CHASTELAR.
“Fired by an object so sublime1, What could I choose but strive to climb? And as I strove I fell. At least ’tis love, when hope is gone, Through shame and ruin to love on.”—Anon.
The last flush of day had not yet faded from the west, although the summer moon was riding above the verge2 of the eastern horizon, in a flood of mellow3 glory, with the diamond-spark of Lucifer glittering in solitary4 brightness at her side. It was one of those enchanting5 evenings which, peculiar6 to the southern lands of Europe, visit, but at far and fleeting7 intervals8, the sterner clime of Britain. Not Italy, however, could herself have boasted a more delicious twilight9 than this, which now was waning10 into night, above the rude magnificence of Scotland’s capital. The fantastic dwellings11 of the city, ridge12 above ridge, loomed13 broadly to the left, partially14 veiled by those wreaths of vapor15, which have been the origin of its provincial16 name; while, far above the misty17 indistinctness of the town, the glorious castle towered aloft upon its craggy throne, displaying a hundred fronts of massive shadow, and as many salient angles jutting18 abruptly19 into sight. The lovely vale of the King’s park, with its velvet20 turf and shadowy foliage21, shone out306 in quiet lustre22 from beneath the dark-gray buttresses23 of Arthur’s seat; while from the trim alleys24 and pleached evergreens25, which at that day formed a belt of lawn, and shrubbery, and royal garden, around the venerable pile of Holyrood, the rich song of the throstle—the nightingale of Scotland—came in repeated bursts upon the ear.
Delightful26 as such an evening must naturally be to all who have hearts awake to the influence of sweet sounds and lovely sights, how inexpressibly soothing27 must it seem to one who, languishing28 beneath the ungenial atmosphere of a northern region, and sighing for the bluer skies and softer breezes of his fatherland, feels himself at once transported, by the unusual aspect of the heavens, to the distant home of his regrets! It was, perhaps, some fancied similarity to the nights in which he had been wont29 to court the favor of the high-born dames31 of France with voice and instrument, that had awakened33 the melody of some foreign cavalier, more suitable perchance to the light murmurs34 of the Seine than to the distant booming of the seas that lash35 the coasts of Scotland. Such, however, was the illusion produced by the unwonted softness of the hour, that the tinkling36 of a lute37 and the full, manly38 voice of the singer did not at the moment seem so inconsistent to the spirit of the country and of the times as in truth it was. The words were French, and the air, though sweet, so melancholy39, that it left a vague sensation of pain upon the listener—as though none but a heart diseased could give birth to notes so plaintive40. “Pensez à moi! pensez à moi!—noble dame30—Pensez à moi!”—the burden of the strain swelled41 clearly audible in the deepest tones of feeling, although the intermediate words were lost amid the accompaniment of the silver strings42. Never, perhaps, since the unfortunate Chatelain de Concy first chanted his extemporaneous43 farewell to the lady of his heart, had his simple words been sung with taste or execution more appropriate to their subject.307 In truth, it was impossible to listen to the lay without feeling a conviction that the heart of the minstrel was in his song. There were, moreover, moments in which a practised ear might have discovered variations, not in the tune44 only, but in the words, as the singer exerted his unrivalled powers to adapt the text, which he had chosen, to his own peculiar circumstances; nor would it have required more than a common degree of fancy to have traced the sounds, “O Reine Marie!” mingling45 with the proper refrain of the chant, although it would have been less easy to distinguish whether the fervent46 expression with which the words were invested was applied47 to an object of mortal idolatry or of immortal48 adoration49. It would seem, however, that there were listeners near, to whom this doubt had not so much as once occurred; for in a shadowy bower50, not far distant from the spot where the concealed51 musician sang, there stood a group of ladies, drinking with breathless eagerness every note that issued from his lips. Foremost in place, as first in rank, was one whose charms have been said and sung, not by the poet and the romancer only, but by the muse52 of history herself, who almost seems to have dipped her graver pencil in the hues53 of fiction when describing Mary Stuart of Scotland. Her form, rather below than above the middle stature55 of the female form, was fashioned with such perfect elegance56, that it was equally calculated to exhibit the extremes of grace and majesty57. Her ringlets of the deepest auburn, glancing in the light with a glossy58, golden lustre, and melting into shadows of dark chestnut59; the statue-like contour of her Grecian head; her eyes, on which no man had ever gazed with impunity60 to his heart—more languid and at the same time far more brilliant than those of created beauty; her mouth, whose wreathed smile might have almost tempted61 angels to descend62 and worship; her swan-like neck of dazzling whiteness; and, above all, the glorious blending of feminine ease with regal dignity—of condescension308 and affability toward the meanest of her fellow-men, with the exalted64 consciousness of all that was due, not to her rank, but to herself—combined to render her perhaps the loveliest, as after-events proved her beyond a doubt the most unfortunate, of queens or women. Sorrow at this time had scarcely cast a shadow on that transparent65 brow; or, if an occasional recollection of the ill-fated Francis did leave a trace behind, it was a sadness of that gentle and spiritualized description which is, perhaps, a more attractive expression to be marked in the features of a lovely woman, than the full blaze of happiness and self-enjoyment. Simple almost to plainness in her attire66, the queen of Scotland moved before her four attendant Maries, ten thousand times more lovely from the contrast of her unadornment to the gorgeous dresses of those noble dames, who had been selected to be near her person, with especial regard, not to exalted rank alone, or to the distinctive67 name, which they bore in common with their royal mistress, but to intellect, and beauty, and all those accomplishments68 which, general as they are in our day, were then at least as highly valued for their rarity, as for their intrinsic merits. A robe of sable69 velvet, with the closely-fitted corsage peculiar to the age in which she lived, a falling ruff from the fairest looms70 of Flanders, and the picturesque71 head-gear which has ever borne her name, with its double tressure of pearls, and a single string of the same precious jewels around her neck, completed Mary’s dress, while rustling72 trains of many-colored satin, guarded with costly73 laces and stomachers studded with gems75, bracelets76, and carcanets, and chains of goldsmith’s work, gleamed on the persons of her ladies. Still the demeanor77 of the little group was more in accordance to the simplicity78 of the mistress than to the splendor79 of the others. No rigid80 etiquette81 was there; none of that high and haughty82 ceremonial which, in the courtly festivals of the rival queen of England, froze up the feelings even of those trusted309 few who bore with the caprices, in seeking for the favors, of Elizabeth. The titles of grace and majesty were lisped indeed by the lips of the fair damsels, but the character of their remarks, the polished raillery, the light laugh, and the freedom of intercourse83, were rather those of the younger members of a family toward an elder sister, than of a court-circle toward a powerful queen. As the last notes of the song died away, she who was nearest to Mary’s person whispered in a sportive tone, “Your grace has heard that lute before—”
“In France, Carmichael,” answered Mary, with a breath so deeply drawn84 as almost to resemble a sigh, “in our beautiful France; when, when shall I look upon that lovely land again.”
