Then Mary, perceiving the fatal humour of men's minds, decided9 not to run the risk of a battle. She sent a herald10 to Kirkcaldy of Grange, who was commanding an outpost, and as he was advancing without distrust to converse11 with the queen, Bothwell, enraged12 at his own cowardice13, ordered a soldier to fire upon him; but this time Mary herself interposed, forbidding him under pain of death to offer the least violence. In the meanwhile, as the imprudent order given by Bothwell spread through the army, such murmurs14 burst forth15 that he clearly saw that his cause was for ever lost.
That is what the queen thought also; for the result of her conference with Lord Kirkcaldy was that she should abandon Bothwell's cause, and pass over into the camp of the Confederates, on condition that they would lay down their arms before her and bring her as queen to Edinburgh. Kirkcaldy left her to take these conditions to the nobles, and promised to return next day with a satisfactory answer. But at the moment of leaving Bothwell, Mary was seized again with that fatal love for him that she was never able to surmount16, and felt herself overcome with such weakness, that, weeping bitterly, and before everyone, she wanted Kirkcaldy to be told that she broke off all negotiations; however, as Bothwell had understood that he was no longer safe in camp, it was he who insisted that things should remain as they were; and, leaving Mary in tears, he mounted, and setting off at full speed, he did not stop till he reached Dunbar.
Next day, at the time appointed, the arrival of Lord Kirkcaldy of Grange was announced by the trumpeters preceding him. Mary mounted directly and went to meet him; them, as he alighted to greet her, "My lord;" said she, "I surrender to you, on the conditions that you have proposed to me on the part of the nobles, and here is my hand as a sign of entire confidence". Kirkcaldy then knelt down, kissed, the queen's hand respectfully; and, rising, he took her horse by the bridle17 and led it towards the Confederates' camp.
Everyone of any rank in the army received her with such marks of respect as entirely18 to satisfy her; but it was not so at all with the soldiers and common people. Hardly had the queen reached the second line, formed by them, than great murmurs arose, and several voices cried, "To the stake, the adulteress! To the stake, the parricide19!" However, Mary bore these outrages20 stoically enough but a more terrible trial yet was in store for her. Suddenly she saw rise before her a banner, on which was depicted21 on one side the king dead and stretched out in the fatal garden, and on the other the young prince kneeling, his hands joined and his eyes raised to heaven, with this inscription22, "O Lord! judge and revenge my cause!" Mary reined23 in her horse abruptly24 at this sight, and wanted to turn back; but she had scarcely moved a few paces when the accusing banner again blocked her passage. Wherever she went, she met this dreadful apparition25. For two hours she had incessantly26 under her eyes the king's corpse27 asking vengeance28, and the young prince her son praying God to punish the murderers. At last she could endure it no longer, and, crying out, she threw herself back, having completely lost consciousness, and would have fallen, if someone had not caught hold of her. In the evening she entered Edinburgh, always preceded by the cruel banner, and she already had rather the air of a prisoner than of a queen; for, not having had a moment during the day to attend to her toilet, her hair was falling in disorder29 about her shoulders, her face was pale and showed traces of tears; and finally, her clothes were covered with dust and mud. As she proceeded through the town, the hootings of the people and the curses of the crowd followed her. At last, half dead with fatigue30, worn out with grief, bowed down with shame, she reached the house of the Lord Provost; but scarcely had she got there when the entire population of Edinburgh crowded into the square, with cries that from time to time assumed a tone of terrifying menace. Several times, then, Mary wished to go to the window, hoping that the sight of her, of which she had so often proved the influence, would disarm31 this multitude; but each time she saw this banner unfurling itself like a bloody32 curtain between herself and the people—a terrible rendering33 of their feelings.
However, all this hatred34 was meant still more for Bothwell than for her: they were pursuing Bothwell in Darnley's widow. The curses were for Bothwell: Bothwell was the adulterer, Bothwell was the murderer, Bothwell was the coward; while Mary was the weak, fascinated woman, who, that same evening, gave afresh proof of her folly35.
In fact, directly the falling night had scattered36 the crowd and a little quiet was regained37, Mary, ceasing to be uneasy on her own account, turned immediately to Bothwell, whom she had been obliged to abandon, and who was now proscribed38 and fleeing; while she, as she believed, was about to reassume her title and station of queen. With that eternal confidence of the woman in her own love, by which she invariably measures the love of another, she thought that Bothwell's greatest distress39 was to have lost, not wealth and power, but to have lost herself. So she wrote him a long letter, in which, forgetful of herself, she promised him with the most tender expressions of love never to desert him, and to recall him to her directly the breaking up of the Confederate lords should give her power to do so; then, this letter written, she called a soldier, gave him a purse of gold, and charged him to take this letter to Dunbar, where Bothwell ought to be, and if he were already gone, to follow him until he came up with him.
Then she went to bed and slept more calmly; for, unhappy as she was, she believed she had just sweetened misfortunes still greater than hers.
Next day the queen was awakened40 by the step of an armed man who entered her room. Both astonished and frightened at this neglect of propriety41, which could augur42 nothing good, Mary sat up in bed, and parting the curtains, saw standing43 before her Lord Lindsay of Byres: she knew he was one of her oldest friends, so she asked him in a voice which she vainly tried to make confident, what he wanted of her at such a time.
"Do you know this writing, madam?" Lord Lindsay asked in a rough voice, presenting to the queen the letter she had written to Bothwell at night, which the soldier had carried to the Confederate lords, instead of taking to its address.
