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Viridus, silent, dark and enigmatic, gazed at a spot upon the table; Lascelles, his mouth a little open, his eyes dilated, had his hands upon it. Without speaking, Throckmorton noted that the room was empty save for the table and benches; the hangings had been taken down; all the furnishings were gone. That morning the room had been well filled, warm, and in the occupancy of the Lady Deedes.
A watch was to be set on her; the women who measured her for clothes would try to discover whom she loved and hated, and the serving man at her door would report her visitors. 'My lord hath you very present in his mind, Viridus said. She was commanded to go on the Saturday to the house in Austin Friars, where my lord was preparing a great feast in the honour of the Queen.
'I do conceive now, Culpepper, in descending from his horse, spoke to Lascelles, 'wherefore that knave would have had me stay in Calais and be warder of barges. 'A would have my lands here. Word was given him that he must without delay go to the Sieur Viridus, and in a high good humour he followed the lead of Lascelles through the rabbit warren of small and new passages of the palace.
Other serving men broke priceless bottles of Venetian glass against the corners of tables, and let the costly Rhenish wines run about their feet. This, the Master Viridus said, was intended to point out the wealth of their lord and his zealousness to entertain his Sovereigns. 'It would serve the purpose as well to give them twice as much fare, Katharine said.
The magister, having got himself soundly beaten the night before, was still sleeping away the effects of it, so she and Margot stayed for an hour in solitude. Voices passed the door many times, and at last a Master Viridus entered stealthily. He was one of the Lord Cromwell's secretaries, and he bore a purse. His name had been Greene but he had translated it to give a more worshipful sound.
The Chancellor bleated, with amazed adulation, 'Marvel that your lordship should give so much care to such a worthless rag! 'An I had never put my heart into trifles, I had never stood here, Cromwell snarled at him. 'Would that my knaves would ever come to learn that! He spoke again to Viridus: 'See that this wench come never near his Highness. I like not her complexion.
Throckmorton's head hung upon his shoulders. 'Remember, Privy Seal said again, 'you and Viridus shall send to find her cousin in France. Fill him with tales that his cousin plays the leman with the King. He shall burst here like a bolt from heaven. You will find him betwixt Calais and Paris town, dallying in evil places without a doubt. We sent him thither to frighten Cardinal Pole.
'Viridus will go to Paris to catch another traitor called Brancetor, for the world is full of traitors. Therefore, in a way, it rests with me to hang you. He seemed to be seated upon a cask, for there was a creaking of old wood, and he spoke very leisurely. Katharine said, 'Good night, and God send you better thoughts. 'Why, stay, and I will be brief, he pleaded.
In his own pantry, Viridus had three under guard and admonition of his own these should swear that whenas they served the Lord Edmund they had seen at several times Culpepper with her in thickets, or climbing to her window in the night, or at dawn coming away from her chamber door. These needed to be instructed as to all these things.
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.
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