He nodded.
She was silent again. He began to tell her of how he had obtained it, and of George's subtlety and good fortune; but she seemed to pay no attention. She sat perfectly still. When he had ended, she spoke again.
"A sworn servant of her Grace—" she began.
"Topcliffe is a sworn servant of her Grace," he said bitterly; "you may judge by that what Thomas FitzHerbert hath become."
"We shall have his hand, too, against us all, then?"
"Yes, mistress; and, what is worse, this paper I take it—" (he tapped it) "this paper is to be a secret for the present. Mr. Thomas will still feign himself to be a Catholic, with Catholics, until he comes into all his inheritances. And, meantime, he will supply information to his new masters."
"Why cannot we expose him?"
"Where is the proof? He will deny it."
She paused.
"We can at least tell his family. You will draw up the informations?"