man just inside the entrance locking the door to the left of the master’s room. He turned and came
towards her, stepping out into the evening air. A tall, thin man dressed in a dark suit with a starched white collar. His face was pale and gaunt and he stooped slightly, as if he spent too much
time indoors bending over his books and ledgers. He paused for a moment and straightened up, taking in a deep breath
get the guardians’ agreement before he does that.’ Then he muttered beneath his breath, ‘But usually he doesn’t bother.’
‘What – what’ll he do to me?’
Again Jake glanced swiftly and then looked away again. Then he shrugged. ‘Nothing, probably. If – if you’re nice to him.’
‘Nice to him? What do you mean?’
‘I dunno really. I just know that he’s not so strict on the girls. And you’re new here, so if you smile prettily at him and say you’re sorry, mebbe you’ll get away
with it.’
The door flew open and Isaac stood there. He looked nothing like the kindly, avuncular figure he had seemed before. Now he resembled a raging bull.
‘You, boy, in here.’
As Jake stepped forward, Meg did so too, but the master said sharply, ‘No, you stay there, girl. I’ll see you in a moment.’
The second that Jake stepped into the room the door was slammed behind him, but because the master was shouting Meg could hear every word.
‘How many beatings do I have to give you, boy, before you learn the rules? Eh? Eh? Answer me that. It’s not as if you’ve any excuse. You’ve been here all your life. You
were born here, yet you still flout the rules at every end and turn. And don’t expect Miss Pendleton to come running to your aid. Not this time when I tell her what you’ve done. Such
disgusting behaviour with a young and innocent wench. In broad daylight and in the middle of the yard too. Have you no shame, boy?’
Meg heard Jake’s muttered response, but she could not make out the words. His voice was too low.
‘Upset, you say? Of course the lass was upset. Her mother has just lost her baby. But that’s no excuse for what you were trying to do.’
Again, a low reply from Jake.
‘Comfort?’ Isaac laughed cruelly. ‘I know the kind of “comfort” you had in mind, you dirty little tyke. Taking advantage of the poor lass when she was upset.
That’s what you were doing.’
Another murmur from Jake and then the sound of a slap. ‘Don’t answer me back, boy. And like I say, it’ll be no good running to matron. Not this time. You may have been her
blue-eyed boy up to now, but when she hears you’ve been after a young girl, then she’ll have no more sympathy for you. You mark my words. You’ll have blotted your copybook with
her good an’ proper.’
Meg blinked. The master sounded gleeful, as if he had been waiting for just such an occasion.
‘It’s the cell for you, boy, for a couple of days and nothing to eat but bread and water. Let’s see if that’ll curb your beastly desires.’
This time, Meg heard Jake argue. ‘You can’t do that. Not without the guardians’ say-so.’
Isaac’s answering bellow seemed to shake the door. ‘How dare you argue with me?’
Heavy footsteps moved across the room, then came the sound of something swishing through the air. Meg shuddered, knowing that the master had picked up the cane from his desk. ‘Bend over,
boy. We’ll see what a good thrashing can do for you. I don’t need to ask the guardians’ permission for that!’
Meg was forced to stand listening to every swipe of the cane. They seemed to go on and on, yet Jake made no sound. Not a cry, not even a whimper.
When she could bear it no longer, she turned and ran out into the men’s backyard, looking wildly to right and left. But the dusk had deepened. It was almost dark now and the yard was
deserted. Then she heard a noise behind her in the building and turned to see a strange man just inside the entrance locking the door to the left of the master’s room. He turned and came
towards her, stepping out into the evening air. A tall, thin man dressed in a dark suit with a starched white collar. His face was pale and gaunt and he stooped slightly, as if he spent too much
time indoors bending over his books and ledgers. He paused for a moment and straightened up, taking in a deep breath
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