mary stuart-第20节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



on　conditions　compatible　with　the　honour　of　her　Majesty；　the　welfare

of　the　kingdom；　and　even　with　the　safety　of　those　who　keep　her　in

prison；　provided　that　they　consent　to　give　her　up；　that　if　they

refuse；　we　declare　that　we　are　prepared　to　make　use　of　ourselves；　our

children；　our　friends；　our　servants；　our　vassals；　our　goods；　our

persons；　and　our　lives；　to　restore　her　to　liberty；　to　procure　the

safety　of　the　prince；　and　to　co…operate　in　punishing　the　late　king's

murderers。　　If　we　are　assailed　for　this　intent；　whether　as　a　body　or

in　private；　we　promise　to　defend　ourselves；　and　to　aid　one　another；

under　pain　of　infamy　and　perjury。　　So　may　God　help　us。



〃Given　with　our　own　hands　at　Dumbarton；



〃St。　　Andrews；　Argyll；　Huntly；　Arbroath；　Galloway；　Ross；　Fleming；

Herries；　Stirling；　Kilwinning；　Hamilton；　and　Saint…Clair；　Knight。〃





〃And　Seyton！〃　cried　Mary；　〃among　all　these　signatures；　I　do　not　see

that　of　my　faithful　Seyton。〃



Douglas；　still　kneeling；　drew　from　his　breast　a　second　paper；　and

presented　it　to　the　queen　with　the　same　marks　of　respect。　　It

contained　only　these　few　words：



〃Trust　George　Douglas；　for　your　Majesty　has　no　more　devoted　friend　in

the　entire　kingdom。



SEYTON。〃





Mary　lowered　her　eyes　to　Douglas　with　an　expression　which　was　hers

only；　then；　giving　him　her　hand　to　raise　him



〃Ah！〃　said　she；　with　a　sigh　more　of　joy　than　of　sadness；　〃now　I　see

that　God；　in　spite　of　my　faults；　has　not　yet　abandoned　me。　　But　how

is　it；　in　this　castle；　that　you；　a　Douglas。。。。　oh！　it　is　incredible！〃



〃Madam；〃　replied　George；　〃seven　years　have　passed　since　I　saw　you　in

France　for　the　first　time；　and　for　seven　years　I　have　loved　you〃。

Mary　moved；　but　Douglas　put　forth　his　hand　and　shook　his　head　with　an

air　of　such　profound　sadness；　that　she　understood　that　she　might　hear

what　the　young　man　had　to　say。　　He　continued：　〃Reassure　yourself；

madam；　I　should　never　have　made　this　confession　if；　while　explaining

my　conduct　to　you；　this　confession　would　not　have　given　you　greater

confidence　in　me。　　Yes；　for　seven　years　I　have　loved　you；　but　as　one

loves　a　star　that　one　can　never　reach；　a　madonna　to　whom　one　can　only

pray；　for　seven　years　I　have　followed　you　everywhere　without　you　ever

having　paid　attention　to　me；　without　my　saying　a　word　or　making　a

gesture　to　attract　your　notice。　　I　was　on　the　knight　of　Mevillon's

galley　when　you　crossed　to　Scotland；　I　was　among　the　regent's

soldiers　when　you　beat　Huntly；　I　was　in　the　escort　which　accompanied

you　when　you　went　to　see　the　sick　king　at　Glasgow；　I　reached

Edinburgh　an　hour　after　you　had　left　it　for　Lochleven；　and　then　it

seemed　to　me　that　my　mission　was　revealed　to　me　for　the　first　time；

and　that　this　love　for　which　till　then；　I　had　reproached　myself　as　a

crime；　was　on　the　contrary　a　favour　from　God。　　I　learned　that　the

lords　were　assembled　at　Dumbarton：　I　flew　thither。　　I　pledged　my

name；　I　pledged　my　honour；　I　pledged　my　life；　and　I　obtained　from

them；　thanks　to　the　facility　I　had　for　coming　into　this　fortress；　the

happiness　of　bringing　you　the　paper　they　have　just　signed。　　Now；

madam；　forget　all　I　have　told　you；　except　the　assurance　of　my

devotion　and　respect：　forget　that　I　am　near　you；　I　am　used　to　not

being　seen：　only；　if　you　have　need　of　my　life；　make　a　sign；　for　seven

years　my　life　has　been　yours。〃



〃Alas！〃　replied　Mary；　〃I　was　complaining　this　morning　of　no　longer

being　loved；　and　I　ought　to　complain；　on　the　contrary；　that　I　am

still　loved；　for　the　love　that　I　inspire　is　fatal　and　mortal。　　Look

back；　Douglas；　and　count　the　tombs　that；　young　as　I　am；　I　have

already　left　on　my　pathFrancis　II；　Chatelard；　Rizzio；　Darnley。。。。

Oh　to　attach　one's　self　to　my　fortunes　more　than　love　is　needed　now

heroism　and　devotion　are　requisite　so　much　the　more　that；　as　you　have

said；　Douglas；　it　is　love　without　any　possible　reward。　　Do　you

understand？〃



〃Oh；　madam；　madam；〃　answered　Douglas；　〃is　it　not　reward　beyond　my

deserts　to　see　you　daily；　to　cherish　the　hope　that　liberty　will　be

restored　to　you　through　me；　and　to　have　at　least；　if　I　do　not　give　it

you；　the　certainty　of　dying　in　your　sight？〃



〃Poor　young　man！〃　murmured　Mary；　her　eyes　raised　to　heaven；　as　if　she

were　reading　there　beforehand　the　fate　awaiting　her　new　defender。



〃Happy　Douglas；　on　the　contrary；〃　cried　George；　seizing　the　queen's

hand　and　kissing　it　with　perhaps　still　more　respect　than　love；　〃happy

