mary stuart-第18章

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

same　place　but　only　stay　a　moment；　then　take　their　way　again　without

one's　knowing　towards　what　spot　in　the　world　they　are　directing　their

flight。



An　instinct　of　misfortune　in　common　had　drawn　Little　Douglas　to

George。　　George；　seeing　the　child　ill…treated　by　everyone；　had

conceived　an　affection　for　him；　and　Little　Douglas；　feeling　himself

loved　amid　the　atmosphere　of　indifference　around　him；　turned　with

open　arms　and　heart　to　George：　it　resulted　from　this　mutual　liking

that　one　day；　when　the　child　had　committed　I　do　not　know　what　fault；

and　that　William　Douglas　raised　the　whip　he　beat　his　dogs　with　to

strike　him；　that　George；　who　was　sitting　on　a　stone；　sad　and

thoughtful；　had　immediately　sprung　up；　snatched　the　whip　from　his

brother's　hands　and　had　thrown　it　far　from　him。　　At　this　insult

William　had　drawn　his　sword；　and　George　his；　so　that　these　two

brothers；　who　had　hated　one　another　for　twenty　years　like　two

enemies；　were　going　to　cut　one　another's　throats；　when　Little

Douglas；　who　had　picked　up　the　whip；　coming　back　and　kneeling　before

William；　offered　him　the　ignominious　weapon；　saying



〃Strike；　cousin；　I　have　deserved　it。〃



This　behaviour　of　the　child　had　caused　some　minutes'　reflection　to

the　two　young　men；　who；　terrified　at　the　crime　they　were　about　to

commit；　had　returned　their　swords　to　their　scabbards　and　had　each

gone　away　in　silence。　　Since　this　incident　the　friendship　of　George

and　Little　Douglas　had　acquired　new　strength；　and　on　the　child's　side

it　had　become　veneration。



We　dwell　upon　all　these　details　somewhat　at　length；　perhaps；　but　no

doubt　our　readers　will　pardon　us　when　they　see　the　use　to　be　made　of

them。



This　is　the　family；　less　George；　who；　as　we　have　said；　was　absent　at

the　time　of　her　arrival；　into　the　midst　of　which　the　queen　had

fallen；　passing　in　a　moment　from　the　summit　of　power　to　the　position

of　a　prisoner；　for　from　the　day　following　her　arrival　Mary　saw　that

it　was　by　such　a　title　she　was　an　inmate　of　Lochleven　Castle。　　In

fact；　Lady　Douglas　presented　herself　before　her　as　soon　as　it　was

morning；　and　with　an　embarrassment　and　dislike　ill　disguised　beneath

an　appearance　of　respectful　indifference；　invited　Mary　to　follow　her

and　take　stock　of　the　several　parts　of　the　fortress　which　had　been

chosen　beforehand　for　her　private　use。　　She　then　made　her　go　through

three　rooms；　of　which　one　was　to　serve　as　her　bedroom；　the　second　as

sitting…room；　and　the　third　as　ante…chamber；　afterwards；　leading　the

way　down　a　spiral　staircase；　which　looked　into　the　great　hall　of　the

castle；　its　only　outlet；　she　had　crossed　this　hall；　and　had　taken

Mary　into　the　garden　whose　trees　the　queen　had　seen　topping　the　high

walls　on　her　arrival：　it　was　a　little　square　of　ground；　forming　a

flower…bed　in　the　midst　of　which　was　an　artificial　fountain。　　It　was

entered　by　a　very　low　door；　repeated　in　the　opposite　wall；　this

second　door　looked　on　to　the　lake　and；　like　all　the　castle　doors；

whose　keys；　however；　never　left　the　belt　or　the　pillow　of　William

Douglas；　it　was　guarded　night　and　day　by　a　sentinel。　　This　was　now

the　whole　domain　of　her　who　had　possessed　the　palaces；　the　plains；

and　the　mountains　of　an　entire　kingdom。



Mary；　on　returning　to　her　room；　found　breakfast　ready；　and　William

Douglas　standing　near　the　table　he　was　going　to　fulfil　about　the

queen　the　duties　of　carver　and　taster。



In　spite　of　their　hatred　for　Mary；　the　Douglases　would　have

considered　it　an　eternal　blemish　on　their　honour　if　any　accident

should　have　befallen　the　queen　while　she　was　dwelling　in　their

castle；　and　it　was　in　order　that　the　queen　herself　should　not

entertain　any　fear　in　this　respect　that　William　Douglas；　in　his

quality　of　lord　of　the　manor；　had　not　only　desired　to　carve　before

the　queen；　but　even　to　taste　first　in　her　presence；　all　the　dishes

served　to　her；　as　well　as　the　water　and　the　several　wines　to　be

