mary stuart-第14部分

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said　a　few　words　at　the　beginning　of　this　history；　was　a　woman　of

from　fifty…five　to　sixty　years　of　age；　who　had　been　handsome　enough

in　her　youth　to　fix　upon　herself　the　glances　of　King　James　V；　and　who

had　had　a　son　by　him；　who　was　this　same　Murray　whom　we　have　already

seen　figuring　so　often　in　Mary's　history；　and　who；　although　his　birth

was　illegitimate；　had　always　been　treated　as　a　brother　by　the　queen。



Lady　Lochleven　had　had　a　momentary　hope；　so　great　was　the　king's　love

for　her；　of　becoming　his　wife；　which　upon　the　whole　was　possible；　the

family　of　Mar；　from　which　she　was　descended；　being　the　equal　of　the

most　ancient　and　the　noblest　families　in　Scotland。　　But；　unluckily；

perhaps　slanderously；　certain　talk　which　was　circulating　among　the

young　noblemen　of　the　time　came　to　James's　ears；　it　was　said　that

together　with　her　royal　lover　the　beautiful　favourite　had　another；

whom　she　had　chosen；　no　doubt　from　curiosity；　from　the　very　lowest

class。　　It　was　added　that　this　Porterfeld；　or　Porterfield；　was　the

real　father　of　the　child　who　had　already　received　the　name　of　James

Stuart；　and　whom　the　king　was　educating　as　his　son　at　the　monastery

of　St。　　Andrews。　　These　rumours；　well　founded　or　not；　had　therefore

stopped　James　V　at　the　moment　when；　in　gratitude　to　her　who　had　given

him　a　son；　he　was　on　the　point　of　raising　her　to　the　rank　of　queen；

so　that；　instead　of　marrying　her　himself；　he　had　invited　her　to

choose　among　the　nobles　at　court；　and　as　she　was　very　handsome；　and

the　king's　favour　went　with　the　marriage；　this　choice；　which　fell　on

Lord　William　Douglas　of　Lochleven；　did　not　meet　with　any　resistance

on　his　part。　　However；　in　spite　of　this　direct　protection；　that　James

V　preserved　for　her　all　his　life；　Lady　Douglas　could　never　forget

that　she　had　fingered　higher　fortune；　moreover；　she　had　a　hatred　for

the　one　who；　according　to　herself；　had　usurped　her　place；　and　poor

Mary　had　naturally　inherited　the　profound　animosity　that　Lady　Douglas

bore　to　her　mother；　which　had　already　come　to　light　in　the　few　words

that　the　two　women　had　exchanged。　　Besides；　in　ageing；　whether　from

repentance　for　her　errors　or　from　hypocrisy；　Lady　Douglas　had　become

a　prude　and　a　puritan；　so　that　at　this　time　she　united　with　the

natural　acrimony　of　her　character　all　the　stiffness　of　the　new

religion　she　had　adopted。



William　Douglas；　who　was　the　eldest　son　of　Lord　Lochleven；　on　his

mother's　side　half…brother　of　Murray；　was　a　man　of　from　thirty…five

to　thirty…six　years　of　age；　athletic；　with　hard　and　strongly

pronounced　features；　red…haired　like　all　the　younger　branch；　and　who

had　inherited　that　paternal　hatred　that　for　a　century　the　Douglases

cherished　against　the　Stuarts；　and　which　was　shown　by　so　many　plots；

rebellions；　and　assassinations。　　According　as　fortune　had　favoured　or

deserted　Murray；　William　Douglas　had　seen　the　rays　of　the　fraternal

star　draw　near　or　away　from　him；　he　had　then　felt　that　he　was　living

in　another's　life；　and　was　devoted；　body　and　soul；　to　him　who　was　his

cause　of　greatness　or　of　abasement。　　Mary's　fall；　which　must

necessarily　raise　Murray；　was　thus　a　source　of　joy　for　him；　and　the

Confederate　lords　could　not　have　chosen　better　than　in　confiding　the

