mary stuart-第11节

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Thus；　as　one　sees；　and　always　supposing　these　letters　to　be　genuine；

Mary　had　conceived　for　Bothwell　one　of　those　mad　passions；　so　much

the　stronger　in　the　women　who　are　a　prey　to　them；　that　one　the　less

understands　what　could　have　inspired　them。　　Bothwell　was　no　longer

young；　Bothwell　was　not　handsome；　and　yet　Mary　sacrificed　for　him　a

young　husband；　who　was　considered　one　of　the　handsomest　men　of　his

century。　　It　was　like　a　kind　of　enchantment。　　Darnley；　the　sole

obstacle　to　the　union；　had　been　already　condemned　for　a　long　time；　if

not　by　Mary；　at　least　by　Bothwell；　then；　as　his　strong　constitution

had　conquered　the　poison；　another　kind　of　death　was　sought　for。



The　queen；　as　she　announces　in　her　letter　to　Bothwel1；　had　refused　to

bring　back　Darnley　with　her；　and　had　returned　alone　to　Edinburgh。

Arrived　there；　she　gave　orders　for　the　king　to　be　moved；　in　his　turn；

in　a　litter；　but　instead　of　taking　him　to　Stirling　or　Holyrood；　she

decided　to　lodge　him　in　the　abbey　of　the　Kirk　of　Field。　　The　king

made　some　objections　when　he　knew　of　this　arrangement；　however；　as　he

had　no　power　to　oppose　it；　he　contented　himself　with　complaining　of

the　solitude　of　the　dwelling　assigned　him；　but　the　queen　made　answer

that　she　could　not　receive　him　at　that　moment；　either　at　Holyrood　or

at　Stirling；　for　fear；　if　his　illness　were　infectious；　lest　he　might

give　it　to　his　son：　Darnley　was　then　obliged　to　make　the　best　of　the

abode　allotted　him。



It　was　an　isolated　abbey；　and　little　calculated　by　its　position　to

dissipate　the　fears　that　the　king　entertained；　for　it　was　situated

between　two　ruined　churches　and　two　cemeteries：　the　only　house；　which

was　distant　about　a　shot　from　a　cross…bow；　belonged　to　the　Hamiltons；

and　as　they　were　Darnley's　mortal　enemies　the　neighbourhood　was　none

the　more　reassuring：　further；　towards　the　north；　rose　some　wretched

huts；　called　the　〃Thieves'　cross…roads〃。　　In　going　round　his　new

residence；　Darnley　noticed　that　three　holes；　each　large　enough　for　a

man　to　get　through；　had　been　made　in　the　walls；　he　asked　that　these

holes；　through　which　ill…meaning　persons　could　get　in；　should　be

stopped　up：　it　was　promised　that　masons　should　be　sent；　but　nothing

was　done；　and　the　holes　remained　open。



The　day　after　his　arrival　at　Kirk　of　Field；　the　king　saw　a　light　in

that　house　near　his　which　lie　believed　deserted；　next　day　he　asked

Alexander　Durham　whence　it　came；　and　he　heard　that　the　Archbishop　of

St。　Andrew's　had　left　his　palace　in　Edinburgh　and　had　housed　there

since　the　preceding　evening；　one　didn't　know　why：　this　news　still

further　increased　the　king's　uneasiness；　the　Archbishop　of　St。

Andrew's　was　one　of　his　most　declared　enemies。



The　king；　little　by　little　abandoned　by　all　his　servants　lived　on　the

first　floor　of　an　isolated　pavilion；　having　about　him　only　this　same


Alexander　Durham；　whom　we　have　mentioned　already；　and　who　was　his

valet。　　Darnley；　who　had　quite　a　special　friendship　for　him；　and　who

besides；　as　we　have　said；　feared　some　attack　on　his　life　at　every

moment；　had　made　him　move　his　bed　into　his　own　apartment；　so　that

both　were　sleeping　in　the　same　room。



On　the　night　of　the　8th　February；　Darnley　awoke　Durham：　he　thought　he

heard　footsteps　in　the　apartment　beneath　him。　　Durham　rose；　took　a

sword　in　one　hand；　a　taper　in　the　other；　and　went　down　to　the　ground

floor；　but　although　Darnley　was　quite　certain　he　had　not　been

deceived；　Durham　came　up　again　a　moment　after；　saying　he　had　seen　no

one。



The　morning　of　the　next　day　passed　without　bringing　anything　fresh。

The　queen　was　marrying　one　of　her　servants　named　Sebastian：　he　was　an

Auvergnat　whom　she　had　brought　with　her　from　France；　and　whom　she

liked　very　much。　　However；　as　the　king　sent　word　that　he　had　not　seen

her　for　two　days；　she　left　the　wedding　towards　six　o'clock　in　the

evening；　and　came　to　pay　him　a　visit；　accompanied　by　the　Countess　of

Argyll　and　the　Countess　of　Huntly。　　While　she　was　there；　Durham；　in

preparing　his　bed；　set　fire　to　his　palliasse；　which　was　burned　as

well　as　a　part　of　the　mattress；　so　that；　having　thrown　them　out　of

the　window　all　in　flames；　for　fear　lest　the　fire　should　reach　the

rest　of　the　furniture；　he　found　himself　without　a　bed；　and　asked

permission　to　return　to　the　town　to　sleep；　but　Darnley；　who

remembered　his　terror　the　night　before；　and　who　was　surprised　at　the

promptness　that　had　made　Durham　throw　all　his　bedding　out　of　the

