was laid to his charge, but he soon recovered himself, and declared
that he was innocent of this crime as well as of all the others. The
whole series of accusations was a tissue of base calumnies, he said,
from beginning to end.

[Sidenote: Margaret's artful demeanor.]

Margaret read the paper through, pausing only from time to time to
hear what Gloucester had to say whenever he manifested a desire to
speak, but without making any observations of her own. She assumed, in
fact, the air and manner of an unconcerned and indifferent witness.
After she had finished reading the paper she folded it up and laid it
aside, saying at the same time to the king that those were very grave
and weighty charges, and it would be very unjust to the duke to
receive them against his positive declarations of his innocence,
without the most clear and conclusive proof.

[Sidenote: Proposes an investigation.]

"At the same time," she added, "they ought not to be lightly laid
aside without investigation. We can not suppose that the Duke of
Somerset can have made such charges without any evidence whatever to
sustain them."

The Duke of Somerset said immediately that he was prepared with full
proof of all the charges, and he was ready to offer the evidence in
respect to any one or all of them whenever his majesty should require
it.

[Sidenote: Selects a charge.]

Margaret then opened the paper, and, looking over the list of charges
again with a careless air, at last, as if accidentally, fixed upon the
one relating to the murder of Lady Neville.

"What proofs have you in respect to this atrocious murder that you
have charged against the duke?"

[Sidenote: Gloucester is pleased.]

[Sidenote: The murder.]

Gloucester felt for the moment much relieved at finding that this was
the charge selected first for proof; for so effectual had been the
precautions which he had taken to conceal his crime in this case,
that he was confident that, instead of any substantial evidence
against him, there could be, at worst, only vague grounds of
suspicion, and these he was confident he could easily show were
insufficient to establish so serious a charge.

[Sidenote: Astonishment of the duke.]

Somerset asked permission to retire for a few moments. Very soon he
returned, bringing in with him Lady Neville herself. An actual
resurrection from the dead could not have astounded Gloucester more
than this apparition. He was overwhelmed with amazement and al