y pretty Edward! Oh, no! not while my little Richard doth remain
to be his avenger," she added, with a smile of satisfaction.

The Queen had evidently forgot the presence of her woeful messengers,
so absorbed was she in her deep train of thought.

"A pleasant thing it is indeed to be the widow of a King, and the
mother of a King," she said, again speaking to her heart. "Great,
powerful, respected, happy. Ha, ha, ha! Yes, respected and happy.

"Hush! fear not; he shall not harm thee. Thou art with thy mother; and
thy mother is the Queen. We had to fly to Sanctuary before, when
Margaret had success. But look how thy father did defeat her, and
again we came to power. Thy father is the King, and a great and
gallant warrior. Again will he trample on his enemies. There, there,
fear not, all things shall be well, all things shall be well. There's
a good pet; go to sleep in thy mother's arms as thou didst years ago,"
and she patted an imaginary child in the gentle, soothing way known
only to a mother.

I glanced enquiringly at Harleston.

He nodded.

We walked on tip-toe to the door, and stole softly from the room.

The sorrow of this woman was too sacred to be looked on by vulgar
mortal eyes.

"What punishment can be severe enough to repay the causer of such woe
for his accursed acts?" I asked of my friend, when we were alone in the
room adjoining the one we had just left.

"Fear not," he replied; "his punishment must overtake him.

"Gloucester is clever. But no man is so clever that he can deceive the
whole world for long. 'Tis possible to do so for a time; and
Gloucester is doing it. But wait," added Harleston; "success is like
everything else in this world; each man has a certain amount allotted
to him when he begins life. If carefully husbanded, and put to a
proper use, it multiplies. But let the possessor use it in an improper
manner and the supply is soon cut off. 'Tis like the pulling of a
heavy boat through the water, by means of a slender line; if pulled
gently, and with great care, success must crown your efforts. But
attempt to force the vessel faster through the water, and the line
parts and the boat is lost. Richard is now attempting to draw in the
ship of power, laden with the cargo of sovereignty. He hath a firm
hold on the line. There are many obstacles betwixt the ship and
Gloucester. By patience, more than that possessed by mortals, these
all might be removed. But Richard, e