mary stuart-第13章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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

the　night　before　recommenced；　this　time　Darnley　listened　with　all　the

attention　fear　gives；　and　soon　he　had　no　longer　any　doubt　but　that

several　men　were　walking　about　beneath　him。　　It　was　useless　to　call；

it　was　dangerous　to　go　out；　to　wait　was　the　only　course　that　remained

to　the　king。　　He　made　sure　again　that　the　doors　were　well　fastened；

put　his　sword　under　his　pillow；　extinguished　his　lamp　for　fear　the

light　might　betray　him；　and　awaited　in　silence　for　his　servant's

arrival；　but　the　hours　passed　away；　and　the　servant　did　not　come。

At　one　o'clock　in　the　morning；　Bothwell；　after　having　talked　some

while　with　the　queen；　in　the　presence　of　the　captain　of　the　guard；

returned　home　to　change　his　dress；　after　some　minutes；　he　came　out

wrapped　up　in　the　large　cloak　of　a　German　hussar；　went　through　the

guard…house；　and　had　the　castle　gate　opened。　　Once　outside；　he　took

his　way　with　all　speed　to　Kirk　of　Field；　which　he　entered　by　the

opening　in　the　wall：　scarcely　had　he　made　a　step　in　the　garden　than

he　met　James　Balfour；　governor　of　the　castle。



〃Well；〃　he　said　to　him；　〃how　far　have　we　got？



〃Everything　is　ready；〃　replied　Balfour；　〃and　we　were　waiting　for　you

to　set　fire　to　the　fuse〃。　　〃That　is　well；〃　Bothwell　answered〃but

first　I　want　to　make　sure　that　he　is　in　his　room。〃



At　these　words；　Bothwell　opened　the　pavilion　door　with　a　false　key；

and；　having　groped　his　way　up　the　stairs；　he　went　to　listen　at

Darnley's　door。　　Darnley；　hearing　no　further　noise；　had　ended　by

going　to　sleep；　but　he　slept　with　a　jerky　breathing　which　pointed　to

his　agitation。　　Little　mattered　it　to　Bothwell　what　kind　of　sleep　it

was；　provided　that　he　was　really　in　his　room。　　He　went　down　again　in

silence；　then；　as　he　had　come　up；　and　taking　a　lantern　from　one　of

the　conspirators；　he　went　himself　into　the　lower　room　to　see　if

everything　was　in　order：　this　room　was　full　of　barrels　of　powder；　and

a　fuse　ready　prepared　wanted　but　a　spark　to　set　the　whole　on　fire。

Bothwell　withdrew；　then；　to　the　end　of　the　garden　with　Balfour；

David；　Chambers；　and　three　or　four　others；　leaving　one　man　to　ignite

the　fuse。　　In　a　moment　this　man　rejoined　them。



There　ensued　some　minutes　of　anxiety；　during　which　the　five　men

looked　at　one　another　in　silence　and　as　if　afraid　of　themselves；

then；　seeing　that　nothing　exploded；　Bothwell　impatiently　turned　round

to　the　engineer；　reproaching　him　for　having；　no　doubt　through　fear；

done　his　work　badly。　　He　assured　his　master　that　he　was　certain

everything　was　all　right；　and　as　Bothwell；　impatient；　wanted　to

return　to　the　house　himself；　to　make　sure；　he　offered　to　go　back　and

see　how　things　stood。　　In　fact；　he　went　back　to　the　pavilion；　and；

putting　his　head　through　a　kind　of　air…hole；　he　saw　the　fuse；　which

was　still　burning。　　Some　seconds　afterwards；　Bothwell　saw　him　come

running　back；　making　a　sign　that　all　was　going　well；　at　the　same

moment　a　frightful　report　was　heard；　the　pavilion　was　blown　to

pieces；　the　town　and　the　firth　were　lit　up　with　a　clearness　exceeding

the　brightest　daylight；　then　everything　fell　back　into　night；　and　the

silence　was　broken　only　by　the　fall　of　stones　and　joists；　which　came

down　as　fast　as　hail　in　a　hurricane。



Next　day　the　body　of　the　king　was　found　in　a　garden　in　the

neighbourhood：　it　had　been　saved　from　the　action　of　the　fire　by　the

mattresses　on　which　he　was　lying；　and　as；　doubtless；　in　his　terror　he

had　merely　thrown　himself　on　his　bed　wrapped　in　his　dressing…gown　and

in　his　slippers；　and　as　he　was　found　thus；　without　his　slippers；

which　were　flung　some　paces　away；　it　was　believed　that　he　had　been

first　strangled；　then　carried　there；　but　the　most　probable　version

was　that　the　murderers　simply　relied　upon　powderan　auxiliary

sufficiently　powerful　in　itself　for　them　to　have　no　fear　it　would

fail　them。



Was　the　queen　an　accomplice　or　not？　　No　one　has　ever　known　save

