mary stuart-第8章

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glances；　that　the　cause　of　their　uneasiness　was　behind　her；　turned

round　and　saw　Darnley　leaning　on　the　back　of　her　chair。　　The　queen

shuddered；　for　although　her　husband　was　smiling　when　looking　at

Rizzio；　this　smile　lead　assumed　such　a　strange　expression　that　it　was

clear　that　something　terrible　was　about　to　happen。　　At　the　same

moment；　Mary　heard　in　the　next　room　a　heavy；　dragging　step　drew　near

the　cabinet；　then　the　tapestry　was　raised；　and　Lord　Ruthven；　in

armour　of　which　he　could　barely　support　the　weight；　pale　as　a　ghost；

appeared　on　the　threshold；　and；　drawing　his　sword　in　silence；　leaned

upon　it。



The　queen　thought　he　was　delirious。



〃What　do　you　want；　my　lord？〃　she　said　to　him；　〃and　why　do　you　come　to

the　palace　like　this？〃



〃Ask　the　king；　madam；〃　replied　Ruthven　in　an　indistinct　voice。　〃It　is

for　him　to　answer。〃



〃Explain；　my　lord；〃　Mary　demanded；　turning　again　towards　Darnley；

〃what　does　such　a　neglect　of　ordinary　propriety　mean？〃



〃It　means；　madam；〃　returned　Darnley；　pointing　to　Rizzio；　〃that　that

man　must　leave　here　this　very　minute。〃



〃That　man　is　mine；　my　lord；〃　Mary　said；　rising　proudly；　〃and

consequently　takes　orders　only　from　me。〃



〃To　me；　Douglas！〃　cried　Darnley。



At　these　words；　the　conspirators；　who　for　some　moments　had　drawn

nearer　Ruthven；　fearing；　so　changeable　was　Darnley's　character；　lest

he　had　brought　them　in　vain　and　would　not　dare　to　utter　the　signal

at　these　words；　the　conspirators　rushed　into　the　room　with　such

haste　that　they　overturned　the　table。　　Then　David　Rizzio；　seeing　that

it　was　he　alone　they　wanted；　threw　himself　on　his　knees　behind　the

queen；　seizing　the　hem　of　her　robe　and　crying　in　Italian；　〃Giustizia！

giustizia！〃　　Indeed；　the　queen；　true　to　her　character；　not　allowing

herself　to　be　intimidated　by　this　terrible　irruption；　placed　herself

in　front　of　Rizzio　and　sheltered　him　behind　her　Majesty。　　But　she

counted　too　much　on　the　respect　of　a　nobility　accustomed　to　struggle

hand　to　hand　with　its　kings　for　five　centuries。　　Andrew　Carew　held　a

dagger　to　her　breast　and　threatened　to　kill　her　if　she　insisted　on

defending　any　longer　him　whose　death　was　resolved　upon。　　Then

Darnley；　without　consideration　for　the　queen's　pregnancy；　seized　her

round　the　waist　and　bore　her　away　from　Rizzio；　who　remained　on　his

knees　pale　and　trembling；　while　Douglas's　bastard；　confirming　the

prediction　of　the　astrologer　who　had　warned　Rizzio　to　beware　of　a

certain　bastard；　drawing　the　king's　own　dagger；　plunged　it　into　the

breast　of　the　minister；　who　fell　wounded；　but　not　dead。　　Morton

immediately　took　him　by　the　feet　and　dragged　him　from　the　cabinet

into　the　larger　room；　leaving　on　the　floor　that　long　track　of　blood

which　is　still　shown　there；　then；　arrived　there；　each　rushed　upon　him

as　upon　a　quarry；　and　set　upon　the　corpse；　which　they　stabbed　in

fifty…six　places。　　Meanwhile　Darnley　held　the　queen；　who；　thinking

that　all　was　not　over；　did　not　cease　crying　for　mercy。　　But　Ruthven

came　back；　paler　than　at　first；　and　at　Darnley's　inquiry　if　Rizzio

were　dead；　he　nodded　in　the　affirmative；　then；　as　he　could　not　bear

further　fatigue　in　his　convalescent　state；　he　sat　down；　although　the

queen；　whom　Darnley　had　at　last　released；　remained　standing　on　the

same　spot。　　At　this　Mary　could　not　contain　herself。



〃My　lord；〃　cried　she；　〃who　has　given　you　permission　to　sit　down　in　my

presence；　and　whence　comes　such　insolence？〃



〃Madam；〃　Ruthven　answered；　〃I　act　thus　not　from　insolence；　but　from

weakness；　for；　to　serve　your　husband；　I　have　just　taken　more　exercise

than　my　doctors　allow〃。　　Then　turning　round　to　a　servant；　〃Give　me　a

glass　of　wine；〃　said　he；　showing　Darnley　his　bloody　dagger　before

putting　it　back　in　its　sheath；　〃for　here　is　the　proof　that　I　have

well　earned　it〃。　　The　servant　obeyed；　and　Ruthven　drained　his　glass

with　as　much　calmness　as　if　he　had　just　performed　the　most　innocent

act。



