foolish bolt, look deeper into the matter. . .
Now as to this rebellion," resuming his walk back and forth, "it will
require six days for the seal to come from London. Therefore to-morrow
shall the Commissioners go North and East with an order under my own
seal, and the formal authority can follow after them--they can levy in
the interval and muster later." Pausing at the window he swung back
the casement. "Parbleu! how it rains . . . it will flood every river
in England . . . and it will fight for us. I will destroy the bridges
of the Severn; Buckingham will be unable to pass; his juncture with
Richmond and the Southern rebels will be prevented--and I can mass my
strength and cut them up in detail."

Then with his own hand he wrote the orders to Sir Thomas Vaughan, Rice
ap Thomas, and others of the royal captains and trusty Yorkist
adherents in Wales and Shropshire; and lastly he indited a
proclamation, wherein Henry Stafford was declared a traitor, and a
reward of a thousand pounds put upon his head. These finished, and
confided to Ratcliffe for forwarding, Richard sought the Queen's
apartments and remained in converse with her for an hour, but said
never a word of the occurrences of the evening lest they disturb her
night's repose. It would be time enough in the morning for her to
begin again the old fear for her lord's life--for his crown she cared
not a whit.

XX

IN ABEYANCE

And on the morrow there was great stir and rustle and preparation.
Those lords and barons in attendance at Court who were from the
vicinity went off to gather their following; and those from distant
parts of the Kingdom sent commands to their constables or stewards to
hasten hither their very last retainer and every man available for
service with the King.

About noon Richard called his principal officers together in council to
consider who were liable to join with Buckingham in the revolt. That
he had confederates of power and prestige was certain enough; for
despite his oft-repeated boast that as many wore the Stafford Knot as
had once displayed the Bear and Ragged-Staff of the King-Maker, and
reckless as he was, yet it was not likely he would attempt to measure
himself against the King--and that King the great Gloucester--without
substantial assistance and cooperation of others of the Nobility. Nor
was it easy to fix upon these confederates. The old, pronounced
Lancastrian lords were either dead or in exile, and there