mary stuart-第12章

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〃My　feelings　and　my　favours　are　to　me　sure　warrants　for　that　love；

and　answer　to　me　for　your　heart；　my　trust　is　entire　on　this　head：　but

explain　yourself；　I　entreat　you；　and　open　your　soul　to　me；　otherwise；

I　shall　fear　lest；　by　the　fatality　of　my　star；　and　by　the　too

fortunate　influence　of　the　stars　on　women　less　tender　and　less

faithful　than　I；　I　may　be　supplanted　in　your　heart　as　Medea　was　in

Jason's；　not　that　I　wish　to　compare　you　to　a　lover　as　unfortunate　as

Jason；　and　to　parallel　myself　with　a　monster　like　Medea；　although　you

have　enough　influence　over　me　to　force　me　to　resemble　her　each　time

our　love　exacts　it；　and　that　it　concerns　me　to　keep　your　heart；　which

belongs　to　me；　and　which　belongs　to　me　only。　　For　I　name　as　belonging

to　me　what　I　have　purchased　with　the　tender　and　constant　love　with

which　I　have　burned　for　you；　a　love　more　alive　to…day　than　ever；　and

which　will　end　only　with　my　life；　a　love；　in　short；　which　makes　me

despise　both　the　dangers　and　the　remorse　which　will　be　perhaps　its

sad　sequel。　　As　the　price　of　this　sacrifice；　I　ask　you　but　one

favour；　it　is　to　remember　a　spot　not　far　from　here：　I　do　not　exact

that　you　should　keep　your　promise　to…morrow；　but　I　want　to　see　you　to

disperse　your　suspicions。　　I　ask　of　God　only　one　thing：　it　is　that　He

should　make　you　read　my　heart；　which　is　less　mine　than　yours；　and

that　He　should　guard　you　from　every　ill；　at　least　during　my　life：

this　life　is　dear　to　me　only　in　so　far　as　it　pleases　you；　and　as　I

please　you　myself。　　I　am　going　to　bed：　adieu；　give　me　your　news　to…

morrow　morning；　for　I　shall　be　uneasy　till　I　have　it。　　Like　a　bird

escaped　from　its　cage；　or　the　turtle…dove　which　has　lost　her　mate；　I

shall　be　alone；　weeping　your　absence；　short　as　it　may　be。　　This

letter；　happier　than　I；　will　go　this　evening　where　I　cannot　go；

provided　that　the　messenger　does　not　find　you　asleep；　as　I　fear。　　I

have　not　dared　to　write　it　in　the　presence　of　Joseph；　of　Sebastian；

and　of　Joachim；　who　had　only　just　left　me　when　I　began　it。〃





Thus；　as　one　sees；　and　always　supposing　these　letters　to　be　genuine；

Mary　had　conceived　for　Bothwell　one　of　those　mad　passions；　so　much

the　stronger　in　the　women　who　are　a　prey　to　them；　that　one　the　less

understands　what　could　have　inspired　them。　　Bothwell　was　no　longer

young；　Bothwell　was　not　handsome；　and　yet　Mary　sacrificed　for　him　a

young　husband；　who　was　considered　one　of　the　handsomest　men　of　his

century。　　It　was　like　a　kind　of　enchantment。　　Darnley；　the　sole

obstacle　to　the　union；　had　been　already　condemned　for　a　long　time；　if

not　by　Mary；　at　least　by　Bothwell；　then；　as　his　strong　constitution

had　conquered　the　poison；　another　kind　of　death　was　sought　for。



The　queen；　as　she　announces　in　her　letter　to　Bothwel1；　had　refused　to

bring　back　Darnley　with　her；　and　had　returned　alone　to　Edinburgh。

Arrived　there；　she　gave　orders　for　the　king　to　be　moved；　in　his　turn；

in　a　litter；　but　instead　of　taking　him　to　Stirling　or　Holyrood；　she

decided　to　lodge　him　in　the　abbey　of　the　Kirk　of　Field。　　The　king

made　some　objections　when　he　knew　of　this　arrangement；　however；　as　he

had　no　power　to　oppose　it；　he　contented　himself　with　complaining　of

the　solitude　of　the　dwelling　assigned　him；　but　the　queen　made　answer

that　she　could　not　receive　him　at　that　moment；　either　at　Holyrood　or

at　Stirling；　for　fear；　if　his　illness　were　infectious；　lest　he　might

give　it　to　his　son：　Darnley　was　then　obliged　to　make　the　best　of　the

abode　allotted　him。



It　was　an　isolated　abbey；　and　little　calculated　by　its　position　to

dissipate　the　fears　that　the　king　entertained；　for　it　was　situated

between　two　ruined　churches　and　two　cemeteries：　the　only　house；　which

was　distant　about　a　shot　from　a　cross…bow；　belonged　to　the　Hamiltons；

and　as　they　were　Darnley's　mortal　enemies　the　neighbourhood　was　none

the　more　reassuring：　further；　towards　the　north；　rose　some　wretched

huts；　called　the　〃Thieves'　cross…roads〃。　　In　going　round　his　new

