. No other had this power. They waited, then, those
three, for the coming of Katharine Howard or the King. Lascelles
shewed fear and surprise at his being there; therefore Lascelles was
deeply concerned in this matter. Lascelles was in the service of
Cranmer that morning; now he sat there. Thus he, too, for certain, was
in this plan; he was a new servant to Privy Seal--and new servants are
zealous. With Viridus he had had some talk of events. Therefore
Lascelles was the greatest danger.

Throckmorton moved slowly behind Culpepper and sat down beside him; in
his left hand he had his small dagger, its blue blade protruding from
the ham; Culpepper beside him was at his right. He said very softly in
Italian to Lascelles:

'Both your hands are upon the table; if you move one my dagger pierces
your eye to the brain. So also if you speak in the English language.'

Lascelles muttered: 'Judas! _Traditore!_' Viridus sat motionless, and
Culpepper moved his finger across the plan of the farm.

'Here is the mixen,' he appealed to Viridus, who nodded.

It was as if Throckmorton, with his slow manner and low voice, was a
friend who had come in to speak to Lascelles about the weather or the
burnings. He was no concern of Culpepper's, nor was Lascelles who had
spoken no word at all.

Throckmorton kept his head turned towards Lascelles as if he were
still addressing him, and spoke in the same level voice, still in
Italian.

'Viridus, to thee I speak. This is a very great matter.' Unconsciously
he used the set form of words of Privy Seal. 'Consider well these
things. The day of our master is nigh at an end. Rich, Chancellor of
the Augmentations, thy crony and master, and my ally, hath made a plan
to go with me to the King this night with witnesses and papers
accusing Privy Seal of raising the land against his Highness. Will you
join with us, or will you be lost with Privy Seal?'

Viridus kept his eyes upon the same spot of the table.

'Tell me more,' he said. 'This matter is very weighty.' His tone was
level, monotonous and still. He too might have been saying that the
sunshine that day had been long.

'A fad to talk Latin of ye courtiers,' Culpepper said with
uninterested scorn. 'Ye will forget God's language of English.' He
slapped Throckmorton on the sleeve. 'See, what a fine farm I have for
my deserts,' he said.

'Ye shall have better,' Throckmorton said. 'I have moved the King in
your behalf.' But he kept his eyes on La