"I have been told there was a very bad quake about twenty or so years ago, yes, but by the very same people who assured me that such a like had not been felt for a hundred years or more before that," William assured her. "I think the smaller tremors might be a little more frequent than once a century, but I do not believe them to occur 'often'. A little rattling of the tables might unsteady the nerves, but the city is solid enough."
Probably. It wasn't like he actually knew for certain - indeed, he vaguely recalled one miner suggesting that very small tremors were happening all the time, just to weak or distant to feel; still, actually saying this seemed a good recipe for panic. Circumspection was the better option.