window；　begged　him　not　to　go　away；　offering　him　one　of　his

mattresses；　or　even　to　take　him　into　his　own　bed。　　However；　in　spite

of　this　offer；　Durham　insisted；　saying　that　he　felt　unwell；　and　that

he　should　like　to　see　a　doctor　the　same　evening。　　So　the　queen

interceded　for　Durham；　and　promised　Darnley　to　send　him　another　valet

to　spend　the　night　with　him：　Darnley　was　then　obliged　to　yield；　and；

making　Mary　repeat　that　she　would　send　him　someone；　he　gave　Durham

leave　for　that　evening。　　At　that　moment　Paris；　of　whom　the　queen

speaks　in　her　letters；　came　in：　he　was　a　young　Frenchman　who　had　been

in　Scotland　for　some　years；　and　who；　after　having　served　with

Bothwell　and　Seyton；　was　at　present　with　the　queen。　　Seeing　him；　she

got　up；　and　as　Darnley　still　wished　to　keep　her



〃Indeed；　my　lord；　it　is　impossible；〃　said　she；　〃to　come　and　see　you。

I　have　left　this　poor　Sebastian's　wedding；　and　I　must　return　to　it；

for　I　promised　to　came　masked　to　his　ball。〃



The　king　dared　not　insist；　he　only　reminded　her　of　the　promise　that

she　had　made　to　send　him　a　servant：　Mary　renewed　it　yet　once　again；

and　went　away　with　her　attendants。　　As　for　Durham；　he　had　set　out　the

moment　he　received　permission。



It　was　nine　o'clock　in　the　evening。　　Darnley；　left　alone；　carefully

shut　the　doors　within；　and　retired　to　rest；　though　in　readiness　to

rise　to　let　in　the　servant　who　should　come　to　spend　the　night　with

him。　　Scarcely　was　he　in　bed　than　the　same　noise　that　he　had　heard

the　night　before　recommenced；　this　time　Darnley　listened　with　all　the

attention　fear　gives；　and　soon　he　had　no　longer　any　doubt　but　that

several　men　were　walking　about　beneath　him。　　It　was　useless　to　call；

it　was　dangerous　to　go　out；　to　wait　was　the　only　course　that　remained

to　the　king。　　He　made　sure　again　that　the　doors　were　well　fastened；

put　his　sword　under　his　pillow；　extinguished　his　lamp　for　fear　the

light　might　betray　him；　and　awaited　in　silence　for　his　servant's

arrival；　but　the　hours　passed　away；　and　the　servant　did　not　come。

At　one　o'clock　in　the　morning；　Bothwell；　after　having　talked　some

while　with　the　queen；　in　the　presence　of　the　captain　of　the　guard；

returned　home　to　change　his　dress；　after　some　minutes；　he　came　out

wrapped　up　in　the　large　cloak　of　a　German　hussar；　went　through　the

guard…house；　and　had　the　castle　gate　opened。　　Once　outside；　he　took

his　way　with　all　speed　to　Kirk　of　Field；　which　he　entered　by　the

opening　in　the　wall：　scarcely　had　he　made　a　step　in　the　garden　than

he　met　James　Balfour；　governor　of　the　castle。



〃Well；〃　he　said　to　him；　〃how　far　have　we　got？



〃Everything　is　ready；〃　replied　Balfour；　〃and　we　were　waiting　for　you

to　set　fire　to　the　fuse〃。　　〃That　is　well；〃　Bothwell　answered〃but

first　I　want　to　make　sure　that　he　is　in　his　room。〃



At　these　words；　Bothwell　opened　the　pavilion　door　with　a　false　key；

and；　having　groped　his　way　up　the　stairs；　he　went　to　listen　at

Darnley's　door。　　Darnley；　hearing　no　further　noise；　had　ended　by

going　to　sleep；　but　he　slept　with　a　jerky　breathing　which　pointed　to

his　agitation。　　Little　mattered　it　to　Bothwell　what　kind　of　sleep　it

was；　provided　that　he　was　really　in　his　room。　　He　went　down　again　in

silence；　then；　as　he　had　come　up；　and　taking　a　lantern　from　one　of

the　conspirators；　he　went　himself　into　the　lower　room　to　see　if

everything　was　in　order：　this　room　was　full　of　barrels　of　powder；　and

a　fuse　ready　prepared　wanted　but　a　spark　to　set　the　whole　on　fire。

Bothwell　withdrew；　then；　to　the　end　of　the　garden　with　Balfour；

David；　Chambers；　and　three　or　four　others；　leaving　one　man　to　ignite

the　fuse。　　In　a　moment　this　man　rejoined　them。



There　ensued　some　minutes　of　anxiety；　during　which　the　five　men

looked　at　one　another　in　silence　and　as　if　afraid　of　themselves；

then；　seeing　that　nothing　exploded；　Bothwell　impatiently　turned　round

to　the　engineer；　reproaching　him　for　having；　no　doubt　through　fear；

done　his　work　badly。　　He　assured　his　master　that　he　was　certain

everything　was　all　right；　and　as　Bothwell；　impatient；　wanted　to

return　to　the　house　himself；　to　make　sure；　he　offered　to　go　back　and

see　how　things　stood。　　In　fact；　he　went　back　to　the　pavilion；　and；

putting　his　head　through　a　kind　of　air…hole；　he　saw　the　fuse；　which

was　still　burning。　　Some　seconds　afterwards；　Bothwell　saw　him　come

running　back；　making　a　sign　that　all　was　going　well；　at　the　same

moment　a　frightful　report　was　heard；　the　pavilion　was　blown　to

pieces；　the　town　and　the　firth　were　lit　up　with