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