"It will be a fair day to-morrow."

"All days are fair for some purposes," said Buckingham quickly; "and
the sooner the day the fairer to my mind."

Richard smiled. "Patience, my dear Stafford, patience. It will come
soon enough even for your eagerness, I fancy. Did I not say to-morrow
would be fair?"

"You are pleased to speak in riddles."

"Not so; you used the riddle and I but spoke in kind. However, trifles
aside. Your arrival was well timed; you should have seen Rivers' face
when he heard your voice; it was worth a Knight's good fee. For the
first time he began to see how he had blundered. By St. Paul! a child
could have done better. The game is easy now."

Buckingham looked puzzled.

"What do you mean, my lord?" he said. "I have been following blindly
your direction in this affair, and I must admit that the point is very
hazy to me."

"Do you not see," said the Duke, "that by remaining here and sending
young Edward ahead at my approach, Rivers and Grey have overreached
themselves completely? In their desire to keep me from the King--for
plainly they did not know of your coming--they have separated
themselves from Edward and his two thousand men; and in so doing have
lost both Edward and themselves."