The first morning
An original fiction passage set in the nineteenth century.
Tom had been offered a place as a clerk at the village mill. The evening before he began, he told his sister that he felt ready for the work. He laid out his coat and boots before bed. In the morning, he stood at the gate for several minutes, twisting the strap of his bag between his fingers.
Identify the sentence which shows that Tom's behaviour does not match what he said about being ready.