〃My　lord；〃　the　queen　then　said；　taking　a　step　towards　him；　〃it　may　be

that　as　I　am　a　woman；　in　spite　of　my　desire　and　my　will；　I　never　find

an　opportunity　to　repay　you　what　you　are　doing　to　me；　　but；〃　she

added；　energetically　striking　her　womb　with　her　hand；　〃he　whom　I　bear

there；　and　whose　life　you　should　have　respected；　since　you　respect　my

Majesty　so　little；　will　one　day　revenge　me　for　all　these　insults〃。


Then；　with　a　gesture　at　once　superb　and　threatening；　she　withdrew　by

Darnley's　door；　which　she　closed　behind　her。



At　that　moment　a　great　noise　was　heard　in　the　queen's　room。　　Huntly；

Athol；　and　Bothwell；　who；　we　are　soon　about　to　see；　play　such　an

important　part　in　the　sequel　of　this　history；　were　supping　together

in　another　hall　of　the　palace；　when　suddenly　they　had　heard　outcries

and　the　clash　of　arms；　so　that　they　had　run　with　all　speed。　　When

Athol；　who　came　first；　without　knowing　whose　it　was；　struck　against

the　dead　body　of　Rizzio；　which　was　stretched　at　the　top　of　the

staircase；　they　believed；　seeing　someone　assassinated；　that　the　lives

of　the　king　and　queen　were　threatened；　and　they　had　drawn　their

swords　to　force　the　door　that　Morton　was　guarding。　　But　directly

Darnley　understood　what　was　going　on；　he　darted　from　the　cabinet；

followed　by　Ruthven；　and　showing　himself　to　the　newcomers



〃My　lords；〃　he　said；　〃the　persons　of　the　queen　and　myself　are　safe；

and　nothing　has　occurred　here　but　by　our　orders。　　Withdraw；　then；　you

will　know　more　about　it　in　time。　　As　to　him；〃　he　added；　holding　up

Rizzio's　head　by　the　hair；　whilst　the　bastard　of　Douglas　lit　up　the

face　with　a　torch　so　that　it　could　be　recognised；　〃you　see　who　it　is；

and　whether　it　is　worth　your　while　to　get　into　trouble　for　him〃。



And　in　fact；　as　soon　as　Huntly；　Athol；　and　Bothwell　had　recognised

the　musician…minister；　they　sheathed　their　swords；　and；　having

saluted　the　king；　went　away。



Mary　had　gone　away　with　a　single　thought　in　her　heart；　vengeance。

But　she　understood　that　she　could　not　revenge　herself　at　one　and　the

same　time　on　her　husband　and　his　companions：　she　set　to　work；　then；

with　all　the　charms　of　her　wit　and　beauty　to　detach　the　kind　from　his

accomplices。　　It　was　not　a　difficult　task：　when　that　brutal　rage

which　often　carried　Darnley　beyond　all　bounds　was　spent；　he　was

frightened　himself　at　the　crime　he　had　committed；　and　while　the

assassins；　assembled　by　Murray；　were　resolving　that　he　should　have

that　greatly　desired　crown　matrimonial；　Darnley；　as　fickle　as　he　was

violent；　and　as　cowardly　as　he　was　cruel；　in　Mary's　very　room；　before

the　scarcely　dried　blood；　made　another　compact；　in　which　he　engaged

to　deliver　up　his　accomplices。　　Indeed；　three　days　after　the　event

that　we　have　just　related；　the　murderers　learned　a　strange　piece　of

newsthat　Darnley　and　Mary；　accompanied　by　Lord　Seyton；　had　escaped

together　from　Holyrood　Palace。　　Three　days　later　still；　a

proclamation　appeared；　signed　by　Mary　and　dated　from　Dunbar；　which

summoned　round　the　queen；　in　her　own　name　and　the　king's；　all　the

Scottish　lords　and　barons；　including　those　who　had　been　compromised

in　the　affair　of　the　〃run　in　every　sense；〃　to　whom　she　not　only

granted　full　and　complete　pardon；　but　also　restored　her　entire

confidence。　　In　this　way　she　separated　Murray's　cause　from　that　of

Morton　and　the　other　assassins；　who；　in　their　turn；　seeing　that　there

was　no　longer　any　safety　for　them　in　Scotland；　fled　to　England；　where

all　the　queen's　enemies　were　always　certain　to　find　a　warm　welcome；

in　spite　of　the　good　relations　which　reigned　in　appearance　between

Mary　and　Elizabeth。　　As　to　Bothwell；　who　had　wanted　to　oppose　the

assassination；　he　was　appointed　Warden　of　all　the　Marches　of　the

Kingdom。



Unfortunately　for　her　honour；　Mary；　always　more　the　woman　than　the

queen；　while；　on　the　contrary；　Elizabeth　was　always　more　the　queen

than　the　woman；　had　no　sooner　regained　her　power　than　her　first　royal

act　was　to　exhume　Rizzio；　who　had　been　quietly　buried　on　the

threshold　of　the　chapel　nearest　Holy