brought　her。　　This　precaution　saddened　Mary　more　than　it　reassured

her；　for　she　understood　that；　while　she　stayed　in　the　castle；　this

ceremony　would　prevent　any　intimacy　at　table。　　However；　it　proceeded

from　too　noble　an　intention　for　her　to　impute　it　as　a　crime　to　her

hosts：　she　resigned　herself；　then；　to　this　company；　insupportable　as

it　was　to　her；　only；　from　that　day　forward；　she　so　cut　short　her

meals　that　all　the　time　she　was　at　Lochleven　her　longest　dinners

barely　lasted　more　than　a　quarter　of　an　hour。



Two　days　after　her　arrival；　Mary；　on　sitting　down　to　table　for

breakfast；　found　on　her　plate　a　letter　addressed　to　her　which　had

been　put　there　by　William　Douglas。　　Mary　recognised　Murray's

handwriting；　and　her　first　feeling　was　one　of　joy；　for　if　a　ray　of

hope　remained　to　her；　it　came　from　her　brother；　to　whom　she　had

always　been　perfectly　kind；　whom　from　Prior　of　St。　　Andrew's　she　had

made　an　earl　in　bestowing　on　him　the　splendid　estates　which　formed

part　of　the　old　earldom　of　Murray；　and　to　whom；　which　was　of　more

importance；　she　had　since　pardoned；　or　pretended　to　pardon；　the　part

he　had　taken　in　Rizzio's　assassination。



Her　astonishment　was　great；　then；　when；　having　opened　the　letter；　she

found　in　it　bitter　reproaches　for　her　conduct；　an　exhortation　to　do

penance；　and　an　assurance　several　times　repeated　that　she　should

never　leave　her　prison。　　He　ended　his　letter　in　announcing　to　her

that；　in　spite　of　his　distaste　for　public　affairs；　he　had　been

obliged　to　accept　the　regency；　which　he　had　done　less　for　his　country

than　for　his　sister；　seeing　that　it　was　the　sole　means　he　had　of

standing　in　the　way　of　the　ignominious　trial　to　which　the　nobles

wished　to　bring　her；　as　author；　or　at　least　as　chief　accomplice；　of

Darnley's　death。　　This　imprisonment　was　then　clearly　a　great　good

fortune　for　her；　and　she　ought　to　thank　Heaven　for　it；　as　an

alleviation　of　the　fate　awaiting　her　if　he　had　not　interceded　for

her。



This　letter　was　a　lightning　stroke　for　Mary：　only；　as　she　did　not

wish　to　give　her　enemies　the　delight　of　seeing　her　suffer；　she

contained　her　grief；　and；　turning　to　William　Douglas



〃My　lord；〃　said　she；　〃this　letter　contains　news　that　you　doubtless

know　already；　for　although　we　are　not　children　by　the　same　mother；　he

who　writes　to　me　is　related　to　us　in　the　same　degree；　and　will　not

have　desired　to　write　to　his　sister　without　writing　to　his　brother　at

the　same　time；　besides；　as　a　good　son；　he　will　have　desired　to

acquaint　his　mother　with　the　unlooked…for　greatness　that　has　befallen

him。〃



〃Yes；　madam；〃　replied　William；　〃we　know　since　yesterday　that；　for　the

welfare　of　Scotland；　my　brother　has　been　named　regent；　and　as　he　is　a

son　as　respectful　to　his　mother　as　he　is　devoted　to　his　country；　we

hope　that　he　will　repair　the　evil　that　for　five　years　favourites　of

every　sort　and　kind　have　done　to　both。〃



〃It　is　like　a　good　son；　and　at　the　same　time　like　a　courteous　host；

to　go　back　no　farther　into　the　history　of　Scotland；〃　replied　Mary

Stuart；〃　and　not　to　make　the　daughter　blush　for　the　father's　errors；

for　I　have　heard　say　that　the　evil　which　your　lordship　laments　was

prior　to　the　time　to　which　you　assign　it；　and　that　King　James　V　also

had　formerly　favourites；　both　male　and　female。　　It　is　true　that　they

add　that　the　ones　as　ill　rewarded　his　friendship　as　the　others　his

love。　　In　this；　if　you　are　ignorant　of　it；　my　lord；　you　can　be

instructed；　if　he　is　still　living；　by　a　certain。　　Porterfeld　or

Porterfield；　I　don't　know　which；　understanding　these　names　of　the

lower　classes　too　ill　to　retain　and　pronounce　them；　but　about　which；

in　my　stead；　your　noble　mother　could　give　you　information。〃



With　these　words；　Mary　Stuart　rose；　and；　leaving　William　Douglas

crimson　with　rage；　she　returned　into　her　bedroom；　and　bolted　the　door

behind　her。



All　that　day　Mary　did　not　come　down；　remaining　at　her　window；　from

which　she　at　least　enjoyed　a　splendid　view　over　the　plains　and