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"Did he follow the Huguenots?" asked Lady Elisabeth.

"He did."

"It is not only the Papists who suffer for their religion, as I often tell Kate."

"No, every man that hath his religion at heart must suffer now. It is the way of the world. A time may come when we shall no longer harry one another, but it will not be any time of ours."

"And maybe when it comes," said the Squire, "'twill be only because religion hath gone cold and an't worth harrying. Now I'm an easy man, and if I had my way Papists could do as they pleased for worship, as long as they said nothing against the Queen. I tell Kate that the day she says a word against the Queen I send her to assizes. But she won't ever say it, for she's a good, loyal maid and hates treason. Now what I would tell you is that I'd have all men worship as they please, so long as 'tis without treason. But is this because I'm a good religious man, who loves my neighbour too much to see him hurt? No, 'tis because one religion seems to me pretty much as good as another and not worth fighting about. Give me my house, my land, my hunting and my hawking and, by Mary-gipsy! I'm a happy man and 'ud let other men alone."