Was this the house? Noah stared at the building and then down at the advert he had ripped out of an old Whitby Gazette. 25 Robin Way. That seemed right. He walked up to the door and knocked. For someone who usually had a big mouth, he felt awfully nervous. But then again, usually he didn't try to make a good impression. At least he wore the new (though second hand) clothes that Mr. North had given him and his brother. He had even gone home to take a bath and had tried his best at combing his hair. It was still standing up in the back, but his cap hid that for now. 

He had heard a lot about Uriel Meijer. The man was feeding the children in the school and people spoke about him like he was a good person. Noah tried to make James go to school, not just for the certificate, but for the meals as well. If he got the job, he had an additional means of pressuring his little brother. But the fact that the man was a teacher was a problem as well. Surely, he'd be even more likely to ask for a school leaving certificate, and Noah had none. 

Still, it was his best shot at his new ambition: becoming a farmer. Mr. North had said he was willing to fund him if he could come up with a career path, and Noah had been desperate for about a month, for he wasn't really good at anything and his lack of a school certificate made many options almost impossible. But then he had seen the ad. If he could learn farming and start a farm, he wouldn't have to work for anyone and he could settle as far away from Whitby - and especially his parents - as he liked. He could make a good life for himself and rescue Alice. Yes, it was a brilliant idea.

If he got hired.

He nervously brought his hand up, lifted his cap, and tried to flatten the hair at the back of his head again.