residence；　Darnley　noticed　that　three　holes；　each　large　enough　for　a

man　to　get　through；　had　been　made　in　the　walls；　he　asked　that　these

holes；　through　which　ill…meaning　persons　could　get　in；　should　be

stopped　up：　it　was　promised　that　masons　should　be　sent；　but　nothing

was　done；　and　the　holes　remained　open。



The　day　after　his　arrival　at　Kirk　of　Field；　the　king　saw　a　light　in

that　house　near　his　which　lie　believed　deserted；　next　day　he　asked

Alexander　Durham　whence　it　came；　and　he　heard　that　the　Archbishop　of

St。　Andrew's　had　left　his　palace　in　Edinburgh　and　had　housed　there

since　the　preceding　evening；　one　didn't　know　why：　this　news　still

further　increased　the　king's　uneasiness；　the　Archbishop　of　St。

Andrew's　was　one　of　his　most　declared　enemies。



The　king；　little　by　little　abandoned　by　all　his　servants　lived　on　the

first　floor　of　an　isolated　pavilion；　having　about　him　only　this　same


Alexander　Durham；　whom　we　have　mentioned　already；　and　who　was　his

valet。　　Darnley；　who　had　quite　a　special　friendship　for　him；　and　who

besides；　as　we　have　said；　feared　some　attack　on　his　life　at　every

moment；　had　made　him　move　his　bed　into　his　own　apartment；　so　that

both　were　sleeping　in　the　same　room。



On　the　night　of　the　8th　February；　Darnley　awoke　Durham：　he　thought　he

heard　footsteps　in　the　apartment　beneath　him。　　Durham　rose；　took　a

sword　in　one　hand；　a　taper　in　the　other；　and　went　down　to　the　ground

floor；　but　although　Darnley　was　quite　certain　he　had　not　been

deceived；　Durham　came　up　again　a　moment　after；　saying　he　had　seen　no

one。



The　morning　of　the　next　day　passed　without　bringing　anything　fresh。

The　queen　was　marrying　one　of　her　servants　named　Sebastian：　he　was　an

Auvergnat　whom　she　had　brought　with　her　from　France；　and　whom　she

liked　very　much。　　However；　as　the　king　sent　word　that　he　had　not　seen

her　for　two　days；　she　left　the　wedding　towards　six　o'clock　in　the

evening；　and　came　to　pay　him　a　visit；　accompanied　by　the　Countess　of

Argyll　and　the　Countess　of　Huntly。　　While　she　was　there；　Durham；　in

preparing　his　bed；　set　fire　to　his　palliasse；　which　was　burned　as

well　as　a　part　of　the　mattress；　so　that；　having　thrown　them　out　of

the　window　all　in　flames；　for　fear　lest　the　fire　should　reach　the

rest　of　the　furniture；　he　found　himself　without　a　bed；　and　asked

permission　to　return　to　the　town　to　sleep；　but　Darnley；　who

remembered　his　terror　the　night　before；　and　who　was　surprised　at　the

promptness　that　had　made　Durham　throw　all　his　bedding　out　of　the

window；　begged　him　not　to　go　away；　offering　him　one　of　his

mattresses；　or　even　to　take　him　into　his　own　bed。　　However；　in　spite

of　this　offer；　Durham　insisted；　saying　that　he　felt　unwell；　and　that

he　should　like　to　see　a　doctor　the　same　evening。　　So　the　queen

interceded　for　Durham；　and　promised　Darnley　to　send　him　another　valet

to　spend　the　night　with　him：　Darnley　was　then　obliged　to　yield；　and；

making　Mary　repeat　that　she　would　send　him　someone；　he　gave　Durham

leave　for　that　evening。　　At　that　moment　Paris；　of　whom　the　queen

speaks　in　her　letters；　came　in：　he　was　a　young　Frenchman　who　had　been

in　Scotland　for　some　years；　and　who；　after　having　served　with

Bothwell　and　Seyton；　was　at　present　with　the　queen。　　Seeing　him；　she

got　up；　and　as　Darnley　still　wished　to　keep　her



〃Indeed；　my　lord；　it　is　impossible；〃　said　she；　〃to　come　and　see　you。

I　have　left　this　poor　Sebastian's　wedding；　and　I　must　return　to　it；

for　I　promised　to　came　masked　to　his　ball。〃



The　king　dared　not　insist；　he　only　reminded　her　of　the　promise　that

she　had　made　to　send　him　a　servant：　Mary　renewed　it　yet　once　again；

and　went　away　with　her　attendants。　　As　for　Durham；　he　had　set　out　the

moment　he　received　permission。



It　was　nine　o'clock　in　the　evening。　　Darnley；　left　alone；　carefully

shut　the　doors　within；　and　retired　to　rest；　though　in　readiness　to

rise　to　let　in　the　servant　who　should　come　to　spend　the　night　with

him。　　Scarcely　was　he　in　bed　than　the　same　noise　that　he　had　heard

the