I had a new man to help me now.The Earl of Bothwell—a strong,clever man. He was older than me;he was not a boy like Darnley. He worked hard and he could think. He was a good fighter and he was not afraid of other men. Per-haps you are like him, James, my son?
In January your father,Darnley,was ill in Glasgow.I went to see him, and took him back to Edinburgh. He was unhappy, and afraid of people. He saw enemies behind every door. Poorstupid boy! He said he loved me again. I was an-gry, but I felt sorry for him, too. He was very ill.
‘It's not far now, Henry,'I said.‘You can sleep in the castle.'
‘No, not there, please, Mary!'he said.‘I don't want to go into the castle. I'm afraid of it!'
‘But where do you want to go?'I asked.
‘Find me a little house outside the town, and stay with me there,'he said.‘We can be happy there.'
So I found him a small house called Kirk o'Field,outside Edinburgh. He stayed there, in a room upstairs, and some-times I slept in a room downstairs. Darnley was often afraid,and I visited him every day. Slowly, he got better.
On Sunday,9th February, there was a big wedding in Ed-inburgh. After the wedding, Bothwell and I walked out to Kirk o'Field to see Darnley and talk to him. Everyone sang,and laughed, and was very happy.
At ten o'clock I was tired.‘Good night, my lords,'I said.
‘I'm going downstairs to bed.'
Lord Bothwell put his hand on my arm.‘Your Majesty,'he said.‘You can't sleep here now.Don't you remember?Peo-ple are dancing and singing in town tonight—everyone wants you to go.'
‘Oh, yes. I forgot,'I said.‘Of course, people want to see me there. So, good night, Henry. Sleep well.'
Darnley was very unhappy.‘Please, Mary my love, don't go!'he said.‘Don't leave me here!'
But I did not love him now. I remembered the night when Riccio died.So I smiled and said,‘Good night,Henry.Be a man now.don't be afraid of the dark.'
Then I went downstairs with Lord Bothwell. Outside the house, we met one of Bothwell's men. He looked afraid, and there was something black on his face and hands.
‘Jesus, man, how dirty you are!'I said.‘Don't come near me with those hands.'
‘No, my lady, of course not,'he said. He looked at Both-well for a minute, and then ran away quickly. I laughed, got on my horse, and forgot about it.
I tell you before God, James, I did not kill your father.It was not me. I knew nothing about it—nothing!
I sang and danced in town, and then went to bed in Edin-burgh Castle. Then, at two o'clock in the morning, there was a sudden noise—a very big BANG! Everybody heard it all through the town.
‘My God!'I said.‘What's that?'
Everyone ran out of their rooms.Lord Bothwell was down-stairs.‘Don't be afraid, ladies,'he said.‘My men are out-side—they're going to see what it is.'
After an hour he came to see me.‘Please sit down, my lady,'he said.‘I have some unhappy news.'
‘Yes,my lord.What is it?'
‘It's your husband, Lord Darnley. He is dead.'
‘But—how? How did he die? Who killed him?'
‘I don't know, my lady.That bang—that was his house,Kirk o'Field. It's not there any more.'
‘What? And Darnley was inside?'
‘Well, no, my lady,'Bothwell said slowly.‘My men found him in the garden, not in the house. He is wearing only night clothes, and there is no blood on him. But he is dead. I am sorry.'
‘Take me out there! I want to see him—now!'
‘Yes, my lady.'
I went out to Kirk o'Field in the early morning. There was no house now—no walls, no doors, no windows—nothing.And there in the garden, a long way from the house, was that poor dead boy, my husband.
I did not love him but I cried then. He was your father,James, and I did not kill him. I don't know who killed him,but he had many enemies in Scotland.
I was very afraid.I, too, had enemies, and I often slept there. Perhaps someone wanted to kill me, too.
6 柯克·歐菲爾德
現(xiàn)在,我又有一個人來幫我了。博思韋爾勛爵——一個健壯聰明的男人。他比我大;他不像達恩利那樣像個小男孩。他工作努力且會思考。他是個勇士,他不怕別人?;蛟S你像他,詹姆斯,我的兒子?
一月份,你的父親,達恩利在格拉斯加生病了。我去看他,并把他帶回愛丁堡。他很不愉快且害怕周圍的人。每一扇門后面都有他的仇敵??蓱z、愚蠢的男孩!他說他又愛我了。我很生氣,但我也覺得對不住他。他病得很重。
“現(xiàn)在不遠了,亨利,”我說。“你可以睡在城堡里。”
“不,我不睡那兒,求求你,瑪麗!”他說。“我不想走進城堡。我怕!”
“但是你要去哪兒呢?”我問道。
“給我在鎮(zhèn)外找一間小房子,我們一起呆在那兒,”他說。“我們在那里可以很幸福。”
于是,我在愛丁堡外給他找了一間叫柯克·歐菲爾德的小屋。他住在那邊樓上的一間小房間里,而我有時候睡在樓下的房間里。達恩利經常感到恐懼。我每天都去看望他。漸漸地,他好轉起來了。
2月9日,星期日,在愛丁堡有一個大型的婚禮?;槎Y結束后,我和博思韋爾一起出來去柯克·歐菲爾德看望達恩利,陪他聊天。人們歡歌笑語,非??鞓?。
十點鐘了,我感到很累。“晚安,我的丈夫,我的勛爵,”我說道。“我下樓去睡了。”
博思韋爾勛爵抓住我的胳膊。“陛下,”他說。“現(xiàn)在你不能睡這兒。你難道忘了?今晚人們在鎮(zhèn)上載歌載舞——每個人都想你去。”
“噢,對,我忘了,”我說。“當然,人們想在那兒見到我。好吧,晚安,亨利,睡個好覺。”
達恩利很不高興。“瑪麗,我親愛的,請不要走!”他說。“不要留下我一人在這里!”
可是我現(xiàn)在不愛他了。我想起里奇奧被殺的那一晚。于是我笑著說,“晚安,亨利?,F(xiàn)在要像個男子漢。不要害怕黑暗。”
于是我和博思韋爾勛爵下了樓。在房子外面,我們碰到了一個博思韋爾的人。他看起來很驚慌,臉上和手上沾了些黑乎乎的東西。
“上帝,你這個人多臟啊!”我說。“手這么臟,不要走近我。”
“是,夫人,當然不,”他說。他朝博思韋爾看了一眼,很快就跑開了。我笑了,我騎上我的馬,就把這事給忘了。
在上帝面前,詹姆斯,我告訴你,我沒有殺死你的父親。不是我殺的。我對此一無所知——一點兒也不知道!
我在鎮(zhèn)上又唱又跳,然后就睡在了愛丁堡城里。早晨兩點鐘,突然傳來了呼的一聲巨響!整個鎮(zhèn)上的人都聽見了。
“我的上帝啊!”我說。“那是什么聲音?”
大家都從自己的房間里跑出來。博思韋爾勛爵下了樓。“不要害怕,夫人,”他說道。“我的人已經出去了——他們去看看到底是怎么回事。”
一個小時后他來見我。“請坐下,我的夫人,”他說道。“我有一些不愉快的消息告訴你。”
“好的,我的勛爵,是什么?”
“是你的丈夫,達恩利親王。他死了。”
“可是——怎么會?他怎么死的?誰殺了他?”
“我不知道,我的夫人。那聲巨響——就來自他的房子,柯克·歐菲爾德。它已不存在了。”
“什么?可達恩利在里面嗎?”
“噢,他不在,我的夫人,”博思韋爾慢慢地說。
“我的人在花園里而不是在房子里發(fā)現(xiàn)了他。他只穿著睡衣,身上沒有血跡。可他已經死了。我很難過。”
“把我?guī)У侥莾喝?我想見他——現(xiàn)在!”
“好吧,我的夫人。”
清晨,我去了柯克·歐菲爾德。現(xiàn)在那里已經沒有房子了——沒有墻,沒有門,沒有窗戶——什么也沒有。而在花園里,離房子很遠的地方,躺著那可憐的男孩的尸體——那就是我的丈夫。
雖然我不愛他,但那時候我哭了。他是你的父親,詹姆斯,我沒有殺他。我不知道是誰殺死了他,但他在蘇格蘭有很多仇敵。
我感到很害怕。我也有仇敵,而我經常睡在那里。或許有人也想殺我。