"Yes, doubtless, my lord," the queen answered; "but am I already a prisoner, then, that my correspondence is intercepted44? or is it no longer allowed to a wife to write to her husband?"
"When the husband is a traitor," replied Lindsay, "no, madam, it is no longer allowed to a wife to write to her husband—at least, however, if this wife have a part in his treason; which seems to me, besides, quite proved by the promise you make to this wretch45 to recall him to you."
"My lord," cried Mary, interrupting Lindsay, "do you forget that you are speaking to your queen."
"There was a time, madam," Lindsay replied, "when I should have spoken to you in a more gentle voice, and bending the knee, although it is not in the nature of us old Scotch46 to model ourselves on your French courtiers; but for some time, thanks to your changing loves, you have kept us so often in the field, in harness, that our voices are hoarse47 from the cold night air, and our stiff knees can no longer bend in our armour48: you must then take me just as I am, madam; since to-day, for the welfare of Scotland, you are no longer at liberty to choose your favourites."
Mary grew frightfully pale at this want of respect, to which she was not yet accustomed; but quickly containing her anger, as far as possible—
"But still, my lord," said she, "however disposed I may be to take you as you are, I must at least know by what right you come here. That letter which you are holding in your hand would lead me to think it is as a spy, if the ease with which you enter my room without being asked did not make me believe it is as a gaoler. Have the goodness, then, to inform me by which of these two names I must call you."
"Neither by one nor the other, madam; for I am simply your fellow-traveller, chef of the escort which is to take you to Lochleven Castle, your future residence. And yet, scarcely have I arrived there than I shall be obliged to leave you to go and assist the Confederate lords choose a regent for the kingdom."
"So," said Mary, "it was as prisoner and not as queen that I surrendered to Lord Kirkcaldy. It seems to me that things were agreed upon otherwise; but I am glad to see how much time Scotch noblemen need to betray their sworn undertakings49".
"Your Grace forgets that these engagements were made on one condition," Lindsay answered.
"On which?" Mary asked.
"That you should separate for ever from your husband's murderer; and there is the proof," he added, showing the letter, "that you had forgotten your promise before we thought of revoking50 ours."
"And at what o'clock is my departure fixed51?" said Mary, whom this discussion was beginning to fatigue.
"At eleven o'clock, madam."
"It is well, my lord; as I have no desire to make your lordship wait, you will have the goodness, in withdrawing, to send me someone to help me dress, unless I am reduced to wait upon myself."
And, in pronouncing these words, Mary made a gesture so imperious, that whatever may have been Lindsay's wish to reply, he bowed and went out. Behind him entered Mary Seyton.
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收听单词发音
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1
levied
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| 征（兵）( levy的过去式和过去分词 )； 索取； 发动（战争）； 征税 | |
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2
vassals
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| n.奴仆( vassal的名词复数 )；（封建时代）诸侯；从属者；下属 | |
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exhort
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| v.规劝，告诫 | |
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negotiations
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| 协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过 | |
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5
blustering
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| adj.狂风大作的，狂暴的v.外强中干的威吓( bluster的现在分词 )；咆哮；（风）呼啸；狂吹 | |
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6
innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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7
pretexts
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| n.借口，托辞( pretext的名词复数 ) | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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10
herald
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| vt.预示...的来临，预告，宣布，欢迎 | |
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converse
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| vi.谈话，谈天，闲聊；adv.相反的，相反 | |
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12
enraged
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| 使暴怒( enrage的过去式和过去分词 )； 歜； 激愤 | |
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13
cowardice
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| n.胆小，怯懦 | |
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14
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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15
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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surmount
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| vt.克服；置于…顶上 | |
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17
bridle
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| n.笼头，束缚；vt.抑制，约束；动怒 | |
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18
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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19
parricide
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| n.杀父母；杀亲罪 | |
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20
outrages
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| 引起…的义愤，激怒( outrage的第三人称单数 ) | |
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21
depicted
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| 描绘，描画( depict的过去式和过去分词 )； 描述 | |
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22
inscription
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| n.（尤指石块上的）刻印文字，铭文，碑文 | |
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23
reined
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| 勒缰绳使（马）停步( rein的过去式和过去分词 )； 驾驭； 严格控制； 加强管理 | |
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24
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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apparition
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| n.幽灵，神奇的现象 | |
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26
incessantly
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| ad.不停地 | |
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27
corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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28
vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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29
disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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30
fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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31
disarm
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| v.解除武装，回复平常的编制，缓和 | |
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32
bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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33
rendering
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| n.表现，描写 | |
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34
hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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35
folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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36
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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37
regained
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| 复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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38
proscribed
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| v.正式宣布（某事物）有危险或被禁止( proscribe的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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39
distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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40
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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41
propriety
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| n.正当行为；正当；适当 | |
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42
augur
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| n.占卦师；v.占卦 | |
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43
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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44
intercepted
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| 拦截( intercept的过去式和过去分词 )； 截住； 截击； 拦阻 | |
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45
wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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46
scotch
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| n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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47
hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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48
armour
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| （=armor）n.盔甲；装甲部队 | |
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49
undertakings
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| 企业( undertaking的名词复数 )； 保证； 殡仪业； 任务 | |
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50
revoking
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| v.撤销，取消，废除( revoke的现在分词 ) | |
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51
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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