m his horse, spoke to
Lascelles, 'wherefore that knave would have had me stay in Calais and
be warder of barges. 'A would have my lands here.'

Word was given him that he must without delay go to the Sieur Viridus,
and in a high good humour he followed the lead of Lascelles through
the rabbit warren of small and new passages of the palace. In them it
was already nearly dark.

It was in that way that, landing at the barge stage, a little stiff
with the cold of his barge journey, Throckmorton came upon the young
Poins in his scarlet breeches, his face cut and bleeding in his
contact with the earth, his sword gone. Privy Seal's men that had
fallen upon him had kicked him out of the palace gates. They had no
warrant yet to take him; the quarrel was none of theirs. The boy was
of the King's Guard, it was true, but his company lay then at the
Tower.

Throckmorton cursed at him when he heard his news; and when he heard
that Culpepper was then in the palace where window lights already
shone before him, he ran to the archway. He had no time for reflection
save as he ran. Word was given him in the archway itself that Privy
Seal would see him instantly and with great haste and urgency. He
asked only for news where Thomas Culpepper was, and ran, upon the
disastrous hearing that Viridus had taken him up the privy stairway.
And, in that darkness, thoughts ran in his head. Disaster was here.
But what? Privy Seal called for him. He had no time for Privy Seal.
Culpepper was gone to Kat Howard's room. Viridus there had taken him.
There was no other room up the winding staircase to which he could
go. Here was disaster! For whether he stayed Culpepper or no, Privy
Seal must know that he had betrayed him. As he ran swiftly the
desperate alternative coursed in his mind. Rich, the Chancellor of the
Augmentations, and he had their tale pat, that Privy Seal was secretly
raising the realm against the King. He himself had got good matter
that morning listening to the treasonable talking of the printer
Badge.

Several men in the stair angle would have stopped him when at last he
was at foot of the winding stairs. He whispered:

'I be Throckmorton upon my master's business,' and was through and in
the darkness of the stairway.

Why was there no cresset? Why were there these men? It came into his
mind that already the King had heard Culpepper. Already Katharine was
arrested. He groaned as he mounted the stairs. For in that case, with
those