No, sire, the Earl of Surrey is no traitor and no papist!" The duchess paused, and looked with a malicious and droll smile into the astonished faces of those present.
A dark frown gathered on the king's brow, and his eyes, which just before had looked so cheerful, were now fixed with an angry expression on the young duchess.
"Why, then, my lady, have you made your appearance here ?" asked he.
"Why have you come here, if you have nothing further to say than what I already know--that the Earl of Surrey is a very loyal subject, and a man without any ambition, who neither courts the favor of my people nor thinks of laying his traitorous hands on my crown ?" The young duchess shook her head with a smile.

"I know not whether he does all that," said she.

"I have indeed heard that he said, with bitter scorn, that you, my king, wanted to be the protector of religion, yet you yourself were entirely without religion and without belief.

Also, he of late broke out into bitter curses against you, because you had robbed him of his field-marshal's staff, and given it to Earl Hertford, that noble Seymour.

Also, he meant to see whether the throne of England were so firm and steady that it had no need of his hand and his arm to prop it.