mary stuart-第17章

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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。　　Besides；　in　ageing；　whether　from

repentance　for　her　errors　or　from　hypocrisy；　Lady　Douglas　had　become

a　prude　and　a　puritan；　so　that　at　this　time　she　united　with　the

natural　acrimony　of　her　character　all　the　stiffness　of　the　new

religion　she　had　adopted。



William　Douglas；　who　was　the　eldest　son　of　Lord　Lochleven；　on　his

mother's　side　half…brother　of　Murray；　was　a　man　of　from　thirty…five

to　thirty…six　years　of　age；　athletic；　with　hard　and　strongly

pronounced　features；　red…haired　like　all　the　younger　branch；　and　who

had　inherited　that　paternal　hatred　that　for　a　century　the　Douglases

cherished　against　the　Stuarts；　and　which　was　shown　by　so　many　plots；

rebellions；　and　assassinations。　　According　as　fortune　had　favoured　or

deserted　Murray；　William　Douglas　had　seen　the　rays　of　the　fraternal

star　draw　near　or　away　from　him；　he　had　then　felt　that　he　was　living

in　another's　life；　and　was　devoted；　body　and　soul；　to　him　who　was　his

cause　of　greatness　or　of　abasement。　　Mary's　fall；　which　must

necessarily　raise　Murray；　was　thus　a　source　of　joy　for　him；　and　the

Confederate　lords　could　not　have　chosen　better　than　in　confiding　the

safe…keeping　of　their　prisoner　to　the　instinctive　spite　of　Lady

Douglas　and　to　the　intelligent　hatred　of　her　son。



As　to　Little　Douglas；　he　was；　as　we　have　said；　a　child　of　twelve；　for

some　months　an　orphan；　whom　the　Lochlevens　had　taken　charge　of；　and

whom　they　made　buy　the　bread　they　gave　him　by　all　sorts　of　harshness。

The　result　was　that　the　child；　proud　and　spiteful　as　a　Douglas；　and

knowing；　although　his　fortune　was　inferior；　that　his　birth　was　equal

to　his　proud　relatives；　had　little　by　little　changed　his　early

gratitude　into　lasting　and　profound　hatred：　for　one　used　to　say　that

among　the　Douglases　there　was　an　age　for　loving；　but　that　there　was

none　for　hating。　　It　results　that；　feeling　his　weakness　and

isolation；　the　child　was　self…contained　with　strength　beyond　his

years；　and；　humble　and　submissive　in　appearance；　only　awaited　the

moment　when；　a　grown…up　young　man；　he　could　leave　Lochleven；　and

perhaps　avenge　himself　for　the　proud　protection　of　those　who　dwelt

there。　　But　the　feelings　that　we　have　just　expressed　did　not　extend

to　all　the　members　of　the　family：　as　much　as　from　the　bottom　of　his

heart　the　little　Douglas　detested　William　and　his　mother；　so　much　he

loved　George；　the　second　of　Lady　Lochleven's　sons；　of　whom　we　have

not　yet　spoken；　because；　being　away　from　the　castle　when　the　queen

arrived；　we　have　not　yet　found　an　opportunity　to　present　him　to　our

readers。



George；　who　at　this　time　might　have　been　about　twenty…five　or　twenty…

six　years　old；　was　the　second　son　of　Lord　Lochleven；　but　by　a

singular　chance；　that　his　mother's　adventurous　youth　had　caused　Sir

William　to　interpret　amiss；　this　second　son　had　none　of　the

characteristic　features　of　the　Douglases'　full　cheeks；　high　colour；

large　ears；　and　red　hair。　　The　result　was　that　poor　George；　who；　on

the　contrary；　had　been　given　by　nature　pale　cheeks；　dark　blue　eyes；

and　black　hair；　had　been　since　coming　into　the　world　an　object　of

indifference　to　his　father　and　of　dislike　to　his　elder　brother。　　As

to　his　mother；　whether　she　were　indeed　in　good　faith　surprised　like

Lord　Douglas　at　this　difference　in　race；　whether　she　knew　the　cause

and　inwardly　reproached　herself；　George　had　never　been；　ostensibly　at

least；　the　object　of　a　very　lively　maternal　affection；　so　the　young

man；　followed　from　his　childhood　by　a　fatality　that　he　could　not

explain；　had　sprung　up　like　a　wild　shrub；　full　of　sap　and　strength；

but　uncultivated　and　solitary。　　Besides；　from　the　time　when　he　was

fifteen；　one　was　accustomed　to　his　motiveless　absences；　which　the

indifference　that　everyone　bore　him　made　moreover　perfectly

explicable；　from　time　to　time；　however；　he　was　seen　to　reappear　at

the　castle；　like　those　migratory　birds　which　always　return　to　the

same　place　but　onl