The new lodger
An original fiction passage set in the nineteenth century.
The new lodger thanked Mrs Pike for the room and admired the view of the square. His coat was worn at the cuffs, but he spoke with the easy assurance of somebody accustomed to better surroundings. Mrs Pike named the rent. His confidence faltered for the space of a breath. Then he asked whether payment might be made at the end of the week, when a remittance was expected.
Identify the phrase which suggests that the lodger is briefly troubled by the cost.
120 exam-style questions on Edexcel GCSE English Language 1.3 Content: prose fiction study requirements, covering 1.3.1 Read challenging prose fiction for the unseen 19th-century extract. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.