While she was yet speaking the music recommenced. A dash of impatience85 was mingled86 with the plaintive sweetness of the strain, and the words “pensez à moi” swept past their ears with all the energy of disappointed feelings.
“It is the voice—”
“Of the sieur de Chastelar,” interrupted the queen; “we would thank the gentleman for his minstrelsey. Seyton, ma mignonne, hie thee across yon woodbine-maze, and summon this night-warbler to our presence.”
With an arch smile the lively girl bounded forward, and was for an instant lost among the foliage of the garden.
“Dost thou remember, Carmichael,” said the queen, whose thoughts had been reflected by the well-remembered strains—“dost thou remember our sylvan89 festivals in the lovely groves90 of Versailles, with hound and hawk91 for noonday pastime, and the lute, the song, and the unfettered dance upon the green sward, beneath moons unclouded by the hazy92 gloom of this dark Scotland’s?”
“And does your grace remember,” laughed the other in reply, “a certain fête in which the palm of minstrelsey was awarded by your royal hand to a masked hunter of the forest? Yet310 was his bearing somewhat gentle for a ranger93 of the green-wood, and his hand was passing white to have handled the tough bow-string? Does your grace’s memory serve to recall the air whose executions gained that prize of harmony? Methinks it did run somewhat thus,”—and she warbled the same notes which had formed the burthen of the serenade.
Whether some distant recollections conjured94 up the mantling95 color to the cheeks of Mary, or whether she dreaded97 the misconstruction of the serenader, on his hearing his own tender words repeated in a voice of female melody, it was with brow, neck and bosom98 of the deepest crimson99 that she turned to Mary Carmichael—
“Peace, silly minion100!” she said, with momentary101 dignity; “wouldst have it said that Mary of Scotland is so light of bearing as to trill love-ditties in reply to unseen ballad-mongers? Nay102, weep not neither, Marie; if I spoke103 somewhat shortly, ’twas that the gentleman was even then approaching. Cheer up, my girl; thou hast, we know it well, a kind, a gentle, and a trusty heart, though nature has coupled the gift to that of a thoughtless head and random104 tongue. Take not on thus, or I shall blame myself in that I checked thee, though surely not unkindly. Mary of Stuart loves better far to look upon a smiling lip than a wet eye, even if it be a stranger’s—much less that of one whom she loves—as I love thee, Carmichael.”
There was, perhaps, no circumstance more remarkable105 than the power which, at every period of her momentous106 life, Mary appears to have possessed107 of winning, as it were at a glance, the affections of all who came in contact with her. The deep devotion, not of the barons108 and the military chiefs alone, who bled in defence of her cause, but of the ladies, the pages, the chamberlains of her court, nay, of the very grooms110 and servitors, with whom she could have held no intercourse beyond a311 smile or inclination111 of the head, in return for their lowly obeisance112, was ever ready for the proof, when circumstances might demand its exercise. Not shown by outward acts of heroism113 only, or by those deeds which men are wont to perform, no less at the instigation of their wishes for renown114, or of rivalry115 with some more famed competitor, this devotion was constantly manifested in the eagerness of all around her to execute even the most menial duties to Mary’s satisfaction; in the promptness to anticipate her slightest wish; in the lively joy which one kind word from her could awaken32, as if by magic, on every brow; and, above all, in the utter despondency which seemed to sink down upon those whom she might deem it necessary to check, even with the slightest remonstrance116. In the present instance the sensitive girl, to whom the queen had uttered her commands in the nervous quickness of excitement, rather than with any feeling of harshness or offended pride, felt, it was evident, more bitterness of grief at the rebuke117 of one whom she loved no less than she revered118, than she would have experienced beneath the pressure of some real calamity119. As quickly, however, as the sense of sorrow had been excited, did it pass away, before the returning smiles, the soft caresses120, and the winning manners of the most fascinating of women the most amiable121 of superiors.
