"
"By our Lady," Roger exclaimed wrathfully, "this is too much! Sir
Edmund is a noble gentleman, and that the king should refuse to allow
his friends to ransom him passes all bounds."
"So the earl and Hotspur consider," Oswald said, "and, ere long, you
will see that they will hoist the banner of the young Earl of March,
and proclaim him King of England."
"'Tis good," Roger exclaimed, slapping his hand on his leg. "To me it
matters nought who is King of England, but I always held that it was
hard that King Richard should be deposed, and murdered, by one who was
not even his lawful successor. I am not one to question the conduct of
my lord, but I always thought that the Percys were wrong in bringing
this usurper over."
"They feel that themselves, Roger, and consider the ingratitude of the
king to be a punishment upon them, for having aided him to the throne."
"But what has this to do with your journey, master?"
"It has much to do with it, Roger, seeing that I am on my way to
Glendower, to offer him alliance with the Percys."
"A good step!" Roger exclaimed. "We know that these Welsh can fight."
"Moreover, Roger, it may bring about the freeing of Mortimer; for the
evil feeling the king has shown against him will surely drive him to
raise all his vassals, and those of the young earl, in Herefordshire
and elsewhere; and thus the Percys will gain two powerful allies,
Glendower and Mortimer; and as they advance from the north, the Welsh
and Mortimer will join them from the west.
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