mary stuart-第29章
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was at hand; on the evening of the fifth; before the queen had
counted five beats; the light reappeared: the queen leaned upon Mary
Seyton; she was nearly fainting; between dread and 'delight。 Her
escape was fixed for the next evening。
The queen tried once more; and obtained the same reply: there was no
longer a doubt; everything was ready except the prisoner's courage;
for it failed her for a moment; and if Mary Seyton had not drawn up a
seat in time; she would have fallen prone; but; the first moment
over; she collected herself as usual; and was stronger and more
resolute than ever。
Till midnight the queen remained at the window; her eyes fixed on
that star of good omen: at last Mary Seyton persuaded her to go to
bed; offering; if she had no wish to sleep; to read her some verses
by M。 Ronsard; or some chapters from the Mer des Histoires; but Mary
had no desire now for any profane reading; and had her Hours read;
making the responses as she would have done if she had been present
at a mass said by a Catholic priest: towards dawn; however; she grew
drowsy; and as Mary Seyton; for her part; was dropping with fatigue;
she fell asleep directly in the arm…chair at the head of the queen's
bed。
Next day she awoke; feeling that someone was tapping her on the
shoulder: it was the queen; who had already arisen。
〃Come and see; darling;〃 said she;〃come and see the fine day that
God is giving us。 Oh! how alive is Nature! How happy I shall be to
be once more free among those plains and mountains! Decidedly; Heaven
is on our side。〃
〃Madam;〃 replied Mary; 〃I would rather see the weather less fine: it
would promise us a darker night; and consider; what we need is
darkness; not light。〃
〃Listen;〃 said the queen; 〃it is by this we are going to see if God
is indeed for us; if the weather remains as it is; yes; you are
right; He abandons us; but if it clouds over; oh! then; darling; this
will be a certain proof of His protection; will it not?〃
Mary Seyton smiled; nodding that she adopted her mistress's
superstition; then the queen; incapable of remaining idle in her
great preoccupation of mind; collected the few jewels that she had
preserved; enclosed them in a casket; got ready for the evening a
black dress; in order to be still better hidden in the darkness: and;
these preparations made; she sat down again at the window;
ceaselessly carrying her eyes from the lake to the little house in
Kinross; shut up and dumb as usual。
The dinner…hour arrived: the queen was so happy that she received
William Douglas with more goodwill than was her wont; and it was with
difficulty she remained seated during the time the meal lasted; but
she restrained herself; and William Douglas withdrew; without seeming
to have noticed her agitation。
Scarcely had he gone than Mary ran to the window; she had need of
air; and her gaze devoured in advance those wide horizons which she
was about to cross anew; it seemed to her that once at liberty she
would never shut herself up in a palace again; but would wander about
the countryside continually: then; amid all these tremors of delight;
from time to time she felt unexpectedly heavy at heart。 She then
turned round to Mary Seyton; trying to fortify her strength with
hers; and the young girl kept up her hopes; but rather from duty than
from conviction。
But slow as they seemed to the queen; the hours yet passed: towards
the afternoon some clouds floated across the blue sky; the queen
remarked upon them joyfully to her companion; Mary Seyton
congratulated her upon them; not on account of the imaginary omen
that the queen sought in them; but because of the real importance
that the weather should be cloudy; that darkness might aid them in
their flight。 While the two prisoners were watching the billowy;
moving vapours; the hour of dinner arrived; but it was half an hour
of constraint and dissimulation; the more painful that; no doubt in
return for the sort of goodwill shown him by the queen in the
morning; William Douglas thought himself obliged; in his turn; to
accompany his duties with fitting compliments; which compelled the
queen to take a more active part in the conversation than her
preoccupation allowed her; but William Douglas did not seem in any
way to observe this absence of mind; and all passed as at breakfast。
Directly he had gone the queen ran to the window: the few clouds
which were chasing one another in the sky an hour before had
thickened and spread; andall the blue was blotted out; to give
place to a hue dull and leaden as pewter。 Mary Stuart's
presentiments were thus realised: as to the little house in Kinross;
which one could still make out in the dusk; it remained shut up; and
seemed deserted。
Night fell: the light shone as usual; the queen signalled; it
disappeared。 Mary Stuart waited in vain; everything remained in
darkness: the escape was for the same evening。 The queen heard eight
o'clock; nine o'clock; and ten o'clock strike successively。 At ten
o'clock the sentinels were relieved; Mary Stuart heard the patrols
pass beneath her windows; the steps of the watch recede: then all
returned to silence。 Half an hour passed away thus; suddenly the
owl's cry resounded thrice; the queen recognised George Douglas's
signal: the supreme moment had come。
In these circumstances the queen found all her strength revive: she
signed to Mary Seyton to take away the bar and to fix the rope
ladder; while; putting out the lamp; she felt her way into the
bedroom to seek the casket which contained her few remaining jewels。
When she came back; George Douglas was already in the room。
〃All goes well; madam;〃 said he。 〃Your friends await you on the
other side of the lake; Thomas Warden watches at the postern; and God
has sent us a dark night。〃
The queen; without replying; gave him her hand。 George bent his knee
and carried this hand to his lips; but on touching it; he felt it
cold and trembling。
〃Madam;〃 said he; 〃in Heaven's name summon all your courage; and do
not let yourself be downcast at such a moment。〃
〃Our Lady…of…Good…Help;〃 murmured Seyton; 〃come to our aid!〃
〃Summon to you the spirit of the kings your ancestors;〃 responded
George; 〃for at this moment it is not the resignation of a Christian
that you require; but the strength and resolution of a queen〃
〃Oh; Douglas! Douglas;〃 cried Mary mournfully; 〃a fortune…teller
predicted to me that I should die in prison and by a violent death:
has not the hour of the prediction arrived?〃
〃Perhaps;〃 George said; 〃but it is better to die as a queen than to
live in this ancient castle calumniated and a prisoner。〃
〃You are right; George;〃 the queen answered; 〃but for a woman the
first step is everything: forgive me〃。 Then; after a moment's pause;
〃Come;〃 said she; 〃I am ready。〃
George immediately went to the window; secured the ladder again and
more firmly; then getting up on to the sill and holding to the bars
with one hand; he stretched out the other to the queen; who; as
resolute as she had been timid a moment before; mounted on a stool;
and had already set one foot on the window…ledge; when suddenly the
cry; 〃Who goes there?〃 rang out at the foot of the tower。 The queen
sprang quickly back; partly instinctively and partly pushed by
George; who; on the contrary; leaned out of the window to see whence
came this cry; which; twice again renewed; remained twice unanswered;
and was immediately followed by a report and the flash of a firearm:
at the same moment the sentinel on duty on the tower blew his bugle;
another set going the alarm bell; and the cries; 〃To arms; to arms!〃
and 〃Treason; treason!〃 resounded throughout the castle。
〃Yes; yes; treason; treason!〃 cried George Douglas; leaping down into
the room。 〃Yes; the infamous Warden has betrayed us!〃 Then;
advancing to Mary; cold and motionless as a statue; 〃Courage; ma