Scarcely had the tears of Mary Carmichael ceased to flow, when the footsteps, which for some moments previously122 had been heard approaching, sounded close at hand; the branches of the embowering shrubbery were gently put asunder123, and the lady Seyton stood again before the queen, attended by a gentleman of noble aspect, and whose very gesture was fraught124 with that easy and graceful125 politeness which, perhaps, showed even more to advantage in that iron age and warlike country, displayed, as it often was, in contrast to the rude demeanor and stern simplicity of the warrior126 lords of Scotland, than in his312 native France.
The sieur de Chastelar was at this time in the very prime of youthful manhood, and might have been some few years, and but few, the senior of the lovely being before whose presence he bent127 in adoration humbler, and more fervently129 expressed, than the reverence130 due from a mere131 subject to a mortal queen. Tall and fairly-proportioned, with a countenance132 in which almost feminine softness of expression was blended, with an aspect of the eye and lip, which proved the vicinity of bolder and more manly qualities, slumbering133 but not extinct, he seemed at the first glance a man most eminently134 qualified135 to win a female heart. And who, that looked upon the broad and massive brow, and the quick glance of that eye, fraught with intelligence, could doubt but that the mind within was equal to the more perishable136 beauties of the form in which it was encompassed137? And when to all this was added, that the sieur de Chastelar had already won a name in his green youth that ranked with those of gray-haired veterans in the lists of glory; that in all manly exercises, as in all softer accomplishments, he owned no superior; that the most skilful138 master of defence, the far-famed Vicentio Saviola, confessed De Chastelar his equal in the quickness of eye, the readiness of hand and foot which had combined to render him the most distinguished139 swordsman of the day; that the wildest and most untameable chargers that ever were compelled to undergo the manége, might as well have striven to shake off a portion of themselves, as to dismount De Chasteler by any display of violence and power; that his hand could draw the cloth-yard arrow to the head, and speed it to its aim as truly as the fleetest archer140 that ever twanged a bow in Sherwood; that he moved in the stately measure of the pavon, or the livelier galliarde, with that grace peculiar to his nation; that, in the richness of his voice, his execution and taste on lute or guitar, he might have vied with the sons of Italy herself;313 in short, that all perfections which were deemed most requisite141 to form a gentleman were united in De Chastelar, what female heart, that was not proof to all the allurements142 of love or fancy, could hope to make an adequate resistance? Young, handsome, romantic, ardent143 in his hopes, enthusiastic almost to madness in his affections, he had been captivated years before in the gay salons144 of the French capitol, by the beauty and irresistible145 fascinations146 of the princess.
In the intercourse of French society, which even in the times of the Medici, as it has been in all succeeding ages, was far more liberal in its distinctions, and less restricted by the formalities of etiquette, than in any other court, a thousand opportunities had occurred, by which the youthful cavalier had profited to rivet147 the attention of the princess; at every carousel148 he bore her colors; in every masque he introduced some delicate allusion149, some soft flattery, palpable to her alone; in every contest of musical skill, which yet survived in Paris, the sole remnant of the troubadours, some covert150 traces of his passion might be discovered, if not by every ear, at least by that of Mary. Intoxicated151 as she was, at this stage of her life, by the adulation of all, by the consciousness of beauty, power, and rank, far above all her fellows, the queen of Scotland owed much of her misery152 in after-years to the unclouded brilliancy of her youthful prospects153, and to the wide distinction between the manners of that court, in which her happiest hours were spent; and of her northern subjects, by whom her gaieté de cour, her love for society less formal than the routine of courts, and her predilections154 for all innocent amusements, were ever looked upon in the light of grave derelictions from decorum and morality.
That she had regarded the gallant155 boy, whose accomplishments were so constantly before her eyes, with favorable inclinations156 was not to be doubted; and that at times she had lavished157 upon him marks of her good will in rather too profuse158 a314 degree, was no less true; but whether this line of conduct was dictated159 merely by a natural impulse, which ever leads us to distinguish those whom we approve from the common herd160 of our acquaintance, or by a warmer feeling, can never now be ascertained161. It mattered not, however, to the youth, from which cause the conduct of the lovely princess was derived162; it was enough for him that she had marked his attentions, that she had deigned163 to look upon him with favorable eyes, that she might at some future period learn to love.
Not long, however, was it permitted to him to indulge in those fair but fallacious dreams; the marriage of the Scottish princess with the royal Francis was ere long publicly announced, the ceremonies of the betrothal164, and lastly of the wedding itself, were solemnized with all the pomp and splendor of the mightiest165 realm in Europe, and the aspirations166 of the united nations ascended167 in behalf of Francis and his lovely bride.
It was then, for the first time, that Mary was rendered fully168 aware of the misery which her unthinking freedom had entailed169 upon the ardent nature of De Chastelar; it was then, for the first time, that she learned how deep and powerful had been the passion which he had nourished in his heart of hearts—that she was awakened to a consciousness that she was loved, not wisely, but too well. Heretofore she had believed, that the eagerness of the gay and gallant Frenchman to display his equestrian170 skill, his musical accomplishments, before her presence, and as it were in her behalf, and the devotedness172 with which he turned all his powers to a single object, were rather to be attributed to a desire of gaining general approbation173 as a gentle cavalier, a slave to beauty, and a favored servant of earth’s loveliest lady, than to a passion, the romance of which, considering the wide distinction of their sphere, would have amounted to actual insanity174. Now she perceived, to her deep regret, that the arrow had been shot home, and that the barb315 had taken hold too firmly to be disengaged by a sudden effort, how vehement175 soever. She saw, in the pale cheek and hollow eye, that he had cherished hopes which reason and reality must bid him discard, at once and for ever; but which he yet had not the fortitude176 to tear up by the roots, and cast into oblivion. For a time he had wandered about, a spectre of his former person, among the festivities and happiness of all around him, paler every day, and more abstracted in his mien177; then he had exiled himself at once from rejoicings in which he could have no share, and had buried his hopes, his anxieties, his misery, in the loneliness of his own secluded178 chamber109.