safe…keeping　of　their　prisoner　to　the　instinctive　spite　of　Lady

Douglas　and　to　the　intelligent　hatred　of　her　son。



As　to　Little　Douglas；　he　was；　as　we　have　said；　a　child　of　twelve；　for

some　months　an　orphan；　whom　the　Lochlevens　had　taken　charge　of；　and

whom　they　made　buy　the　bread　they　gave　him　by　all　sorts　of　harshness。

The　result　was　that　the　child；　proud　and　spiteful　as　a　Douglas；　and

knowing；　although　his　fortune　was　inferior；　that　his　birth　was　equal

to　his　proud　relatives；　had　little　by　little　changed　his　early

gratitude　into　lasting　and　profound　hatred：　for　one　used　to　say　that

among　the　Douglases　there　was　an　age　for　loving；　but　that　there　was

none　for　hating。　　It　results　that；　feeling　his　weakness　and

isolation；　the　child　was　self…contained　with　strength　beyond　his

years；　and；　humble　and　submissive　in　appearance；　only　awaited　the

moment　when；　a　grown…up　young　man；　he　could　leave　Lochleven；　and

perhaps　avenge　himself　for　the　proud　protection　of　those　who　dwelt

there。　　But　the　feelings　that　we　have　just　expressed　did　not　extend

to　all　the　members　of　the　family：　as　much　as　from　the　bottom　of　his

heart　the　little　Douglas　detested　William　and　his　mother；　so　much　he

loved　George；　the　second　of　Lady　Lochleven's　sons；　of　whom　we　have

not　yet　spoken；　because；　being　away　from　the　castle　when　the　queen

arrived；　we　have　not　yet　found　an　opportunity　to　present　him　to　our

readers。



George；　who　at　this　time　might　have　been　about　twenty…five　or　twenty…

six　years　old；　was　the　second　son　of　Lord　Lochleven；　but　by　a

singular　chance；　that　his　mother's　adventurous　youth　had　caused　Sir

William　to　interpret　amiss；　this　second　son　had　none　of　the

characteristic　features　of　the　Douglases'　full　cheeks；　high　colour；

large　ears；　and　red　hair。　　The　result　was　that　poor　George；　who；　on

the　contrary；　had　been　given　by　nature　pale　cheeks；　dark　blue　eyes；

and　black　hair；　had　been　since　coming　into　the　world　an　object　of

indifference　to　his　father　and　of　dislike　to　his　elder　brother。　　As

to　his　mother；　whether　she　were　indeed　in　good　faith　surprised　like

Lord　Douglas　at　this　difference　in　race；　whether　she　knew　the　cause

and　inwardly　reproached　herself；　George　had　never　been；　ostensibly　at

least；　the　object　of　a　very　lively　maternal　affection；　so　the　young

man；　followed　from　his　childhood　by　a　fatality　that　he　could　not

explain；　had　sprung　up　like　a　wild　shrub；　full　of　sap　and　strength；

but　uncultivated　and　solitary。　　Besides；　from　the　time　when　he　was

fifteen；　one　was　accustomed　to　his　motiveless　absences；　which　the

indifference　that　everyone　bore　him　made　moreover　perfectly

explicable；　from　time　to　time；　however；　he　was　seen　to　reappear　at

the　castle；　like　those　migratory　birds　which　always　return　to　the

same　place　but　only　stay　a　moment；　then　take　their　way　again　without

one's　knowing　towards　what　spot　in　the　world　they　are　directing　their

flight。



An　instinct　of　misfortune　in　common　had　drawn　Little　Douglas　to

George。　　George；　seeing　the　child　ill…treated　by　everyone；　had

conceived　an　affection　for　him；　and　Little　Douglas；　feeling　himself

loved　amid　the　atmosphere　of　indifference　around　him；　turned　with

open　arms　and　heart　to　George：　it　resulted　from　this　mutual　liking

that　one　day；　when　the　child　had　committed　I　do　not　know　what　fault；

and　that　William　Douglas　raised　the　whip　he　beat　his　dogs　with　to

