“I scarcely know,” he said again, standing opposite her. 
“Well,—­yes—­all will know it soon.”

“Oh!  I can wait till then,” said Beatrice quickly, not sure whether she were annoyed or not by being told a secret of such a common nature.  Ralph glanced at her, not sure either.

“I am afraid—­” he began.

“No—­no,” she said, ashamed of her doubt.  “I do not wish to know; I can wait.”

“I will tell you,” said Ralph.  He went and sat down in the chair opposite, crossing his legs.

“It is about the Visitation of the Religious Houses.  I am to go with the Visitors in September.”

Beatrice felt a sudden and rather distressed interest; but she showed no sign of it.

“Ah, yes!” she said softly, “and what will be your work?”

Ralph was reassured by her tone.

“We are to go to the southern province.  I am with Dr. Layton’s party.  We shall make enquiries of the state of Religion, how it is observed and so forth; and report to Master Cromwell.”

Beatrice looked down in a slightly side-long way.

“I know what you are thinking,” said Ralph, his tone a mixture of amusement and pride.  She looked up silently.

“Yes I knew it was so,” he went on, smiling straight at her.  “You are wondering what in the world I know about Religious Houses.  But I have a brother—­”

A shadow went over her face; Ralph saw she did not like the allusion.

“Besides,” he went on again, “they need intelligent men, not ecclesiastics, for this business.”

“But Dr. Layton?” questioned Beatrice.

“Well, you might call him an ecclesiastic; but you would scarcely guess it from himself.  And no man could call him a partisan on that side.”

“He would do better in one of his rectories, I should think,” said Beatrice.

“Well, that is not my business,” observed Ralph.

“And what is your business?”

“Well, to ride round the country; examine the Religious, and make enquiries of the country folk.”

Beatrice began to tap her foot very softly.  Ralph glanced down at the bright buckle and smiled in spite of himself.

The girl went on.

“And by whose authority?”

“By his Grace’s authority.”

“And Dr. Cranmer’s?”

“Well, yes; so far as he has any.”

“I see,” said Beatrice; and cast her eyes down again.

There was silence for a moment or two.

“You see too that I cannot withdraw,” explained Ralph, a little distressed at her air.  “It is part of my duty.”

“Oh!  I understand that,” said Beatrice.

“And so long as I act justly, there is no harm done.”

The girl was silent.

“You understand that?” he asked.

“I suppose I do,” said Beatrice slowly.

Ralph made a slight impatient movement.

“No—­wait,” said the girl, “I do understand.  If I cannot trust you, I had better never have known you.  I do understand that I can trust you; though I cannot understand how you can do such work.”