, who still stayed by the chapel door at the far end of
the corridor. He threw up his hands.

'Sir,' he said. 'Traitors have come to you!'

Gardiner, indeed, was gliding towards them, drawn, in spite of all
prudence, by his invincible hatred.

The King watched the pair of them with his crafty eyes, deep seated in
his head.

'It is certain that no traitors have come to me,' he uttered gently;
and to Cromwell: 'You have a nose for them.'

He appeared placable and was very quiet.

Winchester, his black eyes glaring with desire, was almost upon them
in the shadows.

'Here is enough of wrangling,' Henry said. He appeared to meditate,
and then uttered: 'As well here as elsewhere.'

'Sir,' Gardiner said, 'if Privy Seal misleads me, I have somewhat to
say of Privy Seal.'

'Cousin of Winchester,' Henry answered. 'Stretch out your hand, I
would have you end your tulzies in this place.'

Winchester, bringing out his words with a snake's coldness, seemed to
whisper:

'Your Highness did promise that Privy Seal should make me amends.'

'Why, Privy Seal shall make amends,' the King answered. 'It was his
man that did miscall thee. Therefore, Privy Seal shall come to dine
with thee, and shall, in the presence of all men, hold out to thee his
hand.'

'Let him come, then, with great state,' the bishop stuck to his note.

'Aye, with a great state,' the King answered. 'I will have an end to
these quarrels.'

He set his hand cordially upon Privy Seal's shoulder.

'For thee,' he said, 'I would have thee think between now and the
assembling of the Parliaments of what title thou wilt have to an
earldom.'

Cromwell fell upon one knee, and, in Latin, made three words of a
speech of thanks.

'Why, good man,' the King said, 'art a man very valuable to me.' His
eyes rested upon Katharine for a moment. 'I am well watched for by one
and the other of you,' he went on. 'Each of you by now has brought me
a letter of this lady's.'

Katharine cried out at Gardiner:

'You too!'

His eyes sought the ground, and then looked defiantly into hers.

'You did threaten me!' he said doggedly. 'I was minded to be betimes.'

'Why, end it all, now and here,' the King said. 'Here is a folly with
a silly wench in it.'

'Here was a treason that I would show your Highness,' the Bishop said
doggedly.

'Sirs,' the King said. He touched his bonnet: 'God in His great mercy
has seen fit much to trouble me. But here are troubles that I may end.