Thus had passed weeks and months; and when at length he had come forth179 again to join the world and all its vanities, he was, as it seemed to all, a wiser and a sadder man. The queen, ever kind and affectionate in her disposition180, imagining that he had struggled with the demon181 which possessed him, and cast his hopeless love behind him, met his return to the courtly circle with her wonted condescension63. On his preferring his request to be installed her chamberlain, willing to mark her high sense of his imagined integrity, in thus manfully shaking off his weakness, she granted his request; and trusting that his own acuteness would readily perceive the distinction between royal favor to a trusted servant and feminine affections to a preferred lover, assumed nothing of formality or etiquette, more than had characterized their former days of unrestricted intercourse. Her own first trial followed; the first year of her nuptials182 had not yet flown, when the gallant Francis, the earliest, the worthy183 object of her young love, sickened with a disease which from its very commencement permitted but slight hopes of his recovery. Then came the wretchedness of anxiety, hoping all things, yet too well aware that all was hopeless; the watchings by his feverish185 bed, when watching,316 it was too obvious, could be of no avail; the agony when the announcement that all was over, long foreseen, but never to be endured, burst on her mind; the long, heart-rending sorrow, the repinings after pleasures that were never to return; and, last of all, the cold, stern carelessness of despair. She awoke at length from her lethargy of wo; awoke to leave the lovely climate which she had learned almost to deem her own; to be torn from the friends whom she had loved, and the society of which she had been the brightest gem74, to return to a country which, though it was the country of her birth, had never conjured up to her imagination any pictures save of a gloomy hue54 and melancholy nature.
A few who had served her in the sunny land of France adhered to her with unshaken resolution, despising all inconveniences, setting at naught186 all dangers, save that separation from a mistress, whom, to have attended once, was to love for ever. Among those few was De Chastelar. The alteration187 in her condition had undoubtedly188 suggested to the widowed queen the necessity of an alteration in her conduct toward De Chastelar, particularly when it was added, that familiarity between a creature so young and lovely as herself and a gentleman so noble, even in his melancholy, as the chamberlain, would have at once excited the indignation of her stern and rigid subjects. In these circumstances it would perhaps have been a wiser, though not a more considerate plan, to have confided189 the cause of her embarrassment190 to the causer of it, and to have requested his absence from her court. It was not, however, in Mary’s nature to give pain, if she could possibly avoid it, to the meanest animal, much less to a friend valued and esteemed191, as he who was the innocent cause of her anxiety. She adopted, therefore, what, being always the most easy, is ever the most dangerous, an intermediate course. In public De Chastelar received no marks of approbation from the queen, much less of317 regard from the woman; but in her hours of retirement192, when surrounded by the ladies of her court, the most of whom had followed her footsteps northward193 from gay Paris, she delighted to efface194 from his mind the recollections of neglect before the eyes of the censorious Scots, by a delicacy195 of attention, and a warmth of friendship, which, while it fully answered her end of soothing his wounded feelings, led him to cherish ideas most fatal in the end to his own happiness, and to that of the fair being whom he so adored. It was with a heightened color and throbbing196 breast that Mary turned to address her unconfessed lover, yet there was no flutter in the clear, soft voice with which she spoke.
“We would thank,” she said, “the sieur de Chastelar for the delightful sounds by which he has rendered our walk on this sweet evening even more agreeable than the mild air and cloudless heaven could have done without his minstrelsey. Yet ’twas a mournful strain, De Chastelar,” she continued, “and one which, if we err88 not, flows from a wounded heart. Would that we knew the object of so true a servant’s worship, that we might whisper our royal pleasure in her ear, that she should list the suit of one whom we regard so highly. Is she in truth so obdurate197, this fair of thine, De Chastelar? she must be hard of heart to slight so gallant a cavalier.”
“Not so, your grace,” replied the astonished lover, in a voice scarcely less sonorous198 than the music he had made so lately. “She to whom all my vows199 are paid, she who has ever owned the passionate200 aspirations of a devoted171 heart, is as pre-eminently raised in all the sweet and amiable sentiments of the mind as is unrivalled beauty above all mortal beings.”
For an instant the queen was dumb; she had hoped, by affecting ignorance of his sentiments, that she should have been enabled to make him comprehend the madness, the utter inutility of his passion, and she felt that she had failed; that318 words had been addressed to her, which, however she might feign201 to others that she had not perceived their bearing, he must be well aware she could not possibly have failed to understand. It was with an altered mien and with an air of cold and haughty dignity, that she again addressed him as she passed onward202 toward the palace.
“We wish thee, then, fair sir, a better fortune hereafter, and until then good night.” Without uttering a syllable203 in reply, he bowed himself almost to the earth; nor did he raise his head again until the form he loved to look upon had vanished from his sight: then slowly lifting his eyes he gazed wistfully after her, dashed his hand violently upon his brow, and turning aside rushed hastily from the spot.
An hour had scarcely elapsed before the lights were extinguished throughout the vaulted204 halls of Holyrood; the guards were posted for the night, the officers had gone their rounds, the ladies of the royal circle were dismissed, and all was darkness and silence. In Mary’s chamber a single lamp was burning in a small recess205, before a beautifully-executed painting of the virgin206, but light was not sufficient to penetrate207 the obscurity which reigned208 in the many angles and alcoves209 of that irregular apartment, although the moonbeams were admitted through the open casement210.
