The travelling musician

An original fiction passage set in the nineteenth century.

Tom had been sent to the inn to fetch his father, but the taproom door was shut. From within came a thin, wavering tune. He tapped twice. The music stopped, and the silence seemed to wait for him.

A man opened the door only a hand’s breadth. His coat was wet at the shoulders; under one arm he carried a small wooden instrument. “Your father is not here,” he said, and closed the door again. Tom scuffed the floor with his boot. The journey back would be cold, and his message had brought him nowhere.

Then the tune began once more. It was no longer wavering. A quick pattern of notes ran up and down, bright as a line of sunlight across the dark room. Tom lifted the latch and eased the door open a little. Through the gap he saw the man’s fingers moving over the keys, while the other hand worked a row of little levers. The tune ended with one sudden, clean note.

Tom let the door settle softly into its frame. He did not knock again. He sat on the step outside, listening for the next tune.

Analyse how the writer uses language and structure to show Tom’s changing response to the musician. Support your answer with references to the passage.