Douglas！　for　in　obtaining　a　sigh　from　your　Majesty　he　has　already

obtained　more　than　he　hoped。〃



〃And　upon　what　have　you　decided　with　my　friends？〃　said　the　queen；

raising　Douglas；　who　till　then　had　remained　on　his　knees　before　her。



〃Nothing　yet；〃　George　replied；　〃for　we　scarcely　had　time　to　see　one

another。　　Your　escape；　impossible　without　me；　is　difficult　even　with

me；　　and　your　Majesty　has　seen　that　I　was　obliged　publicly　to　fail　in

respect；　to　obtain　from　my　mother　the　confidence　which　gives　me　the

good　fortune　of　seeing　you　to…day：　if　this　confidence　on　my　mother's

or　my　brother's　part　ever　extends　to　giving　up　to　me　the　castle　keys；

then　you　are　saved！　　Let　your　Majesty　not　be　surprised　at　anything；

then：　in　the　presence　of　others；　I　shall　ever　be　always　a　Douglas；

that　is　an　enemy；　and　except　your　life　be　in　danger；　madam；　I　shall

not　utter　a　word；　I　shall　not　make　a　gesture　which　might　betray　the

faith　that　I　have　sworn　you；　but；　on　your　side；　let　your　grace　know

well；　that　present　or　absent；　whether　I　am　silent　or　speak；　whether　I

act　or　remain　inert；　all　will　be　in　appearance　only；　save　my

devotion。　　Only；〃　continued　Douglas；　approaching　the　window　and

showing　to　the　queen　a　little　house　on　Kinross　hill；〃only；　look

every　evening　in　that　direction；　madam；　and　so　long　as　you　see　a

light　shine　there；　your　friends　will　be　keeping　watch　for　you；　and

you　need　not　lose　hope。〃



〃Thanks；　Douglas；　thanks；〃　said　the　queen；　〃it　does　one　good　to　meet

with　a　heart　like　yours　from　time　to　timeoh！　thanks。〃



〃And　now；　madam；〃　replied　the　young　man；　〃I　must　leave　your　Majesty；

to　remain　longer　with　you　would　be　to　raise　suspicions；　and　a　single

doubt　of　me；　think　of　it　well；　madam；　and　that　light　which　is　your

sole　beacon　is　extinguished；　and　all　returns　into　night。〃



With　these　words；　Douglas　bowed　more　respectfully　than　he　had　yet

done；　and　withdrew；　leaving　Mary　full　of　hope；　and　still　more　full　of

pride；　for　this　time　the　homage　that　she　had　just　received　was

certainly　for　the　woman　and　not　for　the　queen。



As　the　queen　had　told　him；　Mary　Seyton　was　informed　of　everything；

even　the　love　of　Douglas；　and；　the　two　women　impatiently　awaited　the

evening　to　see　if　the　promised　star　would　shine　on　the　horizon。

Their　hope　was　not　in　vain：　at　the　appointed　time　the　beacon　was　lit。

The　queen　trembled　with　joy；　for　it　was　the　confirmation　of　her

hopes；　and　her　companion　could　not　tear　her　from　the　window；　where

she　remained　with　her　gaze　fastened　on　the　little　house　in　Kinross。

At　last　she　yielded　to　Mary　Seyton's　prayers；　and　consented　to　go　to

bed；　but　twice　in　the　night　she　rose　noiselessly　to　go　to　the　window：

the　light　was　always　shining；　and　was　not　extinguished　till　dawn；

with　its　sisters　the　stars。



Next　day；　at　breakfast；　George　announced　to　the　queen　the　return　of

his　brother；　William　Douglas：　he　arrived　the　same　evening；　as　to

himself；　George；　he　had　to　leave　Lochleven　next　morning；　to　confer

with　the　nobles　who　had　signed　the　declaration；　and　who　had

immediately　separated　to　raise　troops　in　their　several　counties。　　The

queen　could　not　attempt　to　good　purpose　any　escape　but　at　a　time　when

she　would　be　sure　of　gathering　round　her　an　army　strong　enough　to

hold　the　country；　as　to　him；　Douglas；　one　was　so　used　to　his　silent

disappearances　and　to　his　unexpected　returns；　that　there　was　no

reason　to　fear　that　his　departure　would　inspire　any　suspicion。



All　passed　as　George　had　said：　in　the　evening　the　sound　of　a　bugle

announced　the　arrival　of　William　Douglas；　he　had　with　him　Lord

Ruthven；　the　son　of　him　who　had　assassinated　Rizzio；　and　who；　exiled

with　Morton　after　the　murder；　died　in　England　of　the　sickness　with

which　he　was　already　attacked　the　day　of　the　terrible　catastrophe　in

which　we　have　seen　him　take　such　a　large　share。　　He　preceded　by　one

day　Lord　Lindsay　of　Byres　and　Sir　Robert　Melville；　brother　of　Mary's

former　ambassador　to　Elizabeth：　all　three　were　charged　with　a　mission

from　the　regent　to　the　queen。



On　the　following　day　everything　fell　back　into　the　usual　routine；　and

William　Douglas　reassumed　his　duties　as　carver。　　Breakfast　passed

without　Mary's　having　learned　anything　of　George's　departure　or

Ruthven's　arrival。　　On　rising　from　the　table　she　went　to　her　window：

scarcely　was　she　there　than　she　heard　the　sound　of　a　horn　echoing　on

the　shores　of　the　lake；　and　saw　a　little　troop　of　horsemen　halt；

while　waiting　for　the　boat　to　came　and　take　those　who　were　going　to

the　castle。