Her garb211 of ceremony laid aside, her lovely shape scantily212 veiled by a single robe of spotless linen213, her auburn tresses flowing in unrestrained luxuriance almost to her feet, if she had been a creature of perfect human beauty, when viewed in all the pomp of royal pageantry, she now appeared a being of supernatural loveliness. Her small white feet, unsandalled, glided214 over the rich carpet with a grace which a slight degree of fancy might have deemed the motion peculiar to the inhabitants of another world. For an instant, ere she turned to her repose215, she leaned against the carved mullions of the window,319 and gazed pensively216, and it might be sadly, upon the garden, where she had so lately parted from the unhappy youth, whose life was thus embittered217 by that very feeling which, above all others, should have been its consolation218. Withdrawing her eyes from the moonlit scene, she knelt before the lamp and the shrine219 which it illuminated220, and her whispered orisons arose pure as the source from which they flowed; the prayers of a weak and humble128 mortal, penitent221 for every trivial error, breathing all confidence to Him who alone can protect or pardon; the prayers of a queen for her numerous children, and last, and holiest of all, a woman’s prayers for her unfortunate admirer. Yes, she prayed for Chastelar, that strength might be given to him from on high, to bear the crosses of a miserable222 life, and that by Divine mercy the hopeless love might be uprooted223 from his breast. The words burst passionately224 from her lips, her whole frame quivered with the excess of her emotion, and the big tears fell like rain from her uplifted eyes. While she was yet in the very flood of passion a sigh was breathed, so clearly audible, that the conviction flashed like lightning on her soul, that this most secret prayer was listened to by other ears than those of heavenly ministers. Terror, acute terror took possession of her mind, banishing225, by its superior violence, every less engrossing226 idea. She snatched the lamp from its niche227, waved it slowly around the chamber, and there, in the most hallowed spot of her widowed chamber, a spy upon her unguarded moments, stood a dark figure. Even in that moment of astonishment228 and fear, as if by instinct, the beautiful instinct of purely229 female modesty230, she snatched a velvet mantle231 from the seat on which it had been cast aside, and veiled her person even before she spoke—“O God! it is De Chastelar!”
“Sweet queen,” replied the intruder, “bright, beautiful ruler of my destinies, pardon—”
320 “What ho!” she screamed, in notes of dread96 intensity232, “à moi, à moi mes Fran?ais. My guards! Seyton! Carmichael! Fleming! will ye leave your queen alone! alone with treachery and black dishonor! Villain233! slave!” she cried, turning her flashing eyes upon him, her whole form swelling234 as it were with all the fury of injured innocence235, “didst thou dare to think that Mary—Mary, the wife of Francis—the anointed queen of Scotland, would brook236 thine infamous237 addresses? Nay, kneel not, or I spurn238 thee! What ho! will no one aid in mine extremity239?”
“Fear naught from me,” faltered240 the wretched Chastelar, but with a voice like that of some inspired Pythoness she broke in—“Fear! thinkst thou that I could fear a thing, an abject241 coward thing like thee? a wretch184 that would exult242 in the infamy243 of one whom he pretends to love? Fear thee! by heavens! if I could have feared, contempt must have forbidden it.”
“Nay, Mary, hear me! hear me but one word, if that word cost my life—”
“Thy life! hadst thou ten thousand lives, they would be but a feather in the scale against thy monstrous244 villany. What ho!” again she cried, stamping with impotent anger at the delay of her attendants, “treason! my guards! treason!”
At length the passages rang with the hurried footsteps of the startled inmates245 of the palace; with torch and spear, and brandished246 blades, they rushed into the apartment; page, sentinel, and chamberlain, ladies with dishevelled hair, and faces blanched247 with terror. The queen stood erect248 in the centre of the room, pointing, with one white arm bare to the shoulder, toward the wretched culprit, who, with folded arms, and head erect, awaited his doom249 in unresisting silence. His naked rapier, with which alone he might have foiled the united efforts of his enemies, lay at his feet; his brow was white as sculptured marble, and no less rigid, but his eyes glared wildly, and his lips quivered as though he would have321 spoken.
The queen, still furious at the wrong which he had done her fame, marked the expression. “Silence!” she cried—“degraded! wouldst thou meanly beg thy forfeit250 life? Wert thou my father, thou shouldst die to-morrow! Hence with the villain! Bid Maitland execute the warrant. Ourself—ourself will sign it—away! Chastelar dies at daybreak!”
“’Tis well,” replied he, calmly, “it is well—the lips I love the best pronounce my doom, and I die happy, since I die for Mary. Wouldst thou but pity the offender251, while thou dost doom the offence, De Chastelar would not exchange his shortened span of life, and violent death, for the brightest crown in Christendom. My limbs may die—my love will live for ever! Lead on, minions252; I am more glad to die than ye to slay253! Mary, beautiful Mary, think—think hereafter upon Chastelar!”
The guards passed onward; last of the group, unfettered and unmoved, De Chastelar stalked after them. Once, ere he stooped beneath the low-browed portal, he paused, placed both hands on his heart, bowed lowly, and then pointed87 upward, as he chanted once again the words, “Pensez à moi, noble dame, pensez à moi.” As he vanished from her presence she waved her hand impatiently to be left alone—and all night long she traversed and re-traversed the floor of her chamber, in paroxysms of the fiercest despair. The warrant was brought to her—silently, sternly, she traced her signature beneath it; not a sign of sympathy was on her pallid254 features, not a tremor255 shook her frame; she was passionless, majestic256, and unmoved. The secretary left the chamber on his fatal errand, and Mary was again a woman. Prostrate257 upon her couch she lay, sobbing258 and weeping as though her very soul was bursting from her bosom, defying all consolation, spurning259 every offer at remedy. “’Tis done!” she would say, “’tis done! I have preserved my322 fame, and murdered mine only friend!”
The morning dawned slowly, and the heavy bells of all the churches clanged the death-peal of De Chastelar. The tramp of the cavalry260 defiling261 from the palace-gates struck on her heart as though each hoof262 dashed on her bosom. An hour passed away, the minute-bells still tolling263; the roar of a culverin swept heavily downward from the castle, and all was over. He had died as he had lived, undaunted—as he had lived, devoted! “Mary, divine Mary,” were his latest words, “I love in death, as I loved in life, thee, and thee only.” The axe264 drank his blood, and the queen of Scotland had not a truer servant left behind than he, whom, for a moment’s frenzy265, she was compelled to slay. Yet was his last wish satisfied; for though the queen might not relent, the woman did forgive; and in many a mournful hour did Mary think on Chastelar.
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1
sublime
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| adj.崇高的，伟大的；极度的，不顾后果的 | |
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verge
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| n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临 | |
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3
mellow
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| adj.柔和的；熟透的；v.变柔和；(使)成熟 | |
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4
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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5
enchanting
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| a.讨人喜欢的 | |
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6
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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7
fleeting
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| adj.短暂的，飞逝的 | |
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8
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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9
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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10
waning
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| adj.（月亮）渐亏的，逐渐减弱或变小的n.月亏v.衰落( wane的现在分词 )；（月）亏；变小；变暗淡 | |
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11
dwellings
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| n.住处，处所( dwelling的名词复数 ) | |
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12
ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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13
loomed
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| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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14
partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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15
vapor
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| n.蒸汽，雾气 | |
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16
provincial
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| adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人 | |
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17
misty
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| adj.雾蒙蒙的，有雾的 | |
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18
jutting
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| v.（使）突出( jut的现在分词 )；伸出；（从…）突出；高出 | |
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19
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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20
velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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21
foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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22
lustre
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| n.光亮，光泽；荣誉 | |
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23
buttresses
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| n.扶壁，扶垛( buttress的名词复数 )v.用扶壁支撑，加固( buttress的第三人称单数 ) | |
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24
alleys
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| 胡同，小巷( alley的名词复数 )； 小径 | |
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25
evergreens
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| n.常青树，常绿植物，万年青( evergreen的名词复数 ) | |
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26
delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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27
soothing
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| adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的 | |
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28
languishing
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| a. 衰弱下去的 | |
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29
wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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30
dame
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| n.女士 | |
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31
dames
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| n.（在英国）夫人（一种封号），夫人（爵士妻子的称号）( dame的名词复数 )；女人 | |
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32
awaken
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| vi.醒，觉醒；vt.唤醒，使觉醒，唤起，激起 | |
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33
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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34
murmurs
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| n.低沉、连续而不清的声音( murmur的名词复数 )；低语声；怨言；嘀咕 | |
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35
lash
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| v.系牢；鞭打；猛烈抨击；n.鞭打；眼睫毛 | |
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36
tinkling
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| n.丁当作响声 | |
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37
lute
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| n.琵琶，鲁特琴 | |
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38
manly
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| adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地 | |
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39
melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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40
plaintive
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| adj.可怜的，伤心的 | |
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41
swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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42
strings
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| n.弦 | |
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43
extemporaneous
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| adj.即席的，一时的 | |
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44
tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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45
mingling
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| adj.混合的 | |
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46
fervent
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| adj.热的，热烈的，热情的 | |
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47
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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48
immortal
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| adj.不朽的；永生的，不死的；神的 | |
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49
adoration
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| n.爱慕，崇拜 | |
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50
bower
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| n.凉亭，树荫下凉快之处；闺房；v.荫蔽 | |
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51
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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52
muse
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| n.缪斯（希腊神话中的女神），创作灵感 | |
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53
hues
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| 色彩( hue的名词复数 )； 色调； 信仰； 观点 | |
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54
hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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55
stature
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| n.（高度）水平，（高度）境界，身高，身材 | |
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56
elegance
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| n.优雅；优美，雅致；精致，巧妙 | |
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57
majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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58
glossy
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| adj.平滑的；有光泽的 | |
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59
chestnut
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| n.栗树，栗子 | |
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60
impunity
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| n.(惩罚、损失、伤害等的)免除 | |
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61
tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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62
descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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63
condescension
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| n.自以为高人一等，贬低(别人) | |
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64
exalted
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| adj.(地位等)高的，崇高的；尊贵的，高尚的 | |
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65
transparent
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| adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的 | |
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66
attire
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| v.穿衣，装扮[同]array；n.衣着；盛装 | |
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67
distinctive
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| adj.特别的，有特色的，与众不同的 | |
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68
accomplishments
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| n.造诣；完成( accomplishment的名词复数 )；技能；成绩；成就 | |
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69
sable
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| n.黑貂；adj.黑色的 | |
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70
looms
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| n.织布机( loom的名词复数 )v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的第三人称单数 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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71
picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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72
rustling
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| n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的 | |
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73
costly
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| adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的 | |
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74
gem
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| n.宝石，珠宝；受爱戴的人 [同]jewel | |
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75
gems
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| growth； economy； management； and customer satisfaction 增长 | |
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76
bracelets
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| n.手镯，臂镯( bracelet的名词复数 ) | |
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77
demeanor
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| n.行为；风度 | |
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78
simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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79
splendor
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| n.光彩；壮丽，华丽；显赫，辉煌 | |
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80
rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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81
etiquette
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| n.礼仪，礼节；规矩 | |
