mary stuart-第12章

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Bothwell　was　the　coward；　while　Mary　was　the　weak；　fascinated　woman；

who；　that　same　evening；　gave　afresh　proof　of　her　folly。



In　fact；　directly　the　falling　night　had　scattered　the　crowd　and　a

little　quiet　was　regained；　Mary；　ceasing　to　be　uneasy　on　her　own

account；　turned　immediately　to　Bothwell；　whom　she　had　been　obliged　to

abandon；　and　who　was　now　proscribed　and　fleeing；　while　she；　as　she

believed；　was　about　to　reassume　her　title　and　station　of　queen。　　With

that　eternal　confidence　of　the　woman　in　her　own　love；　by　which　she

invariably　measures　the　love　of　another；　she　thought　that　Bothwell's

greatest　distress　was　to　have　lost；　not　wealth　and　power；　but　to　have

lost　herself。　　So　she　wrote　him　a　long　letter；　in　which；　forgetful　of

herself；　she　promised　him　with　the　most　tender　expressions　of　love

never　to　desert　him；　and　to　recall　him　to　her　directly　the　breaking

up　of　the　Confederate　lords　should　give　her　power　to　do　so；　then；

this　letter　written；　she　called　a　soldier；　gave　him　a　purse　of　gold；

and　charged　him　to　take　this　letter　to　Dunbar；　where　Bothwell　ought

to　be；　and　if　he　were　already　gone；　to　follow　him　until　he　came　up

with　him。



Then　she　went　to　bed　and　slept　more　calmly；　for；　unhappy　as　she　was；

she　believed　she　had　just　sweetened　misfortunes　still　greater　than

hers。



Next　day　the　queen　was　awakened　by　the　step　of　an　armed　man　who

entered　her　room。　　Both　astonished　and　frightened　at　this　neglect　of

propriety；　which　could　augur　nothing　good；　Mary　sat　up　in　bed；　and

parting　the　curtains；　saw　standing　before　her　Lord　Lindsay　of　Byres：

she　knew　he　was　one　of　her　oldest　friends；　so　she　asked　him　in　a

voice　which　she　vainly　tried　to　make　confident；　what　he　wanted　of　her

at　such　a　time。



〃Do　you　know　this　writing；　madam？〃　Lord　Lindsay　asked　in　a　rough

voice；　presenting　to　the　queen　the　letter　she　had　written　to　Bothwell

at　night；　which　the　soldier　had　carried　to　the　Confederate　lords；

instead　of　taking　to　its　address。



〃Yes；　doubtless；　my　lord；〃　the　queen　answered；　〃but　am　I　already　a

prisoner；　then；　that　my　correspondence　is　intercepted？　or　is　it　no

longer　allowed　to　a　wife　to　write　to　her　husband？〃



〃When　the　husband　is　a　traitor；〃　replied　Lindsay；　〃no；　madam；　it　is

no　longer　allowed　to　a　wife　to　write　to　her　husbandat　least；

however；　if　this　wife　have　a　part　in　his　treason；　which　seems　to　me；

besides；　quite　proved　by　the　promise　you　make　to　this　wretch　to

recall　him　to　you。〃



〃My　lord；〃　cried　Mary；　interrupting　Lindsay；　〃do　you　forget　that　you

are　speaking　to　your　queen。〃



〃There　was　a　time；　madam；〃　Lindsay　replied；　〃when　I　should　have

spoken　to　you　in　a　more　gentle　voice；　and　bending　the　knee；　although

it　is　not　in　the　nature　of　us　old　Scotch　to　model　ourselves　on　your

French　courtiers；　but　for　some　time；　thanks　to　your　changing　loves；

you　have　kept　us　so　often　in　the　field；　in　harness；　that　our　voices

are　hoarse　from　the　cold　night　air；　and　our　stiff　knees　can　no　longer

bend　in　our　armour：　you　must　then　take　me　just　as　I　am；　madam；　since

to…day；　for　the　welfare　of　Scotland；　you　are　no　longer　at　liberty　to

choose　your　favourites。〃



Mary　grew　frightfully　pale　at　this　want　of　respect；　to　which　she　was

not　yet　accustomed；　but　quickly　containing　her　anger；　as　far　as

possible



〃But　still；　my　lord；〃　said　she；　〃however　disposed　I　may　be　to　take

you　as　you　are；　I　must　at　least　know　by　what　right　you　come　here。

That　letter　which　you　are　holding　in　your　hand　would　lead　me　to　think

it　is　as　a　spy；　if　the　ease　with　which　you　enter　my　room　without

