"Verily," mused the student, "King Edward may have been a cruel youth, and over hasty; it is horrible to think of Robert Hilyard's calamities! But men do say he hath an acute and masterly comprehension.

Doubtless, he will perceive at a glance how much I can advantage his kingdom." With this, we grieve to say, selfish reflection--which, if the thought of his model could have slept a while, Adam would have blushed to recall, as an affront to Hilyard's wrongs--the philosopher followed Catesby across the spacious yard, along a narrow passage, and up a winding turret-stair, to a room in the third story, which opened at one door into the king's closet, at the other into the spacious gallery, which was already a feature in the plan of the more princely houses.

In another minute Adam and his model were in the presence of the king.

The part of the room in which Edward sat was distinguished from the rest by a small eastern carpet on the floor (a luxury more in use in the palaces of that day than it appears to have been a century later); [see the Narrative of the Lord Grauthuse, before referred to] a table was set before him, on which the model was placed.
At his right hand sat Jacquetta, Duchess of Bedford, the queen's mother; at his left, Prince Richard.

The duchess, though not without the remains of beauty, had a stern, haughty, scornful expression in her sharp aquiline features, compressed lips, and imperious eye.