Chapter 7 IN THE MORNING
　　Dick stood up and stretched himself. He felt dirty and untidy. Also he was very hungry. He wonderedif the old woman would let him buy some bread and cheese and a glass of milk.
　　'Anne must be hungry too,' he thought. 'I wonder if she's all right.' He went cautiously outside andlooked up at the tiny window of the loft¹ where Anne had spent the night. Her anxious face wasalready there, watching for Dick!
　　'Are you all right, Anne?' called Dick, in a low tone. She pushed open the tiny window and smiled athim.
　　'Yes. But I daren't go down because that son is downstairs. I can hear him shouting at the deaf oldwoman every now and again. He sounds very bad-tempered².'
　　'I'll wait for him to go out to his work then, before I go and see the old woman,' said Dick. 'I must payher something for letting you sleep up in that loft - and perhaps I can persuade her to let us havesomething to eat.'
　　'I wish you could,' said Anne. 'I've eaten all the chocolate I had in my bag. Shall I wait till I hear youcall me?'
　　Dick nodded and disappeared into the barn in a hurry. He had heard footsteps!
　　A man came into sight - a broad, short, hunched-up man, with a shock of untidy hair. He was the manthat Dick had seen in the barn the night before. He was muttering to himself and looked very bad-tempered indeed. Dick decided³ to keep out of his way. He crouched⁴ down in the barn.
　　But the man did not go in there. He walked past, still muttering. Dick listened for his footsteps to dieaway. He heard the opening of a gate somewhere, then it crashed behind the man.
　　'I'd better take my chance now,' thought Dick, and he went quickly out of the barn and up to the littlewhite house. It looked very tumble-down and neglected in the daylight, and had a most forlorn air.
　　Dick knew that it was no good knocking, because the old woman wouldn't hear him. So he walkedright into the house and found the woman washing up a few dishes in a cracked old sink.
　　She stared at him in dismay.
　　'I'd forgotten about you! And the girl too! Is she still up there? Get her down quickly before my soncomes back! And then go, both of you!'
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　　'Can you sell us some bread and cheese?' shouted Dick. But the old woman really was stone deaf, andall she did was to push Dick away towards the door, jabbing at him with the wet cloth in her hand.

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