strike　him；　that　George；　who　was　sitting　on　a　stone；　sad　and

thoughtful；　had　immediately　sprung　up；　snatched　the　whip　from　his

brother's　hands　and　had　thrown　it　far　from　him。　　At　this　insult

William　had　drawn　his　sword；　and　George　his；　so　that　these　two

brothers；　who　had　hated　one　another　for　twenty　years　like　two

enemies；　were　going　to　cut　one　another's　throats；　when　Little

Douglas；　who　had　picked　up　the　whip；　coming　back　and　kneeling　before

William；　offered　him　the　ignominious　weapon；　saying



〃Strike；　cousin；　I　have　deserved　it。〃



This　behaviour　of　the　child　had　caused　some　minutes'　reflection　to

the　two　young　men；　who；　terrified　at　the　crime　they　were　about　to

commit；　had　returned　their　swords　to　their　scabbards　and　had　each

gone　away　in　silence。　　Since　this　incident　the　friendship　of　George

and　Little　Douglas　had　acquired　new　strength；　and　on　the　child's　side

it　had　become　veneration。



We　dwell　upon　all　these　details　somewhat　at　length；　perhaps；　but　no

doubt　our　readers　will　pardon　us　when　they　see　the　use　to　be　made　of

them。



This　is　the　family；　less　George；　who；　as　we　have　said；　was　absent　at

the　time　of　her　arrival；　into　the　midst　of　which　the　queen　had

fallen；　passing　in　a　moment　from　the　summit　of　power　to　the　position

of　a　prisoner；　for　from　the　day　following　her　arrival　Mary　saw　that

it　was　by　such　a　title　she　was　an　inmate　of　Lochleven　Castle。　　In

fact；　Lady　Douglas　presented　herself　before　her　as　soon　as　it　was

morning；　and　with　an　embarrassment　and　dislike　ill　disguised　beneath

an　appearance　of　respectful　indifference；　invited　Mary　to　follow　her

and　take　stock　of　the　several　parts　of　the　fortress　which　had　been

chosen　beforehand　for　her　private　use。　　She　then　made　her　go　through

three　rooms；　of　which　one　was　to　serve　as　her　bedroom；　the　second　as

sitting…room；　and　the　third　as　ante…chamber；　afterwards；　leading　the

way　down　a　spiral　staircase；　which　looked　into　the　great　hall　of　the

castle；　its　only　outlet；　she　had　crossed　this　hall；　and　had　taken

Mary　into　the　garden　whose　trees　the　queen　had　seen　topping　the　high

walls　on　her　arrival：　it　was　a　little　square　of　ground；　forming　a

flower…bed　in　the　midst　of　which　was　an　artificial　fountain。　　It　was

entered　by　a　very　low　door；　repeated　in　the　opposite　wall；　this

second　door　looked　on　to　the　lake　and；　like　all　the　castle　doors；

whose　keys；　however；　never　left　the　belt　or　the　pillow　of　William

Douglas；　it　was　guarded　night　and　day　by　a　sentinel。　　This　was　now

the　whole　domain　of　her　who　had　possessed　the　palaces；　the　plains；

and　the　mountains　of　an　entire　kingdom。



Mary；　on　returning　to　her　room；　found　breakfast　ready；　and　William

Douglas　standing　near　the　table　he　was　going　to　fulfil　about　the

queen　the　duties　of　carver　and　taster。



In　spite　of　their　hatred　for　Mary；　the　Douglases　would　have

considered　it　an　eternal　blemish　on　their　honour　if　any　accident

should　have　befallen　the　queen　while　she　was　dwelling　in　their

castle；　and　it　was　in　order　that　the　queen　herself　should　not

entertain　any　fear　in　this　respect　that　William　Douglas；　in　his

quality　of　lord　of　the　manor；　had　not　only　desired　to　carve　before

the　queen；　but　even　to　taste　first　in　her　presence；　all　the　dishes

served　to　her；　as　well　as　the　water　and　the　several　wines　to　be

brought　her。　　This　precaution　saddened　Mar