being　asked　did　not　make　me　believe　it　is　as　a　gaoler。　　Have　the

goodness；　then；　to　inform　me　by　which　of　these　two　names　I　must　call

you。〃



〃Neither　by　one　nor　the　other；　madam；　for　I　am　simply　your　fellow…

traveller；　chef　of　the　escort　which　is　to　take　you　to　Lochleven

Castle；　your　future　residence。　　And　yet；　scarcely　have　I　arrived

there　than　I　shall　be　obliged　to　leave　you　to　go　and　assist　the

Confederate　lords　choose　a　regent　for　the　kingdom。〃



〃So；〃　said　Mary；　〃it　was　as　prisoner　and　not　as　queen　that　I

surrendered　to　Lord　Kirkcaldy。　　It　seems　to　me　that　things　were

agreed　upon　otherwise；　but　I　am　glad　to　see　how　much　time　Scotch

noblemen　need　to　betray　their　sworn　undertakings〃。



〃Your　Grace　forgets　that　these　engagements　were　made　on　one

condition；〃　Lindsay　answered。



〃On　which？〃　Mary　asked。



〃That　you　should　separate　for　ever　from　your　husband's　murderer；　and

there　is　the　proof；〃　he　added；　showing　the　letter；　〃that　you　had

forgotten　your　promise　before　we　thought　of　revoking　ours。〃



〃And　at　what　o'clock　is　my　departure　fixed？〃　said　Mary；　whom　this

discussion　was　beginning　to　fatigue。



〃At　eleven　o'clock；　madam。〃



〃It　is　well；　my　lord；　as　I　have　no　desire　to　make　your　lordship　wait；

you　will　have　the　goodness；　in　withdrawing；　to　send　me　someone　to

help　me　dress；　unless　I　am　reduced　to　wait　upon　myself。〃



And；　in　pronouncing　these　words；　Mary　made　a　gesture　so　imperious；

that　whatever　may　have　been　Lindsay's　wish　to　reply；　he　bowed　and

went　out。　　Behind　him　entered　Mary　Seyton。









CHAPTER　V



At　the　time　appointed　the　queen　was　ready：　she　had　suffered　so　much

at　Edinburgh　that　she　left　it　without　any　regret。　　Besides；　whether

to　spare　her　the　humiliations　of　the　day　before；　or　to　conceal　her

departure　from　any　partisans　who　might　remain　to　her；　a　litter　had

been　made　ready。　　Mary　got　into　it　without　any　resistance；　and　after

two　hours'　journey　she　reached　Duddington；　there　a　little　vessel　was

waiting　for　her；　which　set　sail　directly　she　was　on　board；　and　next

day　at　dawn　she　disembarked　on　the　other　side　of　the　Firth　of　Forth

in　the　county　of　Fife。



Mary　halted　at　Rosythe　Castle　only　just　long　enough　to　breakfast；　and

immediately　recommenced　her　journey；　for　Lord　Lindsay　had　declared

that　he　wished　to　reach　his　destination　that　same　evening。　　Indeed；

as　the　sun　was　setting；　Mary　perceived　gilded　with　his　last　rays　the

high　towers　of　Lochleven　Castle；　situated　on　an　islet　in　the　midst　of

the　lake　of　the　same　name。



No　doubt　the　royal　prisoner　was　already　expected　at　Lochleven　Castle；

for；　on　reaching　the　lake　side；　Lord　Lindsay's　equerry　unfurled　his

banner；　which　till　then　had　remained　in　its　case；　and　waved　it　from

right　to　left；　while　his　master　blew　a　little　hunting　bugle　which　he

wore　hanging　from　his　neck。　　A　boat　immediately　put　off　from　the

island　and　came　towards　the　arrivals；　set　in　motion　by　four　vigorous

oarsmen；　who　had　soon　propelled　it　across　the　space　which　separated

it　from　the　bank。　　Mary　silently　got　into　it；　and　sat　down　at　the

stern；　while　Lord　Lindsay　and　his　equerry　stood　up　before　her；　and　as

her　guide　did　not　seem　any　more　inclined　to　speak　than　she　was

herself　to　respond；　she　had　plenty　of　time　to　examine　her　future

dwelling。



The　castle；　or　rather　the　fortress　of　Lochleven；　already　somewhat

gloomy　in　its　situation　and　architecture；　borrowed　fresh　mournfulness

still　from　the　hour　at　which　it　appeared　to　the　queen's　gaze。　　It

was；　so　far　as　she　could　judge　amid　the　mists　rising　from　the　lake；

one　of　those　massive　structures　of　the　twelfth　century　which　seem；　so

fast　shut　up　are　they；　the　stone　armour　of　a　giant。　　As　she　drew

