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tell　you　on　the　part　of　the　Secret　Council。〃



〃The　Secret　Council！〃　said　the　queen。　　〃Instituted　by　me；　by　what

right　does　it　act　without　me？　　No　matter；　I　am　waiting　for　this

message：　I　suppose　it　is　a　petition　to　implore　my　mercy　for　the　men

who　have　dared　to　reach　to　a　power　that　I　hold　only　from　God。〃



〃Madam；〃　replied　Ruthven；　who　appeared　to　have　undertaken　the　painful

role　of　spokesman；　while　Lindsay；　mute　and　impatient；　fidgeted　with

the　hilt　of　his　long　sword；　〃it　is　distressing　to　me　to　have　to

undeceive　you　on　this　point：　it　is　not　your　mercy　that　I　come　to　ask；

it　is；　on　the　contrary；　the　pardon　of　the　Secret　Council　that　I　come

to　offer　you。〃



〃To　me；　my　lord；　to　me！〃　cried　Mary：　〃subjects　offer　pardon　to　their

queen！　Oh！　it　is　such　a　new　and　wonderful　thing；　that　my　amazement

outweighs　my　indignation；　and　that　I　beg　you　to　continue；　instead　of

stopping　you　there；　as　perhaps　I　ought　to　do。〃



〃And　I　obey　you　so　much　the　more　willingly；　madam；〃　went　on　Ruthven

imperturbably；　〃that　this　pardon　is　only　granted　on　certain

conditions；　stated　in　these　documents；　destined　to　re…establish　the

tranquillity　of　the　State；　so　cruelly　compromised　by　the　errors　that

they　are　going　to　repair。〃



〃And　shall　I　be　permitted；　my　lord；　to　read　these　documents；　or　must

I；　allured　by　my　confidence　in　those　who　present　them　to　me；　sign

them　with　my　eyes　shut？〃



〃No；　madam；〃　Ruthven　returned；　〃the　Secret　Council　desire；　on　the

contrary；　that　you　acquaint　yourself　with　them；　for　you　must　sign

them　freely。〃



〃Read　me　these　documents；　my　lord；　for　such　a　reading　is；　I　think；

included　in　the　strange　duties　you　have　accepted。〃



Lord　Ruthven　took　one　of　the　two　papers　that　he　had　in　his　hand；　and

read　with　the　impassiveness　of　his　usual　voice　the　following：



〃Summoned　from　my　tenderest　youth　to　the　government　of　the　kingdom

and　to　the　crown　of　Scotland；　I　have　carefully　attended　to　the

administration；　but　I　have　experienced　so　much　fatigue　and　trouble

that　I　no　longer　find　my　mind　free　enough　nor　my　strength　great

enough　to　support　the　burden　of　affairs　of　State：　accordingly；　and　as

Divine　favour　has　granted　us　a　son　whom　we　desire　to　see　during　our

lifetime　bear　the　crown　which　he　has　acquired　by　right　of　birth；　we

have　resolved　to　abdicate；　and　we　abdicate　in　his　favour；　by　these

presents；　freely　and　voluntarily；　all　our　rights　to　the　crown　and　to

the　government　of　Scotland；　desiring　that　he　may　immediately　ascend

the　throne；　as　if　he　were　called　to　it　by　our　natural　death；　and　not

as　the　effect　of　our　own　will；　and　that　our　present　abdication　may

have　a　more　complete　and　solemn　effect；　and　that　no　one　should　put

forward　the　claim　of　ignorance；　we　give　full　powers　to　our　trusty　and

faithful　cousins；　the　lords　Lindsay　of　Byres　and　William　Ruthven；　to

appear　in　our　name　before　the　nobility；　the　clergy；　and　the　burgesses

of　Scotland；　of　whom　they　will　convoke　an　assembly　at　Stirling；　and

to　there　renounce；　publicly　and　solemnly；　on　our　part；　all　our　claims

to　the　crown　and　to　the　government　of　Scotland。



〃Signed　freely　and　as　the　testimony　of　one　of　our　last　royal　wishes；

in　our　castle　of　Lochleven；　the　___　June　1567〃。　　（The　date　was　left

blank。）



There　was　a　moment's　silence　after　this　reading；　then



〃Did　you　hear；　madam？〃　asked　Ruthven。



〃Yes；〃　replied　Mary　Stuart；〃　yes；　I　have　heard　rebellious　words

that　I　have　not　understood；　and　I　thought　that　my　ears；　that　one　has

tried　to　accustom　for　some　time　to　a　strange　language；　still　deceived

me；　and　that　I　have　thought　for　your　honour；　my　lord　William　Ruthven；

and　my　lord　Lindsay　of　Byres。〃



〃Madam；〃　answered　Lindsay；　out　of　patience　at　having　kept　silence　so

long；　〃our　honour　has　nothing　to　do　with　the　opinion　of　a　woman　who

has　so　ill　known　how　to　watch　over　her　own。〃



〃My　lord！〃　said　Melville；　risking　a　word。



〃Let　him　speak；　Robert；〃　returned　the　queen。　　〃We　have　in　our

conscience　armour　as　well　tempered　as　that　with　which　Lord　Lindsay　is

so　prudently　covered；　although；　to　the　shame　of　justice；　we　no　longer

have　a　sword。　　Continue；　my　lord；〃　the　queen　went　on；　turning　to　Lord

Ruthven　：　〃is　this　all　that　my　subjects　require　of　me？　　A　date　and　a

signature？　　Ah！　doubtless　it　is　too　little；　and　this　second　paper；

which　you　have　kept　in　order　to　proceed　by　degrees；　probably　contains

some　demand　more　difficult　to　grant　than　that　of　yielding　to　a　child

