Ientreatyou，tellmeyourdecision：GodaloneknowswhatIsuffer，andthatbecauseIoccupymyselfwithyouonly，becauseIloveandadoreonlyyou。IfIhaveoffendedyousometimes，youmustbearthereproach；forwhensomeoneoffendsme，ifitweregrantedmetocomplaintoyou，Ishouldnotconfidemygriefstoothers；butwhenweareonbadterms，Iamobligedtokeepthemtomyself，andthatmaddensme。’
“Hethenurgedmestronglytostaywithhimandlodgeinhishouse；
butIexcusedmyself，andrepliedthatheoughttobepurged，andthathecouldnotbe，conveniently，atGlasgow；thenhetoldmethatheknewIhadbroughtaletterforhim，butthathewouldhavepreferredtomakethejourneywithme。Hebelieved，Ithink，thatI
meanttosendhimtosomeprison：IrepliedthatIshouldtakehimtoCraigmiller，thathewouldfinddoctorsthere，thatIshouldremainnearhim，andthatweshouldbewithinreachofseeingmyson。HehasansweredthathewillgowhereIwishtotakehim，providedthatIgranthimwhathehasasked。Hedoesnot，however，wishtobeseenbyanyone。
“HehastoldmemorethanahundredprettythingsthatIcannotrepeattoyou，andatwhichyouyourselfwouldbesurprised：hedidnotwanttoletmego；hewantedtomakemesitupwithhimallnight。Asforme，Ipretendedtobelieveeverything，andIseemedtointerestmyselfreallyinhim。Besides，Ihaveneverseenhimsosmallandhumble；andifIhadnotknownhoweasilyhisheartoverflows，andhowmineisimpervioustoeveryotherarrowthanthosewithwhichyouhavewoundedit，IbelievethatIshouldhaveallowedmyselftosoften；butlestthatshouldalarmyou，IwoulddieratherthangiveupwhatIhavepromisedyou。Asforyou，besuretoactinthesamewaytowardsthosetraitorswhowilldoalltheycantoseparateyoufromme。Ibelievethatallthosepeoplehavebeencastinthesamemould：thisonealwayshasatearinhiseye；hebowsdownbeforeeveryone，fromthegreatesttothesmallest；hewishestointeresttheminhisfavour，andmakehimselfpitied。Hisfatherthrewupbloodto-daythroughthenoseandmouth；thinkwhatthesesymptomsmean。Ihavenotseenhimyet，forhekeepstothehouse。
Thekingwantsmetofeedhimmyself；hewon’teatunlessIdo。But，whateverImaydo，youwillbedeceivedbyitnomorethanIshallbedeceivingmyself。Weareunited，youandI，totwokindsofverydetestablepeople[MarymeansMissHuntly，Bothwell’swife，whomherepudiated，attheking’sdeath，tomarrythequeen。]：thathellmaysevertheseknotsthen，andthatheavenmayformbetterones，thatnothingcanbreak，thatitmaymakeofusthemosttenderandfaithfulcouplethateverwas；thereistheprofessionoffaithinwhichIwoulddie。
“Excusemyscrawl：youmustguessmorethanthehalfofit，butI
knownohelpforthis。Iamobligedtowritetoyouhastilywhileeveryoneisasleephere：butbeeasy，Itakeinfinitepleasureinmywatch；forIcannotsleepliketheothers，notbeingabletosleepasIwouldlike——thatistosay，inyourarms。
“Iamgoingtogetintobed；Ishallfinishmylettertomorrow：I
havetoomanythingstotelltoyou，thenightistoofaradvanced：
imaginemydespair。ItistoyouIamwriting，itisofmyselfthatIconversewithyou，andIamobligedtomakeanend。
“Icannotpreventmyself，however，fromfillinguphastilytherestofmypaper。Cursedbethecrazycreaturewhotormentsmesomuch！
Wereitnotforhim，Icouldtalktoyouofmoreagreeablethings：heisnotgreatlychanged；andyethehastakenagreatdealof%t。
Buthehasnearlykilledmewiththefetidsmellofhisbreath；fornowhisisstillworsethanyourcousin’s：youguessthatthisisafreshreasonformynotapproachinghim；onthecontrary，IgoawayasfarasIcan，andsitonachairatthefootofhisbed。
“LetusseeifIforgetanything。
Hisfather’smessengerontheroad；
ThequestionaboutJoachim；
The-stateofmyhouse；
Thepeopleofmysuite；
Subjectofmyarrival；
Joseph；
Conversationbetweenhimandme；
Hisdesiretopleasemeandhisrepentance；
Theexplanationofhisletter；
Mr。Livingston。
“Ah！Iwasforgettingthat。YesterdayLivingstonduringsuppertolddeRereinalowvoicetodrinktothehealthofoneIknewwell，andtobegmetodohimthehonour。Aftersupper，asIwasleaningonhisshouldernearthefire，hesaidtome，’Isitnottruethattherearevisitsveryagreeableforthosewhopaythemandthosewhoreceivethem？But，howeversatisfiedtheyseemwithyourarrival，I
challengetheirdelighttoequalthegriefofonewhomyouhaveleftaloneto-day，andwhowillneverbecontenttillheseesyouagain。’
Iaskedhimofwhomhewishedtospeaktome。Hethenansweredmebypressingmyarm：’Ofoneofthosewhohavenotfollowedyou；andamongthoseitiseasyforyoutoguessofwhomIwanttospeak。’
“Ihaveworkedtilltwoo’clockatthebracelet；Ihaveenclosedalittlekeywhichisattachedbytwostrings：itisnotaswellworkedasIshouldlike，butIhavenothadtimetomakeitbetter；Iwillmakeyouafineroneonthefirstoccasion。Takecarethatitisnotseenonyou；forIhaveworkedatitbeforeeveryone，anditwouldberecognisedtoacertainty。
“Ialwaysreturn，inspiteofmyself，tothefrightfulattemptthatyouadvise。Youcompelmetoconcealments，andabovealltotreacheriesthatmakemeshudder；Iwouldratherdie，believeme，thandosuchthings；foritmakesmyheartbleed。HedoesnotwanttofollowmeunlessIpromisehimtohavetheselfsamebedandboardwithhimasbefore，andnottoabandonhimsooften。IfIconsenttoit，hesayshewilldoallIwish，andwillfollowmeeverywhere；buthehasbeggedmetoputoffmydeparturefortwodays。Ihavepretendedtoagreetoallhewishes；butIhavetoldhimnottospeakofourreconciliationtoanyone，forfearitshouldmakesomelordsuneasy。AtlastIshalltakehimeverywhereIwish……Alas！Ihaveneverdeceivedanyone；butwhatwouldInotdotopleaseyou？
Command，andwhateverhappens，Ishallobey。Butseeyourselfifonecouldnotcontrivesomesecretmeansintheshapeofaremedy。HemustpurgehimselfatCraigmillerandtakebathsthere；hewillbesomedayswithoutgoingout。SofarasIcansee，heisveryuneasy；
buthehasgreattrustinwhatItellhim：however，hisconfidencedoesnotgosofarastoallowhimtoopenhismindtome。Ifyoulike，Iwilltellhimeverything：Icanhavenopleasureindeceivingsomeonewhoistrusting。However，itwillbejustasyouwish：donotesteemmethelessforthat。Itisyouadvisedit；
neverwouldvengeancehavetakenmesofar。Sometimesheattacksmeinaverysensitiveplace，andhetouchesmetothequickwhenhetellsmethathiscrimesareknown，butthateverydaygreateronesarecommittedthatoneuselesslyattemptstohide，sinceallcrimes，whatsoevertheybe，greatorsmall，cometomen’sknowledgeandformthecommonsubjectoftheirdiscourse。Headdssometimes，inspeakingtomeofMadamedeRere，’Iwishherservicesmaydoyouhonour。’Hehasassuredmethatmanypeoplethought，andthathethoughthimself，thatIwasnotmyownmistress；thisisdoubtlessbecauseIhadrejectedtheconditionsheofferedme。Finally，itiscertainthatheisveryuneasyaboutyouknowwhat，andthatheevensuspectsthathislifeisaimedat。Heisindespairwhenevertheconversationturnsonyou，Livingston，andmybrother。However，hesaysneithergoodnorillofabsentpeople；but，onthecontrary，healwaysavoidsspeakingofthem。Hisfatherkeepstothehouse：I
havenotseenhimyet。AnumberoftheHamiltonsarehere，andaccompanymeeverywhere；allthefriendsoftheotheronefollowmeeachtimeIgotoseehim。Hehasbeggedmetobeathisrisingto-
morrow。Mymessengerwilltellyoutherest。
“Burnmyletter：therewouldbedangerinkeepingit。Besides，itishardlyworththetrouble，beingfilledonlywithdarkthoughts。
“Asforyou，donotbeoffendedifIamsadanduneasyto-day，thattopleaseyouIriseabovehonour，remorse，anddangers。DonottakeinbadpartwhatItellyou，anddonotlistentothemaliciousexplanationsofyourwife’sbrother；heisaknavewhomyououghtnottoheartotheprejudiceofthemosttenderandmostfaithfulmistressthateverwas。Aboveall，donotallowyourselftobemovedbythatwoman：hershamtearsarenothingincomparisonwiththerealtearsthatIshed，andwithwhatloveandconstancymakemesufferatsucceedingher；itisforthatalonethatinspiteofmyselfIbetrayallthosewhocouldcrossmylove。Godhavemercyonme，andsendyoualltheprosperitythatahumbleandtenderfriendwhoawaitsfromyousoonanotherrewardwishesyou。Itisverylate；butitisalwayswithregretthatIlaydownmypenwhenIwritetoyou；
however，IshallnotendmyletteruntilIshallhavekissedyourhands。Forgivemethatitissoill-written：perhapsIdosoexpresslythatyoumaybeobligedtore-readitseveraltimes：IhavetranscribedhastilywhatIhadwrittendownonmytablets，andmypaperhasgivenout。Rememberatenderfriend，andwritetoheroften：lovemeastenderlyasIloveyou，andrememberMadamedeRere’swords；
TheEnglish；
Hismother；
TheEarlofArgyll；
TheEarlofBothwell；
TheEdinburghdwelling。“
SECONDLETTER