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82
haughty
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| adj.傲慢的，高傲的 | |
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83
intercourse
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| n.性交；交流，交往，交际 | |
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84
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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85
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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86
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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87
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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88
err
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| vi.犯错误，出差错 | |
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89
sylvan
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| adj.森林的 | |
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90
groves
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| 树丛，小树林( grove的名词复数 ) | |
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91
hawk
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| n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员 | |
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92
hazy
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| adj.有薄雾的，朦胧的；不肯定的，模糊的 | |
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93
ranger
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| n.国家公园管理员，护林员；骑兵巡逻队员 | |
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94
conjured
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| 用魔术变出( conjure的过去式和过去分词 )； 祈求，恳求； 变戏法； （变魔术般地） 使…出现 | |
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95
mantling
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| 覆巾 | |
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96
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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97
dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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98
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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99
crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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100
minion
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| n.宠仆；宠爱之人 | |
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101
momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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102
nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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103
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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104
random
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| adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动 | |
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105
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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106
momentous
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| adj.重要的，重大的 | |
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107
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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108
barons
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| 男爵( baron的名词复数 )； 巨头； 大王； 大亨 | |
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109
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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110
grooms
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| n.新郎( groom的名词复数 )；马夫v.照料或梳洗（马等）( groom的第三人称单数 )；使做好准备；训练；（给动物）擦洗 | |
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111
inclination
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| n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好 | |
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112
obeisance
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| n.鞠躬，敬礼 | |
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113
heroism
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| n.大无畏精神，英勇 | |
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114
renown
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| n.声誉，名望 | |
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115
rivalry
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| n.竞争，竞赛，对抗 | |
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116
remonstrance
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| n抗议，抱怨 | |
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117
rebuke
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| v.指责，非难，斥责 [反]praise | |
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118
revered
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| v.崇敬，尊崇，敬畏( revere的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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119
calamity
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| n.灾害，祸患，不幸事件 | |
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120
caresses
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| 爱抚，抚摸( caress的名词复数 ) | |
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121
amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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122
previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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123
asunder
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| adj.分离的，化为碎片 | |
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124
fraught
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| adj.充满…的，伴有(危险等)的；忧虑的 | |
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125
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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126
warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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127
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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128
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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129
fervently
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| adv.热烈地，热情地，强烈地 | |
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130
reverence
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| n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬 | |
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131
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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132
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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133
slumbering
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| 微睡，睡眠（slumber的现在分词形式） | |
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134
eminently
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| adv.突出地；显著地；不寻常地 | |
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135
qualified
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| adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的 | |
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136
perishable
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| adj.（尤指食物）易腐的，易坏的 | |
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137
encompassed
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| v.围绕( encompass的过去式和过去分词 )；包围；包含；包括 | |
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138
skilful
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| (=skillful)adj.灵巧的，熟练的 | |
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139
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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140
archer
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| n.射手，弓箭手 | |
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141
requisite
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| adj.需要的，必不可少的；n.必需品 | |
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142
allurements
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| n.诱惑( allurement的名词复数 )；吸引；诱惑物；有诱惑力的事物 | |
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143
ardent
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的 | |
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144
salons
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| n.（营业性质的）店( salon的名词复数 )；厅；沙龙（旧时在上流社会女主人家的例行聚会或聚会场所）；（大宅中的）客厅 | |
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145
irresistible
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| adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的 | |
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146
fascinations
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| n.魅力( fascination的名词复数 )；有魅力的东西；迷恋；陶醉 | |
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147
rivet
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| n.铆钉；vt.铆接，铆牢；集中(目光或注意力) | |
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148
carousel
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| n.旋转式行李输送带 | |
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149
allusion
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| n.暗示，间接提示 | |
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150
covert
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| adj.隐藏的；暗地里的 | |
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151
intoxicated
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| 喝醉的，极其兴奋的 | |
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152
misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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153
prospects
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| n.希望，前途(恒为复数) | |
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154
predilections
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| n.偏爱，偏好，嗜好( predilection的名词复数 ) | |
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155
gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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156
inclinations
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| 倾向( inclination的名词复数 )； 倾斜； 爱好； 斜坡 | |
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157
lavished
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| v.过分给予，滥施( lavish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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158
profuse
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| adj.很多的，大量的，极其丰富的 | |
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159
dictated
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| v.大声讲或读( dictate的过去式和过去分词 )；口授；支配；摆布 | |
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160
herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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161
ascertained
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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162
derived
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| vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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163
deigned
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| v.屈尊，俯就( deign的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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164
betrothal
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| n. 婚约, 订婚 | |
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165
mightiest
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| adj.趾高气扬( mighty的最高级 )；巨大的；强有力的；浩瀚的 | |
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166
aspirations
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| 强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 )； 志向； 发送气音； 发 h 音 | |
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167
ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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168
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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169
entailed
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| 使…成为必要( entail的过去式和过去分词 )； 需要； 限定继承； 使必需 | |
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170
equestrian
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| adj.骑马的；n.马术 | |
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171
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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172
devotedness
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173
approbation
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| n.称赞；认可 | |
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174
insanity
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| n.疯狂，精神错乱；极端的愚蠢，荒唐 | |
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175
vehement
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| adj.感情强烈的；热烈的；(人)有强烈感情的 | |
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176
fortitude
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| n.坚忍不拔；刚毅 | |
