Hesayseverythinghecantopersuademethathelovesme；hehasathousandattentionsforme，andheanticipatesmeineverything：allthatissopleasantforme，thatInevergotohimbutthepaininmysidecomesonagain，hiscompanyweighsonmesomuch。IfParisbroughtmewhatIaskedhim，Ishouldbesooncured。IfyouhavenotyetreturnedwhenIgoyouknowwhere，writetome，Ibegyou，andtellmewhatyouwishmetodo；forifyoudonotmanagethingsprudently，Iforeseethatthewholeburdenwillfallonme：lookintoeverythingandweightheaffairmaturely。IsendyoumyletterbyBeaton，whowillsetoutthedaywhichhasbeenassignedtoBalfour。
Itonlyremainsformetobegyoutoinformmeofyourjourney。
“Glasgow，thisSaturdaymorning。“
THIRDLETTER
“IstayedyouknowwherelongerthanIshouldhavedone，ifithadnotbeentogetfromhimsomethingthatthebearerofthesepresentswilltellyouitwasagoodopportunityforcoveringupourdesigns：
Ihavepromisedhimtobringthepersonyouknowto-morrow。Lookaftertherest，ifyouthinkfit。Alas！Ihavefailedinouragreement，foryouhaveforbiddenmetowritetoyou，ortodespatchamessengertoyou。However，Idonotintendtooffendyou：ifyouknewwithwhatfearsIamagitated，youwouldnothaveyourselfsomanydoubtsandsuspicions。ButItakethemingoodpart，persuadedasIamthattheyhavenoothercausethanlove——lovethatIesteemmorethananythingonearth。
“Myfeelingsandmyfavoursaretomesurewarrantsforthatlove，andanswertomeforyourheart；mytrustisentireonthishead：butexplainyourself，Ientreatyou，andopenyoursoultome；otherwise，Ishallfearlest，bythefatalityofmystar，andbythetoofortunateinfluenceofthestarsonwomenlesstenderandlessfaithfulthanI，ImaybesupplantedinyourheartasMedeawasinJason’s；notthatIwishtocompareyoutoaloverasunfortunateasJason，andtoparallelmyselfwithamonsterlikeMedea，althoughyouhaveenoughinfluenceovermetoforcemetoresemblehereachtimeourloveexactsit，andthatitconcernsmetokeepyourheart，whichbelongstome，andwhichbelongstomeonly。ForInameasbelongingtomewhatIhavepurchasedwiththetenderandconstantlovewithwhichIhaveburnedforyou，alovemorealiveto-daythanever，andwhichwillendonlywithmylife；alove，inshort，whichmakesmedespiseboththedangersandtheremorsewhichwillbeperhapsitssadsequel。Asthepriceofthissacrifice，Iaskyoubutonefavour，itistorememberaspotnotfarfromhere：Idonotexactthatyoushouldkeepyourpromiseto-morrow；butIwanttoseeyoutodisperseyoursuspicions。IaskofGodonlyonething：itisthatHeshouldmakeyoureadmyheart，whichislessminethanyours，andthatHeshouldguardyoufromeveryill，atleastduringmylife：
thislifeisdeartomeonlyinsofarasitpleasesyou，andasI
pleaseyoumyself。Iamgoingtobed：adieu；givemeyournewsto-
morrowmorning；forIshallbeuneasytillIhaveit。Likeabirdescapedfromitscage，ortheturtle-dovewhichhaslosthermate，I
shallbealone，weepingyourabsence，shortasitmaybe。Thisletter，happierthanI，willgothiseveningwhereIcannotgo，providedthatthemessengerdoesnotfindyouasleep，asIfear。I
havenotdaredtowriteitinthepresenceofJoseph，ofSebastian，andofJoachim，whohadonlyjustleftmewhenIbeganit。“
Thus，asonesees，andalwayssupposingtheseletterstobegenuine，MaryhadconceivedforBothwelloneofthosemadpassions，somuchthestrongerinthewomenwhoareapreytothem，thatonethelessunderstandswhatcouldhaveinspiredthem。Bothwellwasnolongeryoung，Bothwellwasnothandsome，andyetMarysacrificedforhimayounghusband，whowasconsideredoneofthehandsomestmenofhiscentury。Itwaslikeakindofenchantment。Darnley，thesoleobstacletotheunion，hadbeenalreadycondemnedforalongtime，ifnotbyMary，atleastbyBothwell；then，ashisstrongconstitutionhadconqueredthepoison，anotherkindofdeathwassoughtfor。
Thequeen，assheannouncesinherlettertoBothwel1，hadrefusedtobringbackDarnleywithher，andhadreturnedalonetoEdinburgh。
Arrivedthere，shegaveordersforthekingtobemoved，inhisturn，inalitter；butinsteadoftakinghimtoStirlingorHolyrood，shedecidedtolodgehimintheabbeyoftheKirkofField。Thekingmadesomeobjectionswhenheknewofthisarrangement；however，ashehadnopowertoopposeit，hecontentedhimselfwithcomplainingofthesolitudeofthedwellingassignedhim；butthequeenmadeanswerthatshecouldnotreceivehimatthatmoment，eitheratHolyroodoratStirling，forfear，ifhisillnesswereinfectious，lesthemightgiveittohisson：Darnleywasthenobligedtomakethebestoftheabodeallottedhim。
Itwasanisolatedabbey，andlittlecalculatedbyitspositiontodissipatethefearsthatthekingentertained；foritwassituatedbetweentworuinedchurchesandtwocemeteries：theonlyhouse，whichwasdistantaboutashotfromacross-bow，belongedtotheHamiltons，andastheywereDarnley’smortalenemiestheneighbourhoodwasnonethemorereassuring：further，towardsthenorth，rosesomewretchedhuts，calledthe“Thieves’cross-roads“。Ingoingroundhisnewresidence，Darnleynoticedthatthreeholes，eachlargeenoughforamantogetthrough，hadbeenmadeinthewalls；heaskedthattheseholes，throughwhichill-meaningpersonscouldgetin，shouldbestoppedup：itwaