s he saw the Duke of
Gloucester, he seemed surprised and embarrassed, and was about to
retire, saying he had supposed that the king and queen were alone.

[Sidenote: Entrance of Somerset.]

But Margaret would not allow him to withdraw.

"Stay," said she, "and let us know what the business is that seems so
urgent. You can speak freely. There is no one here beside ourselves
except the minister of the king, and there is nothing to be concealed
from him."

[Sidenote: Somerset's charges.]

Somerset, on hearing these words, paused for a moment, looked at
Gloucester, seemed irresolute, and then, as if nerving himself to a
great effort, he advanced resolutely and presented the paper which he
had in his hands to the king, saying, at the same time, in a very
solemn manner, that it contained charges of the gravest character
against Gloucester; and he added that, on the whole, he was not sorry
that the accused person was present to know what was laid to his
charge, and to reply if he had any proper justification to offer.

[Sidenote: Margaret interposes.]

The duke seemed thunderstruck. The king, too, was extremely surprised,
and began to look greatly embarrassed. Margaret put an end to the
awkward suspense by taking the paper from the king's hand, and opening
it in order to read it.

"Let us see," said she, "what these charges are."

[Illustration: The Charges against Gloucester.]

[Sidenote: The charges read.]

So she opened the paper and began to read it. The charges were
numerous. The principal one related to some transactions in respect to
the English dominions on the Continent, in which Gloucester was
accused of having sacrificed the rights and interests of the crown in
order to promote certain private ends of his own. There were a great
many other accusations, relating to alleged usurpations of the
prerogative of the king and high-handed violations of the laws of the
land. Among these last the murder of Lady Neville was specified, and
the deed was characterized in the severest terms as a crime of the
deepest dye, and one committed under circumstances of great atrocity,
although the author of the charges admitted that the details of the
affair were not fully known.

[Sidenote: The duke declares his innocence.]

As Margaret read these accusations one after another, the duke
affirmed positively of each one that it was wholly unjust. He seemed
for a moment surprised and confused when the murder of Lady Neville