Edward would have persisted, but Henry silenced him effectually, with a sarcastic hint that his favours had done little for Richard. Then the King prayed at least that he would consider his child; but to the proposal of taking her to the palace, Henry returned an indignant negative: “He had seen enough of the court ladies,” he said.
A hot glow of anger lighted Edward’s cheek, for he loved his mother; but the blind beggar could not be the subject of his wrath, and he merely said, “Thou didst not know my wife!”
“Ay, I will believe the court as perfect as thou thinkest to make the isle; but Bessee shall not bide there. She is the blind beggar’s child, and such shall she remain. Send me to a dungeon, as I said, and thou canst pen her in a convent, or make her a menial to thy princesses, as thou wilt; but while my life and my freedom are my own I keep my child.”
“I could find it in my heart to arrest thee,” said Edward, “when I look at that beautiful child, and think to what thou wouldst bring her.”
“She is fair then,” said the beggar eagerly.
“Fair! She is the loveliest child mine eyes have looked on: though some of mine own have been very lovely. But she hath the very features of our royal line—though with eyes deep and dark, like thy father’s, or my Richard’s—and a dark glow of sunny health on her fair skin. She bears her, too, right royally. Henry, thou canst not wreck the fate of a child like that.”
“No, assuredly,” said Henry dryly. “I have not done so ill by her hitherto, by thine own showing, that I should not be trusted with her for the future.”
“The parting would be bitter,” began Edward “but thou shouldst see her often.”
“Slay me, and make her a ward of the crown,” said Henry. “Otherwise I will need no man’s leave for seeing my daughter. But ask her. If she will go with thee, I will say no more.”
King Edward was fond of children—most indulgent to his own, and kind to all little ones, who, attracted by the sweetness which his stern, grave, beautiful countenance would assume when he looked at them—always made friends with him readily. So he trusted to this fascination in the case of the little Lady Elizabeth. He held out his hands to her, and claimed her as his cousin; and she came readily to him, and stood between his knees. “Little cousin,” he said, “wilt thou come home with me, to be with my two little maids, the elder much of thine age?”