Twodaysaftertheseconditionswereagreedupon，DarnleyhavingbeennotifiedthatthequeenwasalonewithRizzio，wishedtomakehimselfsureofthedegreeofherfavourenjoyedbytheminister。Heaccordinglywenttoherapartmentbyalittledoorofwhichhealwayskeptthekeyuponhim；butthoughthekeyturnedinthelock，thedoordidnotopen。ThenDarnleyknocked，announcinghimself；butsuchwasthecontemptintowhichhehadfallenwiththequeen，thatMarylefthimoutside，although，supposingshehadbeenalonewithRizzio，shewouldhavehadtimetosendhimaway。Darnley，driventoextremitiesbythis，summonedMorton，Ruthven，Lennox，Lindley，andDouglas’sbastard，andfixedtheassassinationofRizziofortwodayslater。
Theyhadjustcompletedallthedetails，andhad，distributedthepartsthateachmustplayinthisbloodytragedy，whensuddenly，andatthemomentwhentheyleastexpectedit，thedooropenedand，MaryStuartappearedonthethreshold。
“Mylords，“saidshe，“yourholdingthesesecretcounselsisuseless。
Iaminformedofyourplots，andwithGod’shelpIshallsoonapplyaremedy“。
Withthesewords，andbeforetheconspiratorshidhadtimetocollectthemselves，sheshutthedooragain，andvanishedlikeapassingbutthreateningvision。Allremainedthunderstruck。Mortonwasthefirsttofindhistongue。