r, and peered within. He drew back,
much disappointed. "Holy Mother!" said he, "this seemeth more like an
instrument of torture than a juggler's merry device. It looks parlous
ugly!"

"Hush!" said one of the lazy bystanders, with whom the various gateways
and courts of the Palace-Fortress were crowded, "hush--thy cap and thy
knee, sir!"

The officer started; and, looking round, perceived a young man of
low stature, followed by three or four knights and nobles, slowly
approaching towards the arch, and every cap in the vicinity was off, and
every knee bowed.

The eye of this young man was already bent, with a searching and keen
gaze, upon the motionless mule, standing patiently by the Wakefield
Tower; and turning from the mule to the porter, the latter shrunk, and
grew pale, at that dark, steady, penetrating eye, which seemed to pierce
at once into the secrets and hearts of men.

"Who may this young lord be?" he whispered to the officer.

"Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, man," was the answer. "Uncover,
varlet!"

"Surely," said the prince, pausing by the gate, "surely this is no
sumpter-mule, bearing provisions to the Lord Henry of Windsor. It would
be but poor respect to that noble person, whom, alas the day! his grace
the king is unwillingly compelled to guard from the malicious designs
of rebels and mischief-seekers, that one not bearing the king's livery
should attend to any of the needful wants of so worshipful a lord and
guest!"

"My lord," said the officer at the gate, "one Master Adam Warner hath
just, by permission, been conducted to the Lord Henry's presence, and
the beast beareth some strange and grim-looking device for my lord's
diversion."

The singular softness and urbanity which generally characterized the
Duke of Gloucester's tone and bearing at that time,--which in a court so
full of factions and intrigues made him the enemy of none and seemingly
the friend of all, and, conjoined with abilities already universally
acknowledged, had given to his very boyhood a pre-eminence of grave
repute and good opinion, which, indeed, he retained till the terrible
circumstances connected with his accession to the throne, under the
bloody name of Richard the Third, roused all men's hearts and reasons
into the persuasion that what before had seemed virtue was but
dissimulation,--this singular sweetness, we say, of manner and voice,
had in it, nevertheless, something that imposed and thrilled and awed.
And i