He touched her benevolently upon the cheek. 'Sweetheart,' he said, 'an thou wert me thou'dst do great things.' He rolled towards the door, heavy and mountainous: with the latch in his hand, he cried over his shoulder: 'But thou shalt yet hear me argue!' 'What a morning you have made of this!' Katharine threw at the bishop. The Lady Mary shrugged her shoulders to her ears and turned away. Gardiner said: 'Anan?' 'Oh, well your Holiness knows,' Katharine said. 'You might have come within an ace of having Cromwell down.' His eyes flashed, and he swallowed with a bitter delight. 'I have him at my feet,' he said. 'He shall do public reparation to me. You have heard the King say so.' There were tears of vexation in Katharine's eyes. 'Well I know how it is that this brewer's son has king'd it so long!' she said. 'An I had been a man it had been his head or mine.' Gardiner shook himself like a dog that is newly out of the water. 'Madam Howard,' he said, 'you are mighty high. I have observed how the King spoke all his words for your ear. His passions are beyond words and beyond shame.' The Lady Mary was almost out of the room, and he came close enough to speak in Katharine's ears. 'But be you certain that his Highness' passions are not beyond the reverse of passion, which is jealousy. You have a cousin at Calais....' Katharine moved away from him. 'Why, God help you, priest,' she said. 'Do you think you are the only man that knows that?' He laughed melodiously, with a great anger. 'But I am the man that knoweth best how to use my knowledge. Therefore you shall do my will.' Katharine Howard laughed back at him: 'Where your lordship's will marches with mine I will do it,' she said. 'But I am main weary of your lordship's threats. You know the words of Artemidorus?' Gardiner contained his rage. 'You will write the letter we have asked you to write?' She laughed again, and faced him, radiant, fair and flushed in the cheeks. 'In so far as you beg me to write a letter praying the King of France and the Emperor to abstain from war upon this land, I will write the letter. But, in so far as that helps forward the plotting of you and a knave called Throckmorton, I am main sorry that I must write it.' The bishop drew back, and uttered: 'Madam Howard, ye are forward.' 'Why, God help your lordship,' she said. 'Where I see little course for respect I show little. You see I am friends with the King--therefore leave you my cousin be. Because I am friends with the King, who is a man among wolves, I will pray my mistress to indite a letter that shall save this King some troubles. But, if you threaten me with my cousin, or my cousin with me, I will use my friendship with the King as well against you as against any other.' Gardiner swallowed in his throat, winked his eyes, and muttered: 'Why, so you do what we will, it matters little in what spirit you shall do it.'