d the Lords
St. John, De Fulke, and others, to my house of the More,--praying your
Highness to deign to meet them, and well sure that a smile from your
princely lips will regain their hearts and confirm heir allegiance, at a
moment when new perils require all strong arms."

"You have done most wisely. I will come to your palace,--appoint your
own day."

"It will take some days for the barons to arrive from their castles. I
fear not ere the tenth day from this."

"Ah," said the king, with a vivacity that surprised his listeners, aware
of his usual impetuous energy, "the delay will but befriend us; as
for Warwick, permit me to alter your arrangements; let him employ the
interval, not in London, where he is useless, but in raising men in
the neighbourhood of his castle, and in defeating the treason of this
Redesdale knave. We will give commission to him and to Clarence to levy
troops; Hastings, see to this forthwith. Ye say Sir Robert Welles leads
the Lincolnshire varlets; I know the nature of his father, the Lord
Welles,--a fearful and timorous one; I will send for him, and the
father's head shall answer for the son's faith. Pardon me, dear cousin,
that I leave you to attend these matters. Prithee visit our queen,
meanwhile, she holds you our guest."

"Nay, your Highness must vouchsafe my excuse; I also have your royal
interests too much at heart to while an hour in my pleasurement. I will
but see the friends of our House now in London, and then back to the
More, and collect the force of my tenants and retainers."

"Ever right, fair speed to you, cardinal that shall be! Your arm,
Hastings."

The king and his favourite took their way into the state chambers.

"Abet not Gloucester in this alliance,--abet him not!" said the king,
solemnly.

"Pause, sire! This alliance gives to Warwick a wise counsellor, instead
of the restless Duke of Clarence. Reflect what danger may ensue if an
ambitious lord, discontented with your reign, obtains the hand of the
great earl's coheiress, and the half of a hundred baronies that command
an army larger than the crown's."

Though these reasonings at a calmer time might well have had their
effect on Edward, at that moment they were little heeded by his
passions. He stamped his foot violently on the floor. "Hastings!" he
exclaimed, "be silent! or--" He stopped short, mastered his emotion.
"Go, assemble our privy council. We have graver matters than a boy's
marriage now to think of."