mary stuart-第30节

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On　rising；　the　queen　found　herself　surrounded　by　her　most　faithful

servantsHamilton；　Herries；　and　Seyton；　Mary's　father。　　Light…headed

with　joy；　the　queen　extended　her　hands　to　them；　thanking　them　with

broken　words；　which　expressed　her　intoxication　and　her　gratitude

better　than　the　choicest　phrases　could　have　done；　when　suddenly；

turning　round；　she　perceived　George　Douglas；　alone　and　melancholy。

Then；　going　to　him　and　taking　him　by　the　hand



〃My　lords；〃　said　she；　presenting　George　to　them；　and　pointing　to

William；　〃behold　my　two　deliverers：　behold　those　to　whom；　as　long　as

I　live；　I　shall　preserve　gratitude　of　which　nothing　will　ever　acquit

me。〃



〃Madam；〃　said　Douglas；　〃each　of　us　has　only　done　what　he　ought；　and

he　who　has　risked　most　is　the　happiest。　　But　if　your　Majesty　will

believe　me；　you　will　not　lose　a　moment　in　needless　words。〃



〃Douglas　is　right；〃　said　Lord　Seyton。　　〃To　horse！　to　horse！〃



Immediately；　and　while　four　couriers　set　out　in　four　different

directions　to　announce　to　the　queen's　friends　her　happy　escape；　they

brought　her　a　horse　saddled　for　her；　which　she　mounted　with　her　usual

skill；　then　the　little　troop；　which；　composed　of　about　twenty

persons；　was　escorting　the　future　destiny　of　Scotland；　keeping　away

from　the　village　of　Kinross；　to　which　the　castle　firing　had　doubtless

given　the　alarm；　took　at　a　gallop　the　road　to　Seyton's　castle；　where

was　already　a　garrison　large　enough　to　defend　the　queen　from　a　sudden

attack。



The　queen　journeyed　all　night；　accompanied　on　one　side　by　Douglas；　on

the　other　by　Lord　Seyton；　then；　at　daybreak；　they　stopped　at　the　gate

of　the　castle　of　West　Niddrie；　belonging　to　Lord　Seyton；　as　we　have

said；　and　situated　in　West　Lothian。　　Douglas　sprang　from　his　horse　to

offer　his　hand　to　Mary　Stuart；　but　Lord　Seyton　claimed　his　privilege

as　master　of　the　house。　　The　queen　consoled　Douglas　with　a　glance；

and　entered　the　fortress。



〃Madam；〃　said　Lord　Seyton；　leading　her　into　a　room　prepared　for　her

for　nine　months；　〃your　Majesty　must　have　need　of　repose；　after　the

fatigue　and　the　emotions　you　have　gone　through　since　yesterday

morning；　you　may　sleep　here　in　peace；　and　disquiet　yourself　for

nothing：　any　noise　you　may　hear　will　be　made　by　a　reinforcement　of

friends　which　we　are　expecting。　　As　to　our　enemies；　your　Majesty　has

nothing　to　fear　from　them　so　long　as　you　inhabit　the　castle　of　a

Seyton。〃



The　queen　again　thanked　all　her　deliverers；　gave　her　hand　to　Douglas

to　kiss　one　last　time；　kissed　Little　William　on　the　forehead；　and

named　him　her　favourite　page　for　the　future；　then；　profiting　by　the

advice　given　her；　entered　her　room　where　Mary　Seyton；　to　the

exclusion　of　every　other　woman；　claimed　the　privilege　of　performing

about　her　the　duties　with　which　she　had　been　charged　during　their

eleven　months'　captivity　in　Lochleven　Castle。



On　opening　her　eyes；　Mary　Stuart　thought　she　had　had　one　of　those

dreams　so　gainful　to　prisoners；　when　waking　they　see　again　the　bolts

on　their　doors　and　the　bars　on　their　windows。　　So　the　queen；　unable

to　believe　the　evidence　of　her　senses；　ran；　half　dressed；　to　the

window。　　The　courtyard　was　filled　with　soldiers；　and　these　soldiers

all　friends　who　had　hastened　at　the　news　of　her　escape；　she

recognised　the　banners　of　her　faithful　friends；　the　Seytons；　the

Arbroaths；　the　Herries；　and　the　Hamiltons；　and　scarcely　had　she　been

seen　at　the　window　than　all　these　banners　bent　before　her；　with　the

shouts　a　hundred　times　repeated　of　〃Long　live　Mary　of　Scotland！　Long

live　our　queen！〃　　Then；　without　giving　heed　to　the　disarray　of　her

toilet；　lovely　and　chaste　with　her　emotion　and　her　happiness；　she

greeted　them　in　her　turn；　her　eyes　full　of　tears；　but　this　time　they

were　tears　of　joy。　　However；　the　queen　recollected　that　she　was

barely　covered；　and　blushing　at　having　allowed　herself　to　be　thus

carried　away　in　her　ecstasy；　she　abruptly　drew　back；　quite　rosy　with

confusion。



Then　she　had　an　instant's　womanly　fright：　she　had　fled　from　Lochleven

Castle　in　the　Douglas　livery；　and　without　either　the　leisure　or　the

opportunity　for　taking　women's　clothes　with　her。　　But　she　could　not

remain　attired　as　a　man；　so　she　explained　her　uneasiness　to　Mary

Seyton；　who　responded　by　opening　the　closets　in　the　queen's　room。

They　were　furnished；　not　only　with　robes；　the　measure　for　which；　like

that　of　the　suit；　had　been　taken　from　Mary　Fleming；　but　also　with　all

