“You are like the others, mistress,” he said; and shook his heavy head at her like an indulgent father. Then he too turned and went out. * * * * * Beatrice went across at once to the other room, leaving her maid behind, and stood by the hearth as Ralph came in. She heard the door close and his footstep come across the floor beside her. “Beatrice,” said Ralph. She turned round and looked at him. “You must not scold me,” she said with great serenity. “You must leave me my conscience.” Ralph’s face cleared instantly. “No, no,” he said. “I feared it would be the other way.” “A married priest, they say!” remarked the girl, but without bitterness. “I daresay, my darling,--but--but I have more tenderness for marriage than I had.” Beatrice’s black eyes just flickered with amusement. “Yes; but priests!” she said. “Yes--even priests--” said Ralph, smiling back. Beatrice turned to a chair and sat down. “I suppose I must not ask any questions,” she said, glancing up for a moment at Ralph’s steady eyes. She thought he looked a little uneasy still. “Oh! I scarcely know,” said Ralph; and he took a turn across the room and came back. She waited, knowing that she had already put her question, and secretly pleased that he knew it, and was perplexed by it. “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.