They had both heard the stirring and enlightened preaching of Dean
Colet, and were great admirers of his; but they took the view that
that divine himself held--namely, that the Church would gradually
reform herself from within; that she was awakening to the need of
some reformation and advance; and that her sons were safe within
her fold, and must patiently await her own work there.

This was exactly the feeling of the knight and his lady. They
rejoiced in the words they had heard, and in the wider knowledge of
the Scriptures which had been thus unfolded; but that any such
doctrine, when preached and taught by the Lollard heretics, could
be right or true they would have utterly denied and repudiated. The
Lollards had won for themselves a bad name, and were thought of
with scorn and contempt. Nevertheless, in country places the leaven
of their teaching permeated far and wide, and Sir Oliver had more
than once occasion to fear that amongst his own retainers some were
slightly tainted by heresy.

Of course if it could be proved against him that his followers were
Lollards, his enemy might take terrible advantage and deal him a
heavy blow. It was the one charge which if proved would strike him
to the earth; even the king's favour would scarce serve him then.
The king would not stand up in opposition to the Church; and if the
Church condemned his house as being a harbouring place for
heretics, then indeed he would be undone.

It was this thing which was in his mind as he glanced with keen
eyes round his table on this bright midsummer day; and his wife,
and the monk, and the bulk of those sitting there read the true
meaning of his words and of his look, and recognized the truth of