I stared at him hard. Rich, and by his description the other man was Lord Chancellor Wriothesley, who at the burning had been worried lest the gunpowder round the victims’ necks send burning faggots flying at the councillors. And Knevet, who was in bad odour with his superior Walsingham. So, Richard Rich was deep in this business, as I had suspected.

Myldmore looked back at me now, his eyes frightened. ‘Should I go on now, sir?’

I think he feared that at the mention of those names I might call on him to desist, and decide to get involved no further. But I said, ‘No, continue.’

‘They said nothing to me or Howitson, though Rich frowned when he saw that I recognized him. They passed on, through the door to where the woman was kept.’

‘You still had no idea who she was?’

‘No.’ There was anger in his voice suddenly. ‘But I knew Mistress Askew had been condemned, and that the law forbids torturing someone after sentence.’

‘Yes, it does.’

Myldmore passed a hand over his brow. ‘It was three hours before they all came out again. Rich and Wriothesley looked angry, and Rich had a sheen of sweat on his face, as though he had been at some hard labour. Sir Anthony Knevet looked worried. I remember Rich flexed his hands, little white hands they are, and winced as though he were in pain. They paused at the desk and Sir Anthony spoke to us roughly. “You two never saw these gentlemen, you understand? Remember your oath to the King.” Then they all went out, back up the stairs. I heard Rich say angrily, “Another hour, Knevet, and I would have broken her yet.”’

He paused. Outside in the quadrangle two barristers were talking, probably of some amusing incident in court, for both were laughing. Sunlight illuminated Myldmore’s head, which he bent again as he continued. ‘That evening it was again my duty to feed the prisoners. Howitson told me to take a bowl of pottage to the woman. So I went through to her cell. I knocked lest she was in a state of undress, and a voice bade me come in.

‘The room had a table, chairs and a bed with a fine cover, as well as a chest. I recognized Anne Askew at once, for I had twice seen her preach in the streets, but now she sat awkwardly in a heap on the floor, her back against the wall and her legs spread out on the stone flags. It looked almost indecent.’ Myldmore flushed, and I thought how young he was, how oddly innocent to be serving in that den of wolves.