"But you saw whither she went?" cried Wolsey, his brow darkening. "Mind, your life depends upon your speaking truth! Let me but see a shade of falsehood, and you are lost!"
"As I hope for mercy, my lord, I tell you the whole truth," replied the servant. "When she was landed, I got out and followed; but, after turning through several streets, I saw that they marked me watching, so I was obliged to run down a narrow lane, hoping to catch them by going round; but they had taken some other way, and I found them not again."
Wolsey let his hand drop heavily upon the table, disappointed in his expectations. "You say them, fellow! Whom do you mean?" he demanded. "Who was with her?"
"Her waiting-woman, your grace," answered the man, "and an old priest, who Sivard says is her chaplain."
"Ah!" said Wolsey thoughtfully; "Dr. Wilbraham! This is very strange! A staid good man, obedient to my will, coinciding in the expediency of the marriage I proposed. There must be some deeper plot here of this Sir Payan Wileton. The poor girl must be deceived, and perhaps not so much obstinate as misled. I see it; I see it all. The wily traitor seeks her estates, and would fain both stop her marriage and bring her within my displeasure. A politic scheme, upon my honour! but it shall not succeed. Secretary, bid an usher speed to Sir Payan Wileton, and, greeting him sweetly, request his presence for a moment here."
It was the latter part of the above speech only that met the ears of those around, the rest being muttered to himself in a low and almost inaudible tone. "Pray, pray your lordship's grace!" cried the man, clasping his hands in terror as soon as he heard Wolsey's command; "do not let Sir Payan have me. I shall not be alive this time two days, if you do. Indeed I shan't. Your grace does not know him. There is nothing stops him in his will; and I shall be found dead in my bed, or drowned in a pond, or tumbled out of window, or something like; and then Sir Payan will pretend to make an investigation, and have the crowner, and it will be found all accident. If it is the same to your lordship's grace, I would rather be hanged at once, and know what I'm about, than be given up to Sir Payan, to die no one can tell how."
"Fear not, fool!" said Wolsey; "but tell the whole truth, and you shall be safe; ay, and rewarded. Conceal anything, and you shall be hanged. Take him away, secretary, and examine him carefully. Make him give an exact account of everything he has seen in the house of Sir Payan Wileton, and after putting it in writing, swear him to it; and then, hark you"--and he whispered something to the secretary--adding, "let him be there well used."
The man was now removed from the cardinal's presence; and waiting till the messenger returned from Sir Payan's, Wolsey remained in deep thought, revolving in his keen and scrutinising mind all the parts of the shrewd plot he had just heard developed, and thinking over the best means of punishing Sir Payan Wileton in such a manner as to make his fall most bitter. While thus engaged, one of his secretaries entered, and bowing low stood silent, as if waiting for permission to speak.
"What is it?" said Wolsey; "is it matter of consequence?" The secretary bowed low again, and replied, "It is the herald's opinion, my lord, upon the succession of the old Lord Orham of Barneton, the miser, who left the two chests of gold, as well----"
"I know, I know!" said Wolsey. "How do they give it? I trust not to that base churl, William Orham, who struck my officer one day."