o might save her when he himself might be powerless to do so. It
was at that moment--as the crowd stood speechless, touched and
perplexed by the little scene, and reluctant to rough-handle so
fair a boy, and one whose devotion was so bravely displayed--that
Paul took occasion to step forward and present himself before
Edward.

A look of relief instantly crossed the prince's face.

"I might have known that you would have been here--ever nearest in
the hour of deadliest peril. Paul, whatever befalls me, take care
of him." Low as the words were spoken, the prince dared not use the
other pronoun. "Keep him safe. Take him to my mother; she will
protect him from the menaced peril."

"I will, my liege, I will," said Paul; and it was he who raised the
form of the trembling page, and together the three were pushed not
ungently into the royal presence--Sir Richard being a man of kindly
nature, and having been touched by the devotion evinced by these
two youths (as he supposed them) in braving the dangers of the camp
in order to be with their prince when he was called upon to answer
for his life before the offended monarch.

Edward was standing in his tent, surrounded by his nobles,
brothers, and his wife's kinsmen, as the young Plantagenet prince
was brought before him. Perhaps England hardly possessed a finer
man than its present king, who was taller by the head than almost
any of those who stood round him, his dress of mail adding to the
dignity of his mien, and his handsome but deeply-lined features,
now set in stern displeasure, showing at once the indications of an
unusual beauty and a proud and relentless nature.

The youthful Edward was brought a few paces forward by the
attendants; whilst Paul stood in the background, longing to be
beside his prince, but obliged to support the trembling form of
Anne, who had been his liege's last charge to him.

"Is this the stripling they falsely call the Prince of Wales?"
quoth Edward, stepping one pace nearer and regarding the noble lad
with haughty displeasure. "How dost thou dare to come thus
presumptuously to my realms with banners displayed against me?"

"To recover my father's kingdom and mine own inheritance," was the
bold but unhesitating answer of the kingly youth, who, fettered and
prisoner as he was, had all the fearless Plantagenet blood running
in his veins.

The eagle eye of Edward flashed ominously, and making one more step
toward his unarmed prisoner, he struc