Marytookitwithamazement，unfoldedit，glancingatDouglas，whoremainedinthesameposture，andreadasfollows：
We，earls，lords，andbarons，inconsiderationthatourqueenisdetainedatLochleven，andthatherfaithfulsubjectscannothaveaccesstoherperson；seeing，ontheotherhand，thatourdutypledgesustoprovideforhersafety，promiseandsweartoemployallreasonablemeanswhichwilldependonustosetheratlibertyagainonconditionscompatiblewiththehonourofherMajesty，thewelfareofthekingdom，andevenwiththesafetyofthosewhokeepherinprison，providedthattheyconsenttogiveherup；thatiftheyrefuse，wedeclarethatwearepreparedtomakeuseofourselves，ourchildren，ourfriends，ourservants，ourvassals，ourgoods，ourpersons，andourlives，torestorehertoliberty，toprocurethesafetyoftheprince，andtoco-operateinpunishingthelateking’smurderers。Ifweareassailedforthisintent，whetherasabodyorinprivate，wepromisetodefendourselves，andtoaidoneanother，underpainofinfamyandperjury。SomayGodhelpus。
“GivenwithourownhandsatDumbarton，“St。Andrews，Argyll，Huntly，Arbroath，Galloway，Ross，Fleming，Herries，Stirling，Kilwinning，Hamilton，andSaint-Clair，Knight。“
“AndSeyton！“criedMary，“amongallthesesignatures，IdonotseethatofmyfaithfulSeyton。“
Douglas，stillkneeling，drewfromhisbreastasecondpaper，andpresentedittothequeenwiththesamemarksofrespect。Itcontainedonlythesefewwords：
“TrustGeorgeDouglas；foryourMajestyhasnomoredevotedfriendintheentirekingdom。
SEYTON。“
MaryloweredhereyestoDouglaswithanexpressionwhichwashersonly；then，givinghimherhandtoraisehim——
“Ah！“saidshe，withasighmoreofjoythanofsadness，“nowIseethatGod，inspiteofmyfaults，hasnotyetabandonedme。Buthowisit，inthiscastle，thatyou，aDouglas……oh！itisincredible！“
“Madam，“repliedGeorge，“sevenyearshavepassedsinceIsawyouinFranceforthefirsttime，andforsevenyearsIhavelovedyou“。
Marymoved；butDouglasputforthhishandandshookhisheadwithanairofsuchprofoundsadness，thatsheunderstoodthatshemighthearwhattheyoungmanhadtosay。Hecontinued：“Reassureyourself，madam；Ishouldneverhavemadethisconfessionif，whileexplainingmyconducttoyou，thisconfessionwouldnothavegivenyougreaterconfidenceinme。Yes，forsevenyearsIhavelovedyou，butasonelovesastarthatonecanneverreach，amadonnatowhomonecanonlypray；forsevenyearsIhavefollowedyoueverywherewithoutyoueverhavingpaidattentiontome，withoutmysayingawordormakingagesturetoattractyournotice。IwasontheknightofMevillon’sgalleywhenyoucrossedtoScotland；Iwasamongtheregent’ssoldierswhenyoubeatHuntly；IwasintheescortwhichaccompaniedyouwhenyouwenttoseethesickkingatGlasgow；IreachedEdinburghanhourafteryouhadleftitforLochleven；andthenitseemedtomethatmymissionwasrevealedtomeforthefirsttime，andthatthisloveforwhichtillthen，Ihadreproachedmyselfasacrime，wasonthecontraryafavourfromGod。IlearnedthatthelordswereassembledatDumbarton：Iflewthither。Ipledgedmyname，Ipledgedmyhonour，Ipledgedmylife；andIobtainedfromthem，thankstothefacilityIhadforcomingintothisfortress，thehappinessofbringingyouthepapertheyhavejustsigned。Now，madam，forgetallIhavetoldyou，excepttheassuranceofmydevotionandrespect：forgetthatIamnearyou；Iamusedtonotbeingseen：only，ifyouhaveneedofmylife，makeasign；forsevenyearsmylifehasbeenyours。“
