mary stuart-第31章

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Majesty　has　been　able　to　tell；　from　the　Kinross　light；　that　your

servants　continue　to　watch　over　you。　　However；　not　to　raise

suspicion；　the　soldiers　collected　for　that　fatal　night　dispersed　at

dawn；　and　will　not　gather　again　till　a　fresh　attempt　makes　their

presence　necessary。　　But；　alas！　to　renew　this　attempt　now；　when　your

Majesty's　gaolers　are　on　their　guard；　would　be　your　ruin。　　Let　them

take　every　precaution；　then；　madam；　let　them　sleep　in　security；　while

we；　we；　in　our　devotion；　shall　go　on　watching。



〃Patience　and　courage！〃



〃Brave　and　loyal　heart！〃　cried　Mary；　〃more　constantly　devoted　to

misfortune　than　others　are　to　prosperity！　　Yes；　I　shall　have　patience

and　courage；　and　so　long　as　that　light　shines　I　shall　still　believe

in　liberty。〃



This　letter　restored　to　the　queen　all　her　former　courage：　she　had

means　of　communication　with　George　through　Little　Douglas；　for　no

doubt　it　was　he　who　had　thrown　that　stone。　　She　hastened；　in　her

turn；　to　write　a　letter　to　George；　in　which　she　both　charged　him　to

express　her　gratitude　to　all　the　lords　who　had　signed　the

protestation；　and　begged　them；　in　the　name　of　the　fidelity　they　had

sworn　to　her；　not　to　cool　in　their　devotion；　promising　them；　for　her

part；　to　await　the　result　with　that　patience　and　courage　they　asked

of　her。



The　queen　was　not　mistaken：　next　day；　as　she　was　at　her　window；

Little　Douglas　came　to　play　at　the　foot　of　the　tower；　and；　without

raising　his　head；　stopped　just　beneath　her　to　dig　a　trap　to　catch

birds。　　The　queen　looked　to　see　if　she　were　observed；　and　assured

that　that　part　of　the　courtyard　was　deserted。　　she　let　fail　the　stone

wrapped　in　her　letter：　at　first　she　feared　to　have　made　a　serious

error；　for　Little　Douglas　did　not　even　turn　at　the　noise；　and　it　was

only　after　a　moment；　during　which　the　prisoner's　heart　was　torn　with

frightful　anxiety；　that　indifferently；　and　as　if　he　were　looking　for

something　else；　the　child　laid　his　hand　on　the　stone；　and　without

hurrying；　without　raising　his　head；　without　indeed　giving　any　sign　of

intelligence　to　her　who　had　thrown　it；　he　put　the　letter　in　his

pocket；　finishing　the　work　he　had　begun　with　the　greatest　calm；　and

showing　the　queen；　by　this　coolness　beyond　his　years；　what　reliance

she　could　place　in　him。



》From　that　moment　the　queen　regained　fresh　hope；　but　days；　weeks；

months　passed　without　bringing　any　change　in　her　situation：　winter

came；　the　prisoner　saw　snow　spread　over　the　plains　and　mountains；　and

the　lake　afforded　her；　if　she　had　only　been　able　to　pass　the　door；　a

firm　road　to　gain　the　other　bank；　but　no　letter　came　during　all　this

time　to　bring　her　the　consoling　news　that　they　were　busy　about　her

deliverance；　the　faithful　light　alone　announced　to　her　every　evening

that　a　friend　was　keeping　watch。



Soon　nature　awoke　from　her　death…sleep：　some　forward　sun…rays　broke

through　the　clouds　of　this　sombre　sky　of　Scotland；　the　snow　melted；

the　lake　broke　its　ice…crust；　the　first　buds　opened；　the　green　turf

reappeared；　everything　came　out　of　its　prison　at　the　joyous　approach

of　spring；　and　it　was　a　great　grief　to　Mary　to　see　that　she　alone　was

condemned　to　an　eternal　winter。



At　last；　one　evening；　she　thought　she　observed　in　the　motions　of　the

light　that　something　fresh　was　happening：　she　had　so　often　questioned

this　poor　flickering　star；　and　she　had　so　often　let　it　count　her

heart…beats　more　than　twenty　times；　that　to　spare　herself　the　pain　of

disappointment；　for　a　long　time　she　had　no　longer　interrogated　it；

however；　she　resolved　to　make　one　last　attempt；　and；　almost　hopeless；

she　put　her　light　near　the　window；　and　immediately　took　it　away；

still；　faithful　to　the　signal；　the　other　disappeared　at　the　same

moment；　and　reappeared　at　the　eleventh　heart…beat　of　the　queen。　　At

the　same　time；　by　a　strange　coincidence；　a　stone　passing　through　the

window　fell　at　Mary　Seyton's　feet。　　It　was；　like　the　first；　wrapped

in　a　letter　from　George：　the　queen　took　it　from　her　companion's

hands；　opened　it；　and　read：



〃The　moment　draws　near；　your　adherents　are　assembled；　summon　all　your

courage。〃



〃To…morrow；　at　eleven　o'clock　in　the　evening；　drop　a　cord　from　your

window；　and　draw　up　the　packet　that　will　be　fastened　to　it。〃



There　remained　in　the　queen's　apartments　the　rope　over　and　above　what

had　served　for　the　ladder　taken　away　by　the　guards　the　evening　of　the

frustrated　escape：　next　day；　at　the　appointed　hour；　the　two　prisoners

shut　up　the　lamp　in　the　bedroom；　so　that　no　light　should　betray　them；

and　Mary　Seyton；　approaching　the　window；　let　down　the　cord。　　After　a

minute；　she　felt　from　its　movements　that　something　was　being　attached

to　it。　　Mary　Seyton　pulled；　and　a　rather　bulky　parcel　appeared　at　the

bars；　which　it　could　not　pass　on　account　of　its　size。　　Then　the　queen

came　to　her　companion's　aid。　　The　parcel　was　untied；　and　its

contents；　separately；　got　through　easily。　　The　two　prisoners　carried

them　into　the　bedroom；　and；　barricaded　within；　commenced　an

inventory。　　There　were　two　complete　suits　of　men's　clothes　in　the

Douglas　livery。　　The　queen　was　at　a　loss；　when　she　saw　a　letter

fastened　to　the　collar　of　one　of　the　two　coats。　　Eager　to　know　the

meaning　of　this　enigma；　she　immediately　opened　it；　and　read　as

follows：



〃It　is　only　by　dint　of　audacity　that　her　Majesty　can　recover　her

liberty：　let　her　Majesty　read　this　letter；　then；　and　punctually

follow；　if　she　deign　to　adopt　them；　the　instructions　she　will　find

therein。



〃In　the　daytime　the　keys　of　the　castle　do　not　leave　the　belt　of　the

old　steward；　when　curfew　is　rung　and　he　has　made　his　rounds　to　make

sure　that　all　the　doors　are　fast　shut；　he　gives　them　up　to　William

Douglas；　who；　if　he　stays　up；　fastens　them　to　his　sword…belt；　or；　if

he　sleeps；　puts　them　under　his　pillow。　　For　five　months；　Little

Douglas；　whom　everyone　is　accustomed　to　see　working　at　the　armourer's

forge　of　the　castle；　has　been　employed　in　making　some　keys　like

enough　to　the　others；　once　they　are　substituted　for　them；　for　William

to　be　deceived。　　Yesterday　Little　Douglas　finished　the　last。



〃On　the　first　favourable　opportunity　that　her　Majesty　will　know　to　be

about　to　present　itself；　by　carefully　questioning　the　light　each　day；

Little　Douglas　will　exchange　the　false　keys　for　the　true；　will　enter

the　queen's　room；　and　will　find　her　dressed；　as　well　as　Miss　Mary

Seyton；　in　their　men's　clothing；　and　he　will　go　before　them　to　lead

them；　by　the　way　which　offers　the　best　chances　for　their　escape；　a

boat　will　be　prepared　and　will　await　them。



〃Till　then；　every　evening；　as　much　to　accustom　themselves　to　these

new　costumes　as　to　give　them　an　appearance　of　having　been　worn；　her

Majesty　and　Miss　Mary　Seyton　will　dress　themselves　in　the　suits；

which　they　must　keep　on　from　nine　o'clock　till　midnight。　　Besides；　it

is　possible　that；　without　having　had　time　to　warn　them；　their　young

guide　may　suddenly　come　to　seek　them：　it　is　urgent；　then；　that　he

find　them　ready。



〃The　garments　ought　to　fit　perfectly　her　Majesty　and　her　companion；

the　measure　having　been　taken　on　Miss　Mary　Fleming　and　Miss　Mary

Livingston；　who　are　exactly　their　size。



〃One　cannot　too　strongly　recommend　her　Majesty　to　summon　to　her　aid

on　the　supreme　occasion　the　coolness　and　courage　of　which　she　has

given　such　frequent　proofs　at　other　times。〃



The　two　prisoners　were　astounded　at　the　boldness　of　this　plan：　at

first　they　looked　at　one　another　in　consternation；　for　success　seemed

impossible。　　They　none　the　less　made　trial　of　their　disguise：　as

George　had　said；　it　fitted　each　of　them　as　if　they　had　been　measured

for　it。



Every　evening　the　queen　questioned　the　light；　as　George　had　urged；

and　that　for　a　whole　long　month；　during　which　each　evening　the　queen

and　Mary　Seyton；　although　the　light　gave　no　fresh　tidings；　arrayed

themselves　in　their　men's　clothes；　as　had　been　arranged；　so　that　they

both　acquired　such　practice　that　they　became　as　famili