herself；　Bothwell；　and　God；　but；　yes　or　no；　her　conduct；　imprudent

this　time　as　always；　gave　the　charge　her　enemies　brought　against　her；

if　not　substance；　at　least　an　appearance　of　truth。　　Scarcely　had　she

heard　the　news　than　she　gave　orders　that　the　body　should　be　brought

to　her；　and；　having　had　it　stretched　out　upon　a　bench；　she　looked　at

it　with　more　curiosity　than　sadness；　then　the　corpse；　embalmed；　was

placed　the　same　evening；　without　pomp；　by　the　side　of　Rizzio's。



Scottish　ceremonial　prescribes　for　the　widows　of　kings　retirement　for

forty　days　in　a　room　entirely　closed　to　the　light　of　day：　on　the

twelfth　day　Mary　had　the　windows　opened；　and　on　the　fifteenth　set　out

with　Bothwell　for　Seaton；　a　country　house　situated　five　miles　from

the　capital；　where　the　French　ambassador；　Ducroc；　went　in　search　of

her；　and　made　her　remonstrances　which　decided　her　to　return　to

Edinburgh；　but　instead　of　the　cheers　which　usually　greeted　her

coming；　she　was　received　by　an　icy　silence；　and　a　solitary　woman　in

the　crowd　called　out；　〃God　treat　her　as　she　deserves！〃



The　names　of　the　murderers　were　no　secret　to　the　people。　　Bothwell

having　brought　a　splendid　coat　which　was　too　large　for　him　to　a

tailor；　asking　him　to　remake　it　to　his　measure；　the　man　recognised　it

as　having　belonged　to　the　king。　　〃That's　right；〃　said　he；　〃it　is　the

custom　for　the　executioner　to　inherit　from　the…condemned〃。

Meanwhile；　the　Earl　of　Lennox；　supported　by　the　people's　murmurs；

loudly　demanded　justice　for　his　son's　death；　and　came　forward　as　the

accuser　of　his　murderers。　　The　queen　was　then　obliged；　to　appease

paternal　clamour　and　public　resentment；　to　command　the　Earl　of

Argyll；　the　Lord　Chief　justice　of　the　kingdom；　to　make

investigations；　the　same　day　that　this　order　was　given；　a

proclamation　was　posted　up　in　the　streets　of　Edinburgh；　in　which　the

queen　promised　two　thousand　pounds　sterling　to　whoever　would　make

known　the　king's　murderers。　　Next　day；　wherever　this　letter　had　been

affixed；　another　placard　was　found；　worded　thus：



〃As　it　has　been　proclaimed　that　those　who　should　make　known　the

king's　murderers　should　have　two　thousand　pounds　sterling；　I；　who

have　made　a　strict　search；　affirm　that　the　authors　of　the　murder　are

the　Earl　of　Bothwell；　James　Balfour；　the　priest　of　Flisk；　David；

Chambers；　Blackmester；　Jean　Spens；　and　the　queen　herself。〃



This　placard　was　torn　down；　but；　as　usually　happens；　it　had　already

been　read　by　the　entire　population。



The　Earl　of　Lennox　accused　Bothwell；　and　public　opinion；　which　also

accused　him；　seconded　the　earl　with　such　violence；　that　Mary　was

compelled　to　bring　him　to　trial：　only　every　precaution　was　taken　to

deprive　the　prosecutor　of　the　power　of　convicting　the　accused。　　On

the　28th　March；　the　Earl　of　Lennox　received　notice　that　the　12th

April　was　fixed　for　the　trial：　he　was　granted　a　fortnight　to　collect

decisive　proofs　against　the　most　powerful　man　in　all　Scotland；　but

the　Earl　of　Lennox；　judging　that　this　trial　was　a　mere　mockery；　did

not　appear。　　Bothwell；　on　the　contrary；　presented　himself　at　the

court；　accompanied　by　five　thousand　partisans　and　two　hundred　picked

fusiliers；　who　guarded　the　doors　directly　he　had　entered；　so　that　he

seemed　to　be　rather　a　king　who　is　about　to　violate　the　law　than　an

accused　who　comes　to　submit　to　it。　　Of　course　there　happened　what　was

certain　to　happenthat　is　to　say；　the　jury　acquitted　Bothwell　of　the

crime　of　which　everyone；　the　judges　included；　knew　him　to　be　guilty。



The　day　of　the　trial；　Bothwell　had　this　written　challenge　placarded：



〃Although　I　am　sufficiently　cleared　of　the　murder　of　the　king；　of

which　I　have　been　falsely　accused；　yet；　the　better　to　prove　my

innocence；　I　am；　ready　to　engage　in　combat　with　whomsoever　will　dare

to　maintain　that　I　have　killed　the　king。〃



The　day　after；　this　reply　appeared：



〃I　accept　the　challenge；　provided　that　you　select　neutral　ground。〃



However；　judgment　had　been　barely　given；　when　rumours　of　a　marriage

bet