Then Gloucester told them of his interview with the Queen, and the
message she had sent to Lord Rivers.

When he had finished speaking, Buckingham broke out:--"By Heaven!" said
he, "if her Majesty has Rivers march on London, as though it were the
stronghold of a band of outlaws, he shall be met with a force stronger
than his own." Then speaking to Lord Hastings, he said, whilst he
pointed to Richard:--"Here sits the Lord Protector, which was appointed
the guardian of the King by the boy's late lamented father; and the
Queen and her brother take it upon themselves to assume his office, and
to issue orders for the raising of an army, without his consent, or
even knowledge; 'tis monstrous! What sayest thou, my Lord Hastings?
Should they not be made to answer for this insult to our Royal
Protector?"

Then Richard put in a cunning word for himself. "Yes, it seems as
though I am quite forgot. By Saint Paul, I have no love for the
office; but sith it was put upon me, by my dear dead brother, I do
consider it my duty to fulfill the trust he then reposed in me."

This last stroke brought Hastings to their side. "By the light of
Heaven!" cried he, "unless this order be countermanded, myself will
return to the government of Calais, and the whole damn kingdom may rot
ere I will ever serve under a government led by the Queen and her
upstart kinsmen."

"Then, my friends, ye think it best for me to inform the Queen that we
do not consider it a wise step on her part to thus make show of force,
which the people of the City would consider a slur upon their loyalty,"
said Richard, in his softest tones.

"Indeed, my lord, had I the saying of it, I would not put it in such
gentle terms," said Buckingham; "what dost thou say, Lord Hastings?
Were it not better that we tell the Queen and her following, in no
fixed, courteous phrases, that we--the ancient nobility of
England--will not put up with such treatment at their hands?"

To this the Chancellor replied in the affirmative; so Richard made
another call upon the Queen and, after telling her the result of his
conversation with Hastings (he having taken care not to mention
Buckingham's name) asked the Queen what answer he might have the honor
to take to the Chancellor.

Now whilst Gloucester had been consulting with Buckingham and Hastings
(which conversation I have just put down, and which I had from
Harleston, who got it from a page, which had been concealed in the room
whils