near；　Mary　began　to　make　out　the　contours　of　two　great　round　towers；

which　flanked　the　corners　and　gave　it　the　severe　character　of　a　state

prison。　　A　clump　of　ancient　trees　enclosed　by　a　high　wall；　or　rather

by　a　rampart；　rose　at　its　north　front；　and　seemed　vegetation　in

stone；　and　completed　the　general　effect　of　this　gloomy　abode；　while；

on　the　contrary；　the　eye　wandering　from　it　and　passing　from　islands

to　islands；　lost　itself　in　the　west；　in　the　north；　and　in　the　south；

in　the　vast　plain　of　Kinross；　or　stopped　southwards　at　the　jagged

summits　of　Ben　Lomond；　whose　farthest　slopes　died　down　on　the　shores

of　the　lake。



Three　persons　awaited　Mary　at　the　castle　door：　Lady　Douglas；　William

Douglas　her　son；　and　a　child　of　twelve　who　was　called　Little　Douglas；

and　who　was　neither　a　son　nor　a　brother　of　the　inhabitants　of　the

castle；　but　merely　a　distant　relative。　　As　one　can　imagine；　there

were　few　compliments　between　Mary　and　her　hosts；　and　the　queen；

conducted　to　her　apartment；　which　was　on　the　first　floor；　and　of

which　the　windows　overlooked　the　lake；　was　soon　left　with　Mary

Seyton；　the　only　one　of　the　four　Marys　who　had　been　allowed　to

accompany　her。



However；　rapid　as　the　interview　had　been；　and　short　and　measured　the

words　exchanged　between　the　prisoner　and　her　gaolers；　Mary　had　had

time；　together　with　what　she　knew　of　them　beforehand；　to　construct

for　herself　a　fairly　accurate　idea　of　the　new　personages　who　had　just

mingled　in　her　history。



Lady　Lochleven；　wife　of　Lord　William　Douglas；　of　whom　we　have　already

said　a　few　words　at　the　beginning　of　this　history；　was　a　woman　of

from　fifty…five　to　sixty　years　of　age；　who　had　been　handsome　enough

in　her　youth　to　fix　upon　herself　the　glances　of　King　James　V；　and　who

had　had　a　son　by　him；　who　was　this　same　Murray　whom　we　have　already

seen　figuring　so　often　in　Mary's　history；　and　who；　although　his　birth

was　illegitimate；　had　always　been　treated　as　a　brother　by　the　queen。



Lady　Lochleven　had　had　a　momentary　hope；　so　great　was　the　king's　love

for　her；　of　becoming　his　wife；　which　upon　the　whole　was　possible；　the

family　of　Mar；　from　which　she　was　descended；　being　the　equal　of　the

most　ancient　and　the　noblest　families　in　Scotland。　　But；　unluckily；

perhaps　slanderously；　certain　talk　which　was　circulating　among　the

young　noblemen　of　the　time　came　to　James's　ears；　it　was　said　that

together　with　her　royal　lover　the　beautiful　favourite　had　another；

whom　she　had　chosen；　no　doubt　from　curiosity；　from　the　very　lowest

class。　　It　was　added　that　this　Porterfeld；　or　Porterfield；　was　the

real　father　of　the　child　who　had　already　received　the　name　of　James

Stuart；　and　whom　the　king　was　educating　as　his　son　at　the　monastery

of　St。　　Andrews。　　These　rumours；　well　founded　or　not；　had　therefore

stopped　James　V　at　the　moment　when；　in　gratitude　to　her　who　had　given

him　a　son；　he　was　on　the　point　of　raising　her　to　the　rank　of　queen；

so　that；　instead　of　marrying　her　himself；　he　had　invited　her　to

choose　among　the　nobles　at　court；　and　as　she　was　very　handsome；　and

the　king's　favour　went　with　the　marriage；　this　choice；　which　fell　on

Lord　William　Douglas　of　Lochleven；　did　not　meet　with　any　resistance

on　his　part。　　However；　in　spite　of　this　direct　protection；　that　James

V　preserved　for　her　all　his　life；　Lady　Douglas　could　never　forget

that　she　had　fingered　higher　fortune；　moreover；　she　had　a　hatred　for

the　one　who；　according　to　herself；　had　usurped　her　place；　and　poor

Mary　had　naturally　inherited　the　profound　animosity　that　Lady　Douglas

bore　to　her　mother；　which　had　already　come　to　light　in　the　few　words

that　the　two　women　had　exchanged。　　Besi