scarcely　a　year　old　a　crown　which　belongs　to　me　by　birthright；　and　to

abandon　my　sceptre　to　take　a　distaff。〃



〃This　other　paper；〃　replied　Ruthven；　without　letting　himself　be

intimidated　by　the　tone　of　bitter　irony　adopted　by　the　queen；　〃is　the

deed　by　which　your　Grace　confirms　the　decision　of　the　Secret　Council

which　has　named　your　beloved　brother；　the　Earl　of　Murray；　regent　of

the　kingdom。〃



〃Indeed！〃　said　Mary。　　〃The　Secret　Council　thinks　it　needs　my

confirmation　to　an　act　of　such　slight　importance？　　And　my　beloved

brother；　to　bear　it　without　remorse；　needs　that　it　should　be　I　who

add　a　fresh　title　to　those　of　Earl　of　Mar　and　of　Murray　that　I　have

already　bestowed　upon　him？　　But　one　cannot　desire　anything　more

respectful　and　touching　than　all　this；　and　I　should　be　very　wrong　to

complain。　　My　lords；〃　continued　the　queen；　rising　and　changing　her

tone；　〃return　to　those　who　have　sent　you；　and　tell　them　that　to　such

demands　Mary　Stuart　has　no　answer　to　give。〃



〃Take　care；　madam；〃　responded　Ruthven；　〃for　I　have　told　you　it　is

only　on　these　conditions　that　your　pardon　can　be　granted　you。〃



〃And　if　I　refuse　this　generous　pardon；〃　asked　Mary；　〃what　will

happen？〃



〃I　cannot　pronounce　beforehand；　madam；　but　your　Grace　has　enough

knowledge　of　the　laws；　and　above　all　of　the　history　of　Scotland　and

England；　to　know　that　murder　and　adultery　are　crimes　for　which　more

than　one　queen　has　been　punished　with　death。〃



〃And　upon　what　proofs　could　such　a　charge　be　founded；　my　lord？

Pardon　my　persistence；　which　takes　up　your　precious　time；　but　I　am

sufficiently　interested　in　the　matter　to　be　permitted　such　a

question。〃



〃The　proof；　madam？〃　returned　Ruthven。　　〃There　is　but　one；　I　know；　but

that　one　is　unexceptionable：　it　is　the　precipitate　marriage　of　the

widow　of　the　assassinated　with　the　chief　assassin；　and　the　letters

which　have　been　handed　over　to　us　by　James　Balfour；　which　prove　that

the　guilty　persons　had　united　their　adulterous　hearts　before　it　was

permitted　them　to　unite　their　bloody　hands。〃



〃My　lord；〃　cried　the　queen；　〃do　you　forget　a　certain　repast　given　in

an　Edinburgh　tavern；　by　this　same　Bothwell；　to　those　same　noblemen

who　treat　him　to…day　as　an　adulterer　and　a　murderer；　do　you　forget

that　at　the　end　of　that　meal；　and　on　the　same　table　at　which　it　had

been　given；　a　paper　was　signed　to　invite　that　same　woman；　to　whom　to…

day　you　make　the　haste　of　her　new　wedding　a　crime；　to　leave　off　a

widow's　mourning　to　reassume　a　marriage　robe？　for　if　you　have

forgotten　it；　my　lords；　which　would　do　no　more　honour　to　your

sobriety　than　to　your　memory；　I　undertake　to　show　it　to　you；　I　who

have　preserved　it；　and　perhaps　if　we　search　well　we　shall　find　among

the　signatures　the　names　of　Lindsay　of　Byres　and　William　Ruthven。

O　noble　Lord　Herries；〃　cried　Mary；　〃loyal　James　Melville；　you　alone

were　right　then；　when　you　threw　yourselves　at　my　feet；　entreating　me

not　to　conclude　this　marriage；　which；　I　see　it　clearly　to…day；　was

only　a　trap　set　for　an　ignorant　woman　by　perfidious　advisers　or

disloyal　lords。〃



〃Madam；〃　cried　Ruthven；　in　spite　of　his　cold　impassivity　beginning　to

lose　command　of　himself；　while　Lindsay　was　giving　still　more　noisy

and　less　equivocal　signs　of　impatience；　〃madam；　all　these　discussions

are　beside　our　aim：　I　beg　you　to　return　to　it；　then；　and　inform　us

if；　your　life　and　honour　guaranteed；　you　consent　to　abdicate　the

crown　of　Scotland。〃



〃And　what　safeguard　should　I　have　that　the　promises　you　here　make　me

will　be　kept？〃



〃Our　word；　madam；〃　proudly　replied　Ruthven。



〃Your　word；　my　lord；　is　a　very　feeble　pledge　to　offer；　when　one　so

quickly　forgets　one's　signature：　have　you　not　some　trifle　to　add　to

it；　to　make　me　a　little　easier　than　I　should　be　with　it　alone？〃



〃Enough；　Ruthven；　enough；〃　cried　Lindsay。　　〃Do　you　not　see　that　for

an　hour　this　woman　answers　our　proposals　only　by　insults？〃



〃Yes；　let　us　go；〃　said　Ruthven；　〃and　thank　yourself　only；　madam；　for

the　day　when　the　thread　breaks　which　holds　the　sword　suspended　over

your　head。〃



〃My　lords；〃　cried　Melville；　〃my　lords；　in　Heaven's　name；　a　little

patience；　and　forgive　something　to　her　who；　accustomed　to　command；　is

today　forced　to　obey。〃



〃Very　well；〃　said　Lindsay；　turning　round；　〃stay　with　her；　then；　and

try　to　obtain　by　your　smooth　words　what　is　refused　to　our　frank　and

loyal　demand。　　In　a　quarter　of　an　hour　we　shall　return：　let　the

answer　be　ready　in　a　quarter　of　an　hour！〃



With　these　words；　t