all of you.'

'And it is the weakest point in you, James, that you will not credit upon
proof, such proof as was the fulfilment of the prophecy of the place of
my father's death.'

'One such saying as that, fulfilled to the ear, though not in truth, is
made the plea for all this heart-sinking--ay, and what is worse, for the
durance of your father's widow as a witch, and of her brave young son,
because forsooth his name is Arthur of Richemont, and some old Welsh
rhymester hath whispered to Harry that Richmond shall come out of
Brittany, and be king of England.'

'Arthur is no worse off than any other captive of Agincourt,' said
Bedford; 'and I tell you, James, the day may come when you will rue your
want of heed to timely warnings.'

'Better rue once than pine under them all my life, and far better than
let them betray me into deeming some grewsome crime an act of justice, as
you may yet let them do,' said James.

Such converse passed between the two princes, while King Henry rode in
advance, for the most part silent, and only desirous of reaching
Pontefract Castle, where he had left the young wife whose presence he
longed for the more in his trouble. The afternoon set in with heavy
rain, but he would not halt, although he gave free permission to any of
his suite to do so; and James recommended Malcolm to remain, and come on
the next day with Brewster. The boy, however, disclaimed all weariness,
partly because bashfulness made him unwilling to venture from under his
royal kinsman's wing, and partly because he could not bear to let the
English suppose that a Scotsman and a Stewart could be afraid of weather.
As the rain became harder with the evening twilight, silence sank upon
the whole troop, and they went splashing on through the deep lanes, in
mud and mire, until the lights of Pontefract Castle shimmered on high
from its hill. The gates were opened, the horses clattered in, torches
came forth, flickering and hissing in the darkness. The travellers went
through what seemed to Malcolm an interminable number of courts and
gateways, and at length flung themselves off their horses, when Henry,
striding on, mounted the steps, entered the building, and, turning the
corner of a great carved screen, he and his brother, with James and
Malcolm, found themselves in the midst of a blaze of cressets and tapers,
which lighted up the wainscoted part of the hall.

The whole scene was dazzling to eyes coming in from the dark,