The ruined hat

An original fiction passage set in the nineteenth century.

The gust lifted Mrs Ellis’s hat and carried it into the horse trough. She reached for it with the tip of her umbrella while two boys watched from the pavement. The feather collapsed against the brim. Water ran from the ribbon. She held the dripping hat upright, as though its shape might persuade the street that nothing unfortunate had occurred.

One boy began to laugh. Mrs Ellis turned towards him and asked whether he would be kind enough to fetch a cloth from the shop. The request was so calmly made that he stopped. He returned with a towel and held it out without meeting her eye. She thanked him, dried the hat as well as she could and continued down the street with it beneath her arm.

Analyse how the writer uses language and structure to present Mrs Ellis’s effort to preserve her dignity. Support your answer with references to the passage.