Part 21 (1/2)
CHAPTER XVIII
RICHARD TRIUMPHS
When Gloucester discovered how he had been duped by the Queen his feelings can better be iined than described However, he was too clever a man, by far, to show his disappointment openly, or even to let the world know that he had been outwitted He had the audacity to have the stateive to each person the impression that he was the trusted possessor of a state secret, that an attempt had been made to abduct the Duke of York, but that it had miscarried ”Therefore,” said the Duke's friends, ”it has become necessary for the Lord Protector, in the proper fulfilh office hich the people have honoured him, to take every precaution to prevent another atte ossips, ere no doubt paid by the Protector, ”'tis even feared that the King hiood Lord Protector, in his wisdoreat solicitude for the safety of the King--his lord andand his little brother, the Duke of York, be placed in safety, within the strong walls of the noble Tower that Caesar,--though a heathen, was yet no doubt the instrument of God,--laid the foundations of And, unquestionably, the Lord foresaw just such a necessity for such a strong place of safety when he coan to thus work for his ends”
When my friend and I heard this news, my children, our hearts were indeed sad Remember, my dears, we knew not whether the statement that the little Duke had been taken by Gloucester were true or no At first we thought it but a device of Gloucester's to hold the confidence of the people; but upon more careful consideration we came to the conclusion that even the Protector could scarcely have the audacity to thus risk the consequences of such a deception being discovered, which, according to the rules of all common sense, it must in time be This conclusion in no wise served to relieve our feelings of disappointment and sorrow, on the Queen's account We could not help but feel in soe of Gloucester for the attempt made by the Queen to have her son escape him; for such we considered the confinement of the Princes to the Tower
However, on the day following the King's reain visited the Sanctuary, or rather some of its inmates, and were rejoiced to learn that the Queen had received a letter from Dorset, which informed her of the successful manner in which they had escaped, not only capture, but even suspicion Consequently we found the Queen in a most happy state of mind This contentment was doomed to be short lived, for ere reluctantly compelled to infor about the Duke of York's attereat time in which to wonder as Gloucester's object in thus causing the young King to be placed under restraint, and the report to be circulated that his brother kept him company
The next news to startle the court, and cause consternation a the friends of the Queen and exultation in the ranks of her adversaries, was the condemnation of the three unhappy prisoners at Poain was it our unhappy duty to be the bearers of this most heavy news to that poor woreat Edward
”What new sorrow do ye bring me now; for well do I know that countenances painted thus heavy with the brush of sadness must be but the dark covers to another book of woe?” said her Majesty, as my friend and I, whose sole duties now see of heavy neere shown into her presence
”Unco, ht all have expected, and therefore do I hope that your Majesty may bear it better than thou couldst have done had it been unexpected”
When we had finished the relation of this latest tale of Richard's vengeance on the faithful to the Queen her Majesty seerief She sat as one who hath just received a heavy bloith the flat side of a sword,--dazed and benuainst the causer of the pain Then with her hand she feebly tried to brush away from before her eyes some cloud that did obstruct her vision A look of hopeless resignation then settled on her features, and two silent tears ran slowly down her cheeks A heavy sigh, like the parting of a soul from its earthy home and comrade, escaped her, and she asked in a voice in which was nothing but the tone of resigned indifference:--”When do they die?”
”This day, madam; even now”
”I had scarce looked for such expediency,” she remarked, without the least emotion
”What do ye think Gloucester's intentions ?” she asked in that unnatural voice
”Oh, lad at last to be able to tell her so not unhappy, ”even now the Counsellors are met within the Tower to decide upon the coronation of his Majesty”
”And doth Lord Hastings there attend?”
”He does, madam”
”And the Protector, I presume?”
”Ay,his Majesty's coronation take place at once; and therefore, at least so says report, he doth attend in person that his presence there e the Counsellors to set an early day for the ceremony; 'For,' say the Protector's confidants, 'the Duke desires to have the weight of full responsibility, that now rests upon his shoulders, in a considerable htened' But, ht of these reports”
”Hastings,” said her Majesty, without taking any apparent note of h he doth dislike me much, still, methinks, is loyal to my son, if for no other reason than for the favours the boy's father showed hi silent whilst one h she thought aloud:--”Surely his uncle dare not harm my pretty Edward! Oh, no! not while er,” she added, with a sot the presence of her woeful ht
”A pleasant thing it is indeed to be theof a King, and theto 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 caallant warrior Again will he tras shall be well, all things shall be well There's a good pet; go to sleep in thy o,”
and she patted an i way known only to a ly at Harleston