the　necessaries　for　a　woman's　toilet。　　The　queen　was　astonished：　it

was　like　being　in　a　fairy　castle。



〃Mignonne；〃　said　she；　looking　one　after　another　at　the　robes；　all　the

stuffs　of　which　were　chosen　with　exquisite　taste；　〃I　knew　your　father

was　a　brave　and　loyal　knight；　but　I　did　not　think　him　so　learned　in

the　matter　of　the　toilet。　　We　shall　name　him　groom　of　the　wardrobe。〃



〃Alas！　madam；〃　smilingly　replied　Mary　Seyton；　〃you　are　not　mistaken：

my　father　has　had　everything　in　the　castle　furbished　up　to　the　last

corselet；　sharpened　to　the　last　sword；　unfurled　to　the　last　banner；

but　my　father；　ready　as　he　is　to　die　for　your　Majesty；　would　not　have

dreamed　for　an　instant　of　offering　you　anything　but　his　roof　to　rest

under；　or　his　cloak　to　cover　you。　　It　is　Douglas　again　who　has

foreseen　everything；　prepared　everythingeverything　even　to

Rosabelle；　your　Majesty's　favourite　steed；　which　is　impatiently

awaiting　in　the　stable　the　moment　when；　mounted　on　her；　your　Majesty

will　make　your　triumphal　re…entry　into　Edinburgh。〃



〃And　how　has　he　been　able　to　get　her　back　again？〃　Mary　asked。

〃I　thought　that　in　the　division　of　my　spoils　Rosabelle　had　fallen　to

the　fair　Alice；　my　brother's　favourite　sultana？〃



〃Yes；　yes；〃　said　Mary　Seyton；　〃it　was　so；　and　as　her　value　was　known；

she　was　kept　under　lock　and　key　by　an　army　of　grooms；　but　Douglas　is

the　man　of　miracles；　and；　as　I　have　told　you；　Rosabelle　awaits　your

Majesty。〃



〃Noble　Douglas！〃　murmured　the　queen；　with　eyes　full　of　tears；　then；

as　if　speaking　to　herself；　〃And　this　is　precisely　one　of　those

devotions　that　we　can　never　repay。　　The　others　will　be　happy　with

honours；　places；　money；　but　to　Douglas　what　matter　all　these　things？〃



〃Come；　madam；　come；〃　said　Mary　Seyton；　〃God　takes　on　Himself　the

debts　of　kings；　He　will　reward　Douglas。　　As　to　your　Majesty；　reflect

that　they　are　waiting　dinner　for　you。　　I　hope；〃　added　she；　smiling；

〃that　you　will　not　affront　my　father　as　you　did　Lord　Douglas

yesterday　in　refusing　to　partake　of　his　feast　on　his　fortunate　home…

coming。〃



〃And　luck　has　come　to　me　for　it；　I　hope；〃　replied　Mary。　　〃But　you　are

right；　darling：　no　more　sad　thoughts；　we　will　consider　when　we　have

indeed　become　queen　again　what　we　can　do　for　Douglas。〃



The　queen　dressed　and　went　down。　　As　Mary　Seyton　had　told　her；　the

chief　noblemen　of　her　party；　already　gathered　round　her；　were　waiting

for　her　in　the　great　hall　of　the　castle。　　Her　arrival　was　greeted

with　acclamations　of　the　liveliest　enthusiasm；　and　she　sat　down　to

table；　with　Lord　Seyton　on　her　right　hand；　Douglas　on　her　left；　and

behind　her　Little　William；　who　the　same　day　was　beginning　his　duties

as　page。



Next　morning　the　queen　was　awakened　by　the　sound　of　trumpets　and

bugles：　it　had　been　decided　the　day　before　that　she　should　set　out

that　day　for　Hamilton；　where　reinforcements　were　looked　for。　　The

queen　donned　an　elegant　riding…habit；　and　soon；　mounted　on　Rosabelle；

appeared　amid　her　defenders。　　The　shouts　of　joy　redoubled：　her

beauty；　her　grace；　and　her　courage　were　admired　by　everyone。　　Mary

Stuart　became　her　own　self　once　more；　and　she　felt　spring　up　in　her

again　the　power　of　fascination　she　had　always　exercised　on　those　who

came　near　her。　　Everyone　was　in　good　humour；　and　the　happiest　of　all

was　perhaps　Little　William；　who　for　the　first　time　in　his　life　had

such　a　fine　dress　and　such　a　fine　horse。



Two　or　three　thousand　men　were　awaiting　the　queen　at　Hamilton；　which

she　reached　the　same　evening；　and　during　the　night　following　her

arrival　the　troops　increased　to　six　thousand。　　The　2nd　of　May　she　was

a　prisoner；　without　another　friend　but　a　child　in　her　prison；　without

other　means　of　communication　with　her　adherents　than　the　flickering

and　uncertain　light　of　a　lamp；　and　three　days　afterwardsthat　is　to

say；　between　the　Sunday　and　the　Wednesdayshe　found　herself　not　only

free；　but　also　at　the　head　of　a　powerful　confederacy；　which　counted

at　its　head　nine　earls；　eight　peers；　nine　bishops；　and　a　number　of

barons　and　nobles　renowned　among　the　bravest　of　Scotland。



The　advice　of　the　most　judicious　among　those　about　the　queen　was　to

shut　herself　up　in　the　strong　castle　of　Dumbarton；　which；　being

impregnable；　would　give　all　her　adherents　time　to　assemble　together；

distant　and　scattered　as　they　were：　accordingly；　the　guidance　of　the

troops　who　were　to　conduct　the　queen　to　that　town　was　entrusted　to

the　Earl　of　Argyll；　and　the　11th　of　May　she　took　the　road　with　an

army　of　nearly