try as the boy might to feel joy in the liberty of walking about without being trampled he felt very much that the starched ruff about his neck chaffed exceedingly , his shoes pinched and blistered at the heel and toe , the iron used to set the curls in his hair had scorched his scalp , and the silk stockings and knee breeches interrupted the cooling breeze from reaching his living breathing flesh so that he only sweated profusely instead .