CHAPTER 14.
THE ADVENTURE OF THE LITTLE OLD LADY They left the weir very early the next morning, after a breakfast from the cold ham which Mrs.Avory had bought them at Stratford.

On their way through the village they stopped at Salford Hall, because Hester and Gregory had had an argument as to whether or not it was possible to hear the breathing of the person in the hiding-hole.

The farmer allowed them to go upstairs and try, and, as it happened, Hester was right, and you could hear it, if you had patience.

Gregory came out again as purple as a plum through holding it in so long.
Then they said good-bye to the farmer and strode on through Harrington and Norton, and a little beyond this Robert took those that cared about it to see the obelisk on the site of the Battle of Evesham, at which Simon de Montfort was killed in 1265.

And so they came through the orchards of plum-trees, on which the fruit was now forming, to Evesham itself.
It was while they were walking through Evesham, beside or behind the Slowcoach, in the middle of the road, that Janet felt a hand on her arm, and, looking round, perceived a very small and very neat and very anxious little servant maid.
"Please," she said, "Miss Redstone, my mistress says, will you all step into her house and partake of refreshment, and do her a very great favour ?" Janet could hardly believe her ears.
"All of us!" she exclaimed.
"Yes," said the little servant, "all, please." Janet thought very hard for a moment or two.