to Privy Seal in him to love her. But to her it was a treason
great and not to be comprehended.

He ogled Udal's wife in the gallant manner and prayed her to prepare a
bed for him in that hostelry. He had been minded to lodge with a
Frenchman named Clement; but having seen her ...

'Learned sir,' she answered, 'a good bed I have for you.' But if he
sought to go beyond her lips she had a body-guard of spitmen that the
magister's self had seen.

The doctor kissed her agreeably and, with a great sigh of relief,
hurried from the door.

'May Bacchus who maketh mad, and the Furies that pursued Orestes,
defile the day when I cross this step again,' he muttered as he swung
under the arch and ran to follow the mule train.

For the magister, by playing with his reputation of being Cromwell's
spy, had so effectually caused terror of himself to pervade those who
supported the old faith that he had much ado at times to find company
even amongst the lovers of good letters.

III

In the kitchen the spits had ceased turning, the dishes had been borne
upstairs to the envoy from Cleves, the scullions were wiping knives,
the maids were rubbing pieces of bread in the dripping pans and
licking their fingers after the succulent morsels. The magister stood,
a long crimson blot in the window-way; the hostess was setting flagons
carefully into the great armoury.

'Madam wife,' the magister said to her at last, when she came near,
'ye see how weighty it is that I bide here.'

'Husband,' she said, 'I see how weighty it is that ye hasten to
London.'

His rage broke--he whirled his arms above his head.

'Naughty woman!' he screamed harshly. 'Shalt be beaten.' He strode
across to the basting range and gripped a great ladle, his brown eyes
glinting, and stood caressing his thin chin passionately.

She folded her arms complacently.

'Husband,' she said, 'it is well that wives be beaten when they have
merited it. But, till I have, I have seven cooks and five knaves to
bear my part.'

Udal's hand fell suddenly and dispiritedly to his side. What indeed
could he do? He could not beat this woman unless she would be
beaten--and she stood there, square, buxom, solid and composed. He had
indeed that sense that all scholars must have in presence of assured
wives, that she was the better man. Moreover, the rage that had filled
him in presence of Doctor Longstaffe had cooled down to nothing in
Longstaffe's absence.

He folded his arms an