mary stuart-第24节

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answer　be　ready　in　a　quarter　of　an　hour！〃



With　these　words；　the　two　noblemen　went　out；　leaving　Melville　with

the　queen；　and　one　could　count　their　footsteps；　from　the　noise　that

Lindsay's　great　sword　made；　in　resounding　on　each　step　of　the

staircase。



Scarcely　were　they　alone　than　Melville　threw　himself　at　the　queen's

feet。



〃Madam；〃　said　he；〃　you　remarked　just　now　that　Lord　Herries　and　my

brother　had　given　your　Majesty　advice　that　you　repented　not　having

followed；　well；　madam；　reflect　on　that　I　in　my　turn　give　you；　for　it

is　more　important　than　the　other；　for　you　will　regret　with　still　more

bitterness　not　having　listened　to　it。　　Ah！　you　do　not　know　what　may

happen；　you　are　ignorant　of　what　your　brother　is　capable。〃



〃It　seems　to　me；　however；〃　returned　the　queen；　〃that　he　has　just

instructed　me　on　that　head：　what　more　will　he　do　than　he　has　done

already？　　A　public　trial！　Oh！　it　is　all　I　ask：　let　me　only　plead　my

cause；　and　we　shall　see　what　judges　will　dare　to　condemn　me。〃



〃But　that　is　what　they　will　take　good　care　not　to　do；　madam；　for　they

would　be　mad　to　do　it　when　they　keep　you　here　in　this　isolated

castle；　in　the　care　of　your　enemies；　having　no　witness　but　God；　who

avenges　crime；　but　who　does　not　prevent　it。　　Recollect；　madam；　what

Machiavelli　has　said；　'A　king's　tomb　is　never　far　from　his　prison。'

You　come　of　a　family　in　which　one　dies　young；　madam；　and　almost

always　of　a　sudden　death：　two　of　your　ancestors　perished　by　steel；

and　one　by　poison。〃



〃Oh；　if　my　death　were　sudden　and　easy；〃　cried　Mary；　〃yes；　I　should

accept　it　as　an　expiation　for　my　faults；　for　if　I　am　proud　when　I

compare　myself　with　others；　Melville；　I　am　humble　when　I　judge

myself。　　I　am　unjustly　accused　of　being　an　accomplice　of　Darnley's

death；　but　I　am　justly　condemned　for　having　married　Bothwell。〃



〃Time　presses；　madam；　time　presses；〃　cried　Melville；　looking　at　the

sand；　which；　placed　on　the　table；　was　marking　the　time。　　〃They　are

coming　back；　they　will　be　here　in　a　minute；　and　this　time　you　must

give　them　an　answer。　　Listen；　madam；　and　at　least　profit　by　your

situation　as　much　as　you　can。　　You　are　alone　here　with　one　woman；

without　friends；　without　protection；　without　power：　an　abdication

signed　at　such　a　juncture　will　never　appear　to　your　people　to　have

been　freely　given；　but　will　always　pass　as　having　been　torn　from　you

by　force；　and　if　need　be；　madam；　if　the　day　comes　when　such　a　solemn

declaration　is　worth　something；　well；　then　you　will　have　two

witnesses　of　the　violence　done　you：　the　one　will　be　Mary　Seyton；　and

the　other；〃　he　added　in　a　low　voice　and　looking　uneasily　about　him；

〃the　other　will　be　Robert　Melville。〃



Hardly　had　he　finished　speaking　when　the　footsteps　of　the　two　nobles

were　again　heard　on　the　staircase；　returning　even　before　the　quarter

of　an　hour　had　elapsed；　a　moment　afterwards　the　door　opened；　and

Ruthven　appeared；　while　over　his　shoulder　was　seen　Lindsay's　head。



〃Madam；〃　said　Ruthven；　〃we　have　returned。　　Has　your　Grace　decided？

We　come　for　your　answer。〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Lindsay；　pushing　aside　Ruthven；　who　stood　in　his　way；　and

