,' she said submissively, for he seemed to
her great and learned; 'but I like not that thou call'st me "you."'

'Why, these be grave matters,' he replied, 'and "you" is graver than
"thou." But I love thee well. I will take thee a walk if the sun shine
to-morrow.' He tightened his belt and took his pike from the corner.
'As for your lady; those that made these lies are lowsels. I could
slay a score of them if they pressed upon you two.'

'I would not be so spoken of,' Margot answered.

'Then you must never rise in the world, as I am minded you shall,' he
retorted, 'for, you being in a high place, eyes will be upon you.'

Nevertheless, Katharine Howard heard no evil words shouted after her
that day. Pikemen and servitors of Cromwell were too thick upon all
the road to the Tower, where the courtiers took barge again. Cromwell
made very good order that no insults should reach the ears of such of
the Papist nobles as came to his feast; they would make use with the
King of evil words if any such were shouted. Thus the more dangerous
and the most foul-mouthed of that neighbourhood, when the Court went
by, found hands pressed over their mouths or scarves suddenly
tightened round their throats by stalwart men that squeezed behind
them in the narrow ways, so that not many more than twenty heads on
both sides were broken that day; and Margot Poins kept her mouth
closed tight with a sort of rustic caution--a shyness of her mistress
and a desire to spare her any pain. Thus it was not until long after
that Katharine heard of these rumours.

Katharine was in high good spirits. She had no great reason, for
Viridus had threatened her; the Queen had rolled her large eyes round
when Katharine had made her courtesy, but no words intelligible to a
Christian had come from the thick lips; and no lord or lady had
noticed her with a word except that, late in the afternoon, her cousin
Surrey, a young man with a sleepily insolent air and front teeth that
resembled a rabbit's, had suddenly planted himself in front of her as
she sat on a stool against the hangings. He had begun to ask her where
she was housed, when another young man caught him by the shoulder and
pulled him away before he could do more than bid her sit there till he
came again. She had been in no mood to do that for her cousin Surrey;
besides, she would not be seen to speak much with a Papist henchman in
that house. He could seek her if he wanted her company, so she went
into