'Oh, devil!' Katharine Howard called out. 'Who was Judas to thee?'
Throckmorton raised his head, and winked upwards at her.
'It was a fine device?' he asked. 'Why, I am a subtle man.... Do you not see?' he said. 'The King's Highness would have me keep the confidence of Privy Seal that I may learn out his secrets. How better should I keep that confidence than by seeming to betray your secret to Privy Seal?
'It was very certain,' he added, 'that Privy Seal should give a warrant to gaol your la'ship. But it was still more certain that the King's Highness should pardon you. Therefore no bones should have been broken. And I did come myself to take you to a safe place, and to enlighten you as to the comedy.'
'Oh, Judas, Judas,' she cried.
'Could you but have trusted me,' he said reproachfully, 'you had spared yourself a mad canter and me a maimed arm.'
'Why, you have done well,' the King said heavily. 'But you speak this lady too saucily.'
He was in a high and ponderous good humour, but he stayed to reflect for a moment, with his head on one side, to see what he had gained.
'This letter is written,' he said. 'But Cromwell holdeth it. How, then, has it profited me?'
'Why,' Throckmorton said, 'Privy Seal shall come to bring the letter to your Highness; your Highness shall deliver it to me; I to the cook; the cook to the ambassador; the ambassador to the kings. And so the kings shall be prayed, by your daughter, whom they heed, to stay all unfriendly hands against your Highness.'