advancing　to　the　table；〃　yes；　an　answer；　clear；　precise；　positive；

and　without　dissimulation。〃



〃You　are　exacting；　my　lord；〃　said　the　queen：　〃you　would　scarcely　have

the　right　to　expect　that　from　me　if　I　were　in　full　liberty　on　the

other　side　of　the　lake　and　surrounded　with　a　faithful　escort；　but

between　these　walls；　behind　these　bars；　in　the　depths　of　this

fortress；　I　shall　not　tell　you　that　I　sign　voluntarily；　lest　you

should　not　believe　it。　　But　no　matter；　you　want　my　signature；　well；　I

am　going　to　give　it　to　you。　　Melville；　pass　me　the　pen。〃



〃But　I　hope；〃　said　Lord　Ruthven；　〃that　your　Grace　is　not　counting　on

using　your　present　position　one　day　in　argument　to　protest　against

what　you　are　going　to　do？〃



The　queen　had　already　stooped　to　write；　she　had　already　set　her　hand

to　the　paper；　when　Ruthven　spoke　to　her。　　But　scarcely　had　he　done

so；　than　she　rose　up　proudly；　and　letting　fall　the　pen；　〃My　lord；〃

said　she；　〃what　you　asked　of　me　just　now　was　but　an　abdication　pure

and　simple；　and　I　was　going　to　sign　it。　　But　if　to　this　abdication　is

joined　this　marginal　note；　then　I　renounce　of　my　own　accord；　and　as

judging　myself　unworthy；　the　throne　of　Scotland。　　I　would　not　do　it

for　the　three　united　crowns　that　I　have　been　robbed　of　in　turn。〃



〃Take　care；　madam；〃　cried　Lord　Lindsay；　seizing　the　queen's　wrist

with　his　steel　gauntlet　and　squeezing　it　with　all　his　angry　strength

take　care；　for　our　patience　is　at　an　end；　and　we　could　easily　end

by　breaking　what　would　not　bend。〃



The　queen　remained　standing；　and　although　a　violent　flush　had　passed

like　a　flame　over　her　countenance；　she　did　not　utter　a　word；　and　did

not　move：　her　eyes　only　were　fixed　with　such　a　great　expression　of

contempt　on　those　of　the　rough　baron；　that　he；　ashamed　of　the　passion

that　had　carried　him　away；　let　go　the　hand　he　had　seized　and　took　a

step　back。　　Then　raising　her　sleeve　and　showing　the　violet　marks　made

on　her　arm　by　Lord　Lindsay's　steel　gauntlet；



〃This　is　what　I　expected；　my　lords；〃　said　she；　〃and　nothing　prevents

me　any　longer　from　signing；　yes；　I　freely　abdicate　the　throne　and

crown　of　Scotland；　and　there　is　the　proof　that　my　will　has　not　been

forced。〃



With　these　words；　she　took　the　pen　and　rapidly　signed　the　two

documents；　held　them　out　to　Lord　Ruthven；　and　bowing　with　great

dignity；　withdrew　slowly　into　her　room；　accompanied　by　Mary　Seyton。

Ruthven　looked　after　her；　and　when　she　had　disappeared；　〃It　doesn't

matter；〃　he　said；　〃she　has　signed；　and　although　the　means　you

employed；　Lindsay；　may　be　obsolete　enough　in　diplomacy；　it　is　not　the

less　efficacious；　it　seems。〃



〃No　joking；　Ruthven；〃　said　Lindsay；　〃for　she　is　a　noble　creature；　and

if　I　had　dared；　I　should　have　thrown　myself　at　her　feet　to　ask　her

forgiveness。〃



〃There　is　still　time；〃　replied　Ruthven；　〃and　Mary；　in　her　present

situation；　will　not　be　severe　upon　you：　perhaps　she　has　resolved　to

appeal　to　the　judgment　of　God　to　prove　her　innocence；　and　in　that

case　a　champion　such　as　you　might　well　change　the　face　of　things。〃



〃Do　not　joke；　Ruthven；〃　Lindsay　answered　a　second　time；　with　more

violence　than　the　first；　〃for　if　I　were　as　well　convinced　of　her

innocence　as　I　am　of　her　crime；　I　tell　you　that　no　one　should　touch　a

hair　of　her　head；　not　even　the　regent。〃



〃The　devil！　my　lord；〃　said　Ruthven。　　〃I　did　not　know　you　were　so

sensitive　to　a　gentle　voice　and　a　tearful　eye；　you　know　the　story　of

Achilles'　lance；　which　healed　with　its　rust　the　wounds　it　made　with

its　edge：　do　likewise　my　lord；　do　likewise。〃



〃Enough；　Ruthven；　enough；〃　replied　Lindsay；　〃you　are　like　a　corselet

of　Milan　steel；　which　is　three　times　as　bright　as　the　steel　armour　of

Glasgow；　but　which　is　at　the　same　time　thrice　as　hard：　we　know　one

another；　Ruthven；　so　an　end　to　railleries　or　threats；　enough；　believe

me；　enough。〃



And　after　these　words；　Lord　Lindsay　went　out　first；　followed　by

Ruthven　and　Melville；　the　first　with　his　head　high　and　affecting　an

air　of　insolent　indifference；　and　the　second；　sad；　his　brow　bent；　and

not　even　trying　to　disguise　the　painful　impression　which　this　scene

had　made　on　him。'　＇〃History　of　Scotland；　by　Sir　Walter　Scott。'The

Abbott〃：　historical　part。＇









CHAPTER　VI



The　queen　came　out　of　her　room　only　in　the　evening；　to　take　her　place

at　the　window　which　looked　over　the　lake：　at　the　usual　time　she　saw

the　light　which　was　henceforth　her　sole　hope　shine　in　the　little

house　in　Kinross；　for　a　whole　long　month　she　had　no　other　consolation

than　seeing　it；　every　night；　fixed　and　faithful。



At　last；　at　the　end　of　this　time；　and　as　she　was　beginning　to　despair

of　seeing　George　Douglas　again；　one　morning；　on　opening　the　window；

she　uttered　a　cry。　　Mary　Seyton　ran　to　her；　and　the　queen；　without

having　strength　to　speak；　showed　her　in　the　middle　of　the　lake　the

tiny　boat　at　anchor；　and　in　the　boat　Little　Douglas　and　George；　who

were　absorbed　in　fishing；　their　favourite　amusement。　　The　young　man

had　arrived　the　day　before；　and　as　everyone　was　accustomed　to　his

unexpected　returns；　the　sentinel　had　not　even　blown　the　horn；　and　the

queen　had　not　known　that　at　last　a　friend　had　come。



However；　she　was　three　days　yet　without　seeing　this　friend　otherwise

than　she　had　just　done…that　is；　on　the　lake。　　It　is　true　that　from

morning　till　evening　he　did　not　leave　that　spot；　from　which　he　could

view　the　queen's　windows　and　the　queen　herself；　when；　to　gaze　at　a

wider　horizon；　she　leaned　her　face　against　the　bars。　　At　last；　on　the

morning　of　the　fourth　day；　the　queen　was　awakened　by　a　great　noise　of

dogs　and　horns：　she　immediately　ran　to　the　window；　for　to　a　prisoner

everything　is　an　event；　and　she　saw　William　Douglas；　who　was

embarking　with　a　pack　of　hounds　and　some　huntsmen。　　In　fact；　making　a

truce；　for　a　da