"Bring you not succours?" said the king, astonished. "You must have
passed through London. Have you left no troops upon the road?"

"I had no time, sire; and London is well-nigh palsied with dismay.
Had I waited to collect troops, I might have found a king's head
blackening over those gates."

"Well," returned Edward, carelessly, "few or many, one gentleman is
more worth than a hundred varlets. 'We are eno' for glory,' as Henry
said at Agincourt."

"No, sire; you are too skilful and too wise to believe your boast.
These men we cannot conquer,--we must disperse them."

"By what spell?"

"By their king's word to redress their complaints."

"And banish my queen?"

"Heaven forbid that man should part those whom God has joined,"
returned Warwick. "Not my lady, your queen, but my lady's kindred."

"Rivers is dead, and gallant John," said Edward, sadly; "is not that
enough for revenge?"

"It is not revenge that we require, but pledges for the land's
safety," answered Warwick. "And to be plain, without such a promise
these walls may be your tomb."