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177
mien
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| n.风采；态度 | |
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178
secluded
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| adj.与世隔绝的；隐退的；偏僻的v.使隔开，使隐退( seclude的过去式和过去分词) | |
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179
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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180
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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181
demon
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| n.魔鬼，恶魔 | |
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182
nuptials
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| n.婚礼；婚礼( nuptial的名词复数 ) | |
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183
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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184
wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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185
feverish
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| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
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186
naught
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| n.无，零 [=nought] | |
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187
alteration
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| n.变更，改变；蚀变 | |
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188
undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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189
confided
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| v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的过去式和过去分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
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190
embarrassment
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| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
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191
esteemed
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| adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为 | |
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192
retirement
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| n.退休，退职 | |
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193
northward
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| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
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194
efface
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| v.擦掉，抹去 | |
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195
delicacy
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| n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴 | |
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196
throbbing
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| a. 跳动的,悸动的 | |
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197
obdurate
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| adj.固执的，顽固的 | |
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198
sonorous
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| adj.响亮的，回响的；adv.圆润低沉地；感人地；n.感人，堂皇 | |
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199
vows
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| 誓言( vow的名词复数 )； 郑重宣布，许愿 | |
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200
passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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201
feign
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| vt.假装，佯作 | |
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202
onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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203
syllable
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| n.音节；vt.分音节 | |
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204
vaulted
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| adj.拱状的 | |
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205
recess
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| n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处） | |
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206
virgin
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| n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的 | |
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207
penetrate
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| v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解 | |
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208
reigned
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| vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式） | |
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209
alcoves
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| n.凹室( alcove的名词复数 )；（花园）凉亭；僻静处；壁龛 | |
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210
casement
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| n.竖铰链窗；窗扉 | |
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211
garb
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| n.服装，装束 | |
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212
scantily
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| adv.缺乏地；不充足地；吝啬地；狭窄地 | |
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213
linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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214
glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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215
repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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216
pensively
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| adv.沉思地，焦虑地 | |
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217
embittered
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| v.使怨恨，激怒( embitter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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218
consolation
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| n.安慰，慰问 | |
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219
shrine
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| n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣 | |
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220
illuminated
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| adj.被照明的；受启迪的 | |
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221
penitent
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| adj.后悔的；n.后悔者；忏悔者 | |
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222
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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223
uprooted
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| v.把（某物）连根拔起( uproot的过去式和过去分词 )；根除；赶走；把…赶出家园 | |
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224
passionately
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| ad.热烈地，激烈地 | |
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225
banishing
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| v.放逐，驱逐( banish的现在分词 ) | |
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226
engrossing
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| adj.使人全神贯注的，引人入胜的v.使全神贯注( engross的现在分词 ) | |
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227
niche
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| n.壁龛；合适的职务(环境、位置等) | |
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228
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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229
purely
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| adv.纯粹地，完全地 | |
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230
modesty
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| n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素 | |
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231
mantle
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| n.斗篷，覆罩之物，罩子；v.罩住，覆盖，脸红 | |
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232
intensity
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| n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度 | |
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233
villain
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| n.反派演员，反面人物；恶棍；问题的起因 | |
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234
swelling
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| n.肿胀 | |
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235
innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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236
brook
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| n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让 | |
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237
infamous
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| adj.声名狼藉的，臭名昭著的，邪恶的 | |
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238
spurn
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| v.拒绝，摈弃；n.轻视的拒绝；踢开 | |
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239
extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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240
faltered
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| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 | |
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241
abject
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| adj.极可怜的，卑屈的 | |
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242
exult
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| v.狂喜，欢腾；欢欣鼓舞 | |
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243
infamy
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| n.声名狼藉，出丑，恶行 | |
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244
monstrous
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| adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的 | |
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245
inmates
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| n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 ) | |
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246
brandished
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| v.挥舞( brandish的过去式和过去分词 )；炫耀 | |
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247
blanched
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| v.使变白( blanch的过去式 )；使（植物）不见阳光而变白；酸洗（金属）使有光泽；用沸水烫（杏仁等）以便去皮 | |
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248
erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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249
doom
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| n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定 | |
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250
forfeit
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| vt.丧失；n.罚金，罚款，没收物 | |
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251
offender
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| n.冒犯者，违反者，犯罪者 | |
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252
minions
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| n.奴颜婢膝的仆从( minion的名词复数 )；走狗；宠儿；受人崇拜者 | |
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253
slay
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| v.杀死，宰杀，杀戮 | |
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254
pallid
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| adj.苍白的，呆板的 | |
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255
tremor
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| n.震动，颤动，战栗，兴奋，地震 | |
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256
majestic
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| adj.雄伟的，壮丽的，庄严的，威严的，崇高的 | |
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257
prostrate
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| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
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258
sobbing
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| <主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
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259
spurning
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| v.一脚踢开，拒绝接受( spurn的现在分词 ) | |
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260
cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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261
defiling
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| v.玷污( defile的现在分词 )；污染；弄脏；纵列行进 | |
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262
hoof
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| n.(马，牛等的)蹄 | |
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263
tolling
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| [财]来料加工 | |
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264
axe
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| n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减 | |
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265
frenzy
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| n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动 | |
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