mary stuart-第27节

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for　you。〃



〃Well；　die；　then！〃　cried　William　Douglas；　springing　on　his　brother

with　raised　sword；　while　he；　leaping　back；　drew　his；　and　with　a

movement　quick　as　thought　and　eager　as　hatred　defended　himself。　　But

at　the　same　moment　Mary　Stuart　darted　between　the　two　young　people。



〃Not　another　step；　Lord　Douglas；〃　said　she。　　〃Sheathe　your　sword；

George；　or　if　you　use　it；　let　be　to　go　hence；　and　against　everyone

but　your　b　other。　　I　still　have　need　of　your　life；　take　care　of　it。〃



〃My　life；　like　my　arm　and　my　honour；　is　at　your　service；　madam；　and

from　the　moment　you　command　it　I　shall　preserve　it　for　you。〃



With　these　words；　rushing　to　the　door　with　a　violence　and　resolve

which　prevented　anyone's　stopping　him



〃Back！〃　cried　he　to　the　domestics　who　were　barring　the　passage；　〃make

way　for　the　young　master　of　Douglas；　or　woe　to　you！〃。



〃Stop　him！〃　cried　William。　　〃Seize　him；　dead　or　alive！　Fire　upon　him！

Kill　him　like　a　dog！〃



Two　or　three　soldiers；　not　daring　to　disobey　William；　pretended　to

pursue　his　brother。　　Then　some　gunshots　were　heard；　and　a　voice

crying　that　George　Douglas　had　just　thrown　himself　into　the　lake。



〃And　has　he　then　escaped？〃　cried　William。



Mary　Stuart　breathed　again　；　the　old　lady　raised　her　hands　to　Heaven。



〃Yes；　yes；〃　murmured　William；〃yes；　thank　Heaven　for　your　son's

flight；　for　his　flight　covers　our　entire　house　with　shame；　counting

from　this　hour；　we　shall　be　looked　upon　as　the　accomplices　of　his

treason。〃



〃Have　pity　on　me；　William！〃　cried　Lady　Lochleven；　wringing　her　hands。

〃Have　compassion　o　your　old　mother！　See　you　not　that　I　am　dying？〃



With　these　words；　she　fell　backwards；　pale　and　tottering；　the　steward

and　a　servant　supported　er　in　their　arms。



〃I　believe；　my　lord；〃　said　Mary　Seyton；　coming　forward；　〃that　your

mother　has　as　much　need　of　attention　just　now　as　the　queen　has　need

of　repose：　do　you　not　consider　it　is　time　for　you　to　withdraw？〃



〃Yes；　yes；〃　said　William；　〃to　give　you　time　to　spin　fresh　webs；　I

suppose；　and　to　seek　what　fresh　flies　you　can　take　in　them？　　It　is

well；　go　on　with　your　work；　but　you　have　just　seen　that　it　is　not

easy　to　deceive　William　Douglas。　　Play　your　game；　I　shall　play　mine〃。

Then　turning　to　the　servants；　〃Go　out；　all　of　you；〃　said　he；　〃and

you；　mother；　come。〃



The　servants　and　the　soldiers　obeyed；　then　William　Douglas　went　out

last；　supporting　Lady　Lochleven；　and　the　queen　heard　him　shut　behind

him　and　double…lock　the　two　doors　of　her　prison。



Scarcely　was　Mary　alone；　and　certain　that　she　was　no　longer　seen　or

heard；　than　all　her　strength　deserted　her；　and；　sinking　into　an　arm…

chair；　she　burst　out　sobbing。



Indeed；　all　her　courage　had　been　needed　to　sustain　her　so　far；　and

the　sight　of　her　enemies　alone　had　given　her　this　courage；　but　hardly

had　they　gone　than　her　situation　appeared　before　her　in　all　its　fatal

hardship。　　Dethroned；　a　prisoner；　without　another　fiend　in　this

impregnable　castle　than　a　child　to　whom　she　had　scarce　given

attention；　and　who　was　the　sole　and　last　thread　attaching　her　past

hopes　to　her　hopes　for　the　future；　what　remained　to　Mary　Stuart　of

her　two　thrones　and　her　double　power？　　Her　name；　that　was　all；　her；

name　with　which；　free；　she　had　doubtless　stirred　Scotland；　but　which

little　by　little　was　about　to　be　effaced　in　the　hearts　of　her

adherents；　and　which　during　her　lifetime　oblivion　was　to　cover

perhaps　as　with　a　shroud。　　Such　an　idea　was　insupportable　to　a　soul

as　lofty　as　Mary　Stuart's；　and　to　an　organisation　which；　like　that　of

the　flowers；　has　need；　before　everything；　of　air；　light；　and　sun。



Fortunately　there　remained　to　her　the　best　beloved　of　her　four　Marys；

who；　always　devoted　and　consoling；　hastened　to　succour　and　comfort

her；　but　this　time　it　was　no　easy　matter；　and　the　queen　let　her　act

and　speak　without　answering　her　otherwise　than　with　sobs　and　tears；

when　suddenly；　looking　through　the　window　to　which　she　had　drawn　up

her　mistress's　armchair



〃The　light！〃　cried　she；　〃madam；　the　light！〃



At　the　same　time　she　raised　the　queen；　and　with　arm　outstretched　from

the　window；　she　showed　her　the　beacon；　the　eternal　symbol　of　hope；

relighted　in　the　midst　of　this　dark　night　on　Kinross　hill：　there　was

no　mistake　possible；　not　a　star　was　shining　in　the　sky。



〃Lord　God；　I　give　Thee　thanks；〃　said　the　queen；　falling　on　her　knees

and　raising　her　arms　to　heaven　with　a　gesture　of　gratitude：　〃Douglas

has　escaped；　and　my　friends　still　keep　watch。〃



Then；　after　a　fervent　prayer；　which　restored　to　her　a　little

strength；　the　queen　re…entered　her　room；　and；　tired　out　by　her　varied

successive　emotions；　she　slept　an　uneasy；　agitated　sleep；　over　which

the　indefatigable　Mary　Seyton　kept　watch　till　daybreak。



As　William　Douglas　had　said；　from　this　time　forward　the　queen　was　a

prisoner　indeed；　and　permission　to　go　down　into　the　garden　was　no

longer　granted　but　under　the　surveillance　of　two　soldiers；　but　this

annoyance　seemed　to　her　so　unbearable　that　she　preferred　to　give　up

the　recreation；　which；　surrounded　with　such　conditions；　became　a

torture。　　So　she　shut　herself　up　in　her　apartments；　finding　a　certain

bitter　and　haughty　pleasure　in　the　very　excess　of　her　misfortune。









CHAPTER　VII



A　week　after　the　events　we　have　related；　as　nine　o'clock　in　the

evening　had　just　sounded　from　the　castle　bell；　and　the　queen　and　Mary

Seyton　were　sitting　at　a　table　where　they　were　working　at　their

tapestry；　a　stone　thrown　from　the　courtyard　passed　through　the　window

bars；　broke　a　pane　of　glass；　and　fell　into　the　room。　　The　queen's

first　idea　was　to　believe　it　accidental　or　an　insult；　but　Mary

Seyton；　turning　round；　noticed　that　the　stone　was　wrapped　up　in　a

paper：　she　immediately　picked　it　up。　　The　paper　was　a　letter　from

George　Douglas；　conceived　in　these　terms：



〃You　have　commanded　me　to　live；　madam：　I　have　obeyed；　and　your

Majesty　has　been　able　to　tell；　from　the　Kinross　light；　that　your

servants　continue　to　watch　over　you。　　However；　not　to　raise

suspicion；　the　soldiers　collected　for　that　fatal　night　dispersed　at

dawn；　and　will　not　gather　again　till　a　fresh　attempt　makes　their

presence　necessary。　　But；　alas！　to　renew　this　attempt　now；　when　your

Majesty's　gaolers　are　on　their　guard；　would　be　your　ruin。　　Let　them

take　every　precaution；　then；　madam；　let　them　sleep　in　security；　while

we；　we；　in　our　devotion；　shall　go　on　watching。



〃Patience　and　courage！〃



〃Brave　and　loyal　heart！〃　cried　Mary；　〃more　constantly　devoted　to

misfortune　than　others　are　to　prosperity！　　Yes；　I　shall　have　patience

and　courage；　and　so　long　as　that　light　shines　I　shall　still　believe

in　liberty。〃



This　letter　restored　to　the　queen　all　her　former　courage：　she　had

means　of　communication　with　George　through　Little　Douglas；　for　no

doubt　it　was　he　who　had　thrown　that　stone。　　She　hastened；　in　her

turn；　to　write　a　letter　to　George；　in　which　she　both　charged　him　to

express　her　gratitude　to　all　the　lords　who　had　signed　the

protestation；　and　begged　them；　in　the　name　of　the　fidelity　they　had

sworn　to　her；　not　to　cool　in　their　devotion；　promising　them；　for　her

part；　to　await　the　result　with　that　patience　and　courage　they　asked

of　her。



The　queen　was　not　mistaken：　next　day；　as　she　was　at　her　window；

Little　Douglas　came　to　play　at　the　foot　of　the　tower；　and；　without

raising　his　head；　stopped　just　beneath　her　to　dig　a　trap　to　catch

birds。　　The　queen　looked　to　see　if　she　were　observed；　and　assured

that　that　part　of　the　courtyard　was　deserted。　　she　let　fail　the　stone

wrapped　in　her　letter：　at　first　she　feared　to　have　made　a　serious

error；　for　Little　Douglas　did　not　even　turn　at　the　noise；　and　it　was

only　after　a　moment；　during　which　the　prisoner's　heart　was　torn　with

frightful　anxiety；　that　indifferently；　and　as　if　he　were　looking　for

something　else；　the　child　laid　his　hand　on　the　stone；　and　without

hurrying；　without　raising　his　head；　without　indeed　giving　any　sign　of

intelligence　to　her　who　had　thrown　it；　he　put　the　letter　in　his

pocket；　finishing　the　work　he　had　begun　with　the　greatest　calm；　and

showing　the　queen；　by　this　coolness　beyond　his　years；　what　reliance

she　could　place　in　him。



》From　that　moment　the　queen　regained　fresh　hope；　but　days；　weeks；

months　passed　without　bringing　any　change　in　her　situation：　winter

came；　the　prisoner　saw　snow　spread　over　the　plains　and　mountains；　and

the　lake　afforded　her；　if　she　had　only　been　able　to　pass　the　door；　a

firm　road　to　gain　the　other　bank；　but　no　letter　came　during　all　this

time　to　bring　her　the　consoling　news　that　they　were　busy　about　her

deliverance；　the　faithful　light　alone　announced　to　her　every　evening

that　a　friend　was　keeping　watch。



Soon　nature　awoke　from　her　death…sleep：　some　forward　sun…rays　broke

through　the　clouds　of　this　sombre　sky　of　Scotland；　the　snow　melted；

the　lake　broke　its　ice…crust；　the　first　buds　opened；　the　green　turf

reappeared；　everyth