"Yes," he replied, "but thou dost give me credit that belongs not to me. The only danger I foresaw was the affront it might give Gloucester. I did not for one moment think that they would dare to intercept a message to the Queen." "Well, Frederick," said I, "thou seest now that they dare do anything. When Richard even threatens to take the little Duke from his Mother, by force, and that when they are in the Sanctuary, which has ever been considered too holy for force to be used upon it, we need not be surprised at any move his Highness makes. Harleston, thy prophecy is being fulfilled." "When did I make a prophecy?" asked my friend. "Dost thou not remember when first we met, and thou didst say that Richard, if he were ever made Protector, would be revenged upon those who did oppose him?" "Ah, yes, I do remember me; but since that night my mind and body have been so occupied that I have not noticed my prediction reaching its fulfilment. However," he continued, "but part of it, and that the minor one, is now being played. If this part lasts not too long we shall live to see the last and bloodiest of the prophecy. Do but, look back over the history of our race and thou shalt see, wherever a man of Richard's character--if ever such there has been--came into a position of power he shone out with the brilliancy of a star. But the star they all resembled was a falling one, and left a trail of blood behind it, as it tumbled from its height." CHAPTER XVII AT THE SANCTUARY That night my sleep was troubled with strange and fantastic dreams. I know not how many different forms these delusions took; but through all these tormenting and hideous scenes, in which I seemed to be playing a troubled part, there was one person present which ever prevented the final calamity from falling upon my head. No sooner was I saved from certain destruction in one form than the dream was changed, gradually, and, after passing through a cloudy stage, again was I struggling against some fearful monster. Then would this friend, the face of whom I could not see, stretch forth a mighty arm and brush the awful creature from my chest, where he was perched, crushing out my life. At last even the cords of sleep, with which I had been so securely bound, could bear the strain no longer; so I awoke to find myself completely worn out, from my struggles with these phantom foes. It was still too early for the inmates of the Palace to be stirring. "'Tis well that I awoke when I did," thought I; "for a double reason. First, had I slept much longer I had surely been strangled by those accursed monsters; and second, I now may leave the Palace, and proceed to the Sanctuary, without fear of arousing suspicion, and therefore, of being followed." For truly, my dears, I began to fear that I might soon find myself in the Tower, were I to be seen having any relations with the Queen; and I felt sure that Catesby would give his right hand to see my headless corpse.