“I am very willing, Mr. More,” he said, “that my brother should be a monk if it is right, but I could not bear he should be so against God’s leading. How am I to know whether the maid’s words are of God or no?”
Sir Thomas was silent a moment.
“But he had thoughts of it before, I suppose,” he said, “or he would not have gone to her. In fact, you said so.”
Ralph acknowledged that this was so.
“—And for several years,” went on the other.
Again Ralph assented.
“And his tastes and habits are those of a monk, I suppose. He is long at his prayers, given to silence, and of a tranquil spirit?”
“He is not always tranquil,” said Ralph. “He is impertinent sometimes.”
“Yes, yes; we all are that. I was very impertinent to you at dinner in trying to catch you with Martial his epigram, though I shall not offend again. But his humour may be generally tranquil in spite of it. Well, if that is so, I do not see why you need trouble about the Holy Maid. He would likely have been a monk without that. She only confirmed him.”
“But,” went on Ralph, fighting to get back to the point, “if I thought she was trustworthy I should be the more happy.”