“Alas！“repliedMary，“Iwascomplainingthismorningofnolongerbeingloved，andIoughttocomplain，onthecontrary，thatIamstillloved；forthelovethatIinspireisfatalandmortal。Lookback，Douglas，andcountthetombsthat，youngasIam，Ihavealreadyleftonmypath——FrancisII，Chatelard，Rizzio，Darnley……
Ohtoattachone’sselftomyfortunesmorethanloveisneedednowheroismanddevotionarerequisitesomuchthemorethat，asyouhavesaid，Douglas，itislovewithoutanypossiblereward。Doyouunderstand？“
“Oh，madam，madam，“answeredDouglas，“isitnotrewardbeyondmydesertstoseeyoudaily，tocherishthehopethatlibertywillberestoredtoyouthroughme，andtohaveatleast，ifIdonotgiveityou，thecertaintyofdyinginyoursight？“
“Pooryoungman！“murmuredMary，hereyesraisedtoheaven，asifshewerereadingtherebeforehandthefateawaitinghernewdefender。
“HappyDouglas，onthecontrary，“criedGeorge，seizingthequeen’shandandkissingitwithperhapsstillmorerespectthanlove，“happyDouglas！forinobtainingasighfromyourMajestyhehasalreadyobtainedmorethanhehoped。“
“Anduponwhathaveyoudecidedwithmyfriends？“saidthequeen，raisingDouglas，whotillthenhadremainedonhiskneesbeforeher。
“Nothingyet，“Georgereplied；“forwescarcelyhadtimetoseeoneanother。Yourescape，impossiblewithoutme，isdifficultevenwithme；andyourMajestyhasseenthatIwasobligedpubliclytofailinrespect，toobtainfrommymothertheconfidencewhichgivesmethegoodfortuneofseeingyouto-day：ifthisconfidenceonmymother’sormybrother’sparteverextendstogivinguptomethecastlekeys，thenyouaresaved！LetyourMajestynotbesurprisedatanything，then：inthepresenceofothers，IshalleverbealwaysaDouglas，thatisanenemy；andexceptyourlifebeindanger，madam，Ishallnotutteraword，IshallnotmakeagesturewhichmightbetraythefaiththatIhaveswornyou；but，onyourside，letyourgraceknowwell，thatpresentorabsent，whetherIamsilentorspeak，whetherI
actorremaininert，allwillbeinappearanceonly，savemydevotion。Only，“continuedDouglas，approachingthewindowandshowingtothequeenalittlehouseonKinrosshill，——“only，lookeveryeveninginthatdirection，madam，andsolongasyouseealightshinethere，yourfriendswillbekeepingwatchforyou，andyouneednotlosehope。“
“Thanks，Douglas，thanks，“saidthequeen；“itdoesonegoodtomeetwithaheartlikeyoursfromtimetotime——oh！thanks。“
“Andnow，madam，“repliedtheyoungman，“ImustleaveyourMajesty；
toremainlongerwithyouwouldbetoraisesuspicions，andasingledoubtofme，thinkofitwell，madam，andthatlightwhichisyoursolebeaconisextinguished，andallreturnsintonight。“
Withthesewords，Douglasbowedmorerespectfullythanhehadyetdone，andwithdrew，leavingMaryfullofhope，andstillmorefullofpride；forthistimethehomagethatshehadjustreceivedwascertainlyforthewomanandnotforthequeen。
Asthequeenhadtoldhim，MarySeytonwasinformedofeverything，eventheloveofDouglas，and，thetwowomenimpatientlyawaitedtheeveningtoseeifthepromisedstarwouldshineonthehorizon。
Theirhopewasnotinvain：attheappointedtimethebeaconwaslit。
Thequeentrembledwithjoy，foritwastheconfirmationofherhopes，andhercompanioncouldnottearherfromthewindow，wheresheremainedwithhergazefastenedonthelittlehouseinKinross。
AtlastsheyieldedtoMarySeyton’sprayers，andconsentedtogotobed；buttwiceinthenightsherosenoiselesslytogotothewindow：
thelightwasalwaysshining，andwasnotextinguishedtilldawn，withitssistersthestars。
Nextday，atbreakfast，Georgeannouncedtothequeenthereturnofhisbrother，WilliamDouglas：hearrivedthesameevening；astohimself，George，hehadtoleaveLochlevennextmorning，toconferwiththenobleswhohadsignedthedeclaration，andwhohadimmediatelyseparatedtoraisetroopsintheirseveralcounties。Thequeencouldnotattempttogoodpurposeanyescapebutatatimewhenshewouldbesureofgatheringroundheranarmystrongenoughtoholdthecountry；astohim，Douglas，onewassousedtohissilentdisappearancesandtohisunexpectedreturns，thattherewasnoreasontofearthathisdeparturewouldinspireanysuspicion。
AllpassedasGeorgehadsaid：intheeveningthesoundofabugleannouncedthearrivalofWilliamDouglas；hehadwithhimLordRuthven，thesonofhimwhohadassassinatedRizzio，andwho，exiledwithMortonafterthemurder，diedinEnglandofthesicknesswithwhichhewasalreadyattackedthedayoftheterriblecatastropheinwhichwehaveseenhimtakesuchalargeshare。HeprecededbyonedayLordLindsayofByresandSirRobertMelville，brotherofMary’sformerambassadortoElizabeth：allthreewerechargedwithamissionfromtheregenttothequeen。
Onthefollowingdayeverythingfellbackintotheusualroutine，andWilliamDouglasreassumedhisdutiesascarver。BreakfastpassedwithoutMary’shavinglearnedanythingofGeorge’sdepartureorRuthven’sarrival。Onrisingfromthetableshewenttoherwindow：
scarcelywasshetherethansheheardthesoundofahornechoingontheshoresofthelake，andsawalittletroopofhorsemenhalt，whilewaitingfortheboattocameandtakethosewhoweregoingtothecastle。
ThedistancewastoogreatforMarytorecogniseanyofthevisitors；
butitwasclear，fromthesignsofintelligenceexchangedbetweenthelittletroopandtheinhabitantsofthefortress，thatthenewcomerswereherenemies。Thiswasareasonwhythequeen，inheruneasiness，shouldnotlosesightforamomentoftheboatwhichwasgoingtofetchthem。Shesawonlytwomengetintoit；andimmediatelyitputoffagainforthecastle。
Astheboatdrewnearer，Mary’spresentimentschangedtorealfears，forinoneofthemencomingtowardshershethoughtshemadeoutLordLindsayofByres，thesamewho，aweekbefore，hadbroughthertoherprison。Itwasindeedhehimself，asusualinasteelhelmetwithoutavisor，whichallowedonetoseehiscoarsefacedesignedtoexpressstrongpassions，andhislongblackbeardwithgreyhairshereandthere，whichcoveredhischest：hispersonwasprotected，asifitwereintimeofwar，withhisfaithfulsuitofarmour，formerlypolishedandwellgilded，butwhich，exposedwithoutceasingtorainandmist，wasnoweatenupwithrust；hehadslungonhisback，muchasoneslingsaquiver，abroadsword，soheavythatittooktwohandstomanageit，andsolongthatwhilethehiltreachedtheleftshoulderthepointreachedtherightspur：inaword，hewasstillthesamesoldier，bravetorashnessbutbrutaltoinsolence，recognisingnothingbutrightandforce，andalwaysreadytouseforcewhenhebelievedhimselfintheright。
ThequeenwassomuchtakenupwiththesightofLordLindsayofByres，thatitwasonlyjustastheboatreachedtheshorethatsheglancedathiscompanionandrecognisedRobertMelville，：thiswassomeconsolation，for，whatevermighthappen，sheknewthatsheshouldfindinhimifnotostensibleatleastsecretsympathy。