moment in thought with knife in hand.

"Caskoden, I have never detected you in a lie in all the years I have
known you; you are not very large in body, but your honor is great
enough to stock a Goliath. I believe you are telling the truth. I will
go at once to liberate Brandon; and that little hussy, my sister,
shall go to France and enjoy life as best she can with her old beauty,
King Louis. I know of no greater punishment to inflict upon her. This
determines me; she shall coax me out of it no longer. Sir Thomas
Brandon, have my horses ready, and I will go to the lord mayor, then
to my lord bishop of Lincoln and arrange to close this French treaty
at once. Let everybody know that the Princess Mary will, within the
month, be queen of France." This was said to the courtiers, and was
all over London before night.

I followed closely in the wake of the king, though uninvited, for I
had determined to trust to no one, not even his majesty, until Brandon
should be free. Henry had said he would go first to the lord mayor and
then to Wolsey, but after we crossed the Bridge he passed down Lower
Thames street and turned up Fish-street Hill into Grace Church street
on toward Bishopsgate. He said he would stop at Mistress Cornwallis's
and have a pudding; and then on to Wolsey, who at that time lodged in
a house near the wall beyond Bishopsgate.

I well knew if the king once reached Wolsey's, it would be wine and
quoits and other games, interspersed now and then with a little
blustering talk on statecraft, for the rest of the day. Then the good
bishop would have in a few pretty London women and a dance would
follow with wine and cards and dice, and Henry would spend the night
at Wolsey's, and Brandon lie another night in the mire of his Newgate
dungeon.

I resolved to raise heaven and earth, and the other place, too, if
necessary, before this should happen. So I rode boldly up to the king,
and with uncovered head addressed him: "Your majesty gave me your
royal word that you would go to the lord mayor first, and this is the
road to my lord bishop of Lincoln. In all the years I have known your
majesty, both as gallant prince and puissant king, this is the first
request I ever proffered, and now I only ask of you to save your own
noble honor, and do your duty as man and king."

These were bold words, but I did not care one little farthing whether
they pleased him or not. The king stared at me and said:

"Caskoden, you are a perf