His quick eye took in the whole scene; he arrested the lifted arm of the smith, and passing deliberately to Gloucester, said, with a profound reverence, but a half-reproachful smile, "My lord! my lord! your Highness is indeed severe upon my poor scholar." "Canst thou answer for thy scholar's loyalty ?" said the duke, gloomily.
Hastings drew the prince aside, and said, in a low tone, "His loyalty! poor man, I know not; but his guilelessness, surely, yes.

Look you, sweet prince, I know the interest thou hast in keeping well with the Earl of Warwick, whom I, in sooth, have slight cause to love.

Thou hast trusted me with thy young hopes of the Lady Anne; this new Nevile placed about the king, and whose fortunes Warwick hath made his care, hath, I have reason to think, some love passages with the scholar's daughter,--the daughter came to me for the passport.

Shall this Marmaduke Nevile have it to say to his fair kinswoman, with the unforgiving malice of a lover's memory, that the princely Gloucester stooped to be the torturer of yon poor old man?
If there be treason in the scholar or in yon battered craft-work, leave the search to me!" The duke raised his dark, penetrating eyes to those of Hastings, which did not quail; for here world-genius encountered world-genius, and art, art.
"Thine argument hath more subtlety and circumlocution than suit with simple truth," said the prince, smiling.

"But it is enough to Richard that Hastings wills protection even to a spy!" Hastings kissed the duke's hand in silence, and going to the door, he disappeared a moment and returned with Sibyll.