"They have great faith in the Maid of Kent, sir," he said. "My
brother-in-law, Nicholas, spoke of her prophecy of his Grace's death. It
is the devout that believe in her; the ungodly know her for a fool or a
knave."

"_Filii hujus saeculi prudentiores sunt_,"--quoted Cromwell gravely.
"Your brother-in-law, I should think, was a child of light."

"He is, sir."

"I should have thought so. And what else did you hear?"

"There is a good deal of memory of the Lady Katharine, sir. I heard the
foresters talking one day."

"What of the Religious houses?"

Ralph hesitated.

"My brother Christopher has just gone to Lewes," he said. "So I heard
more of the favourable side, but I heard a good deal against them, too.
There was a secular priest talking against them one day, with our
chaplain, who is a defender of them."

"Who was he?" asked Cromwell, with the same sharp, oblique glance.

"A man of no importance, sir; the parson of Great Keynes."

"The Holy Maid is in trouble," went on the other after a minute's
silence. "She is in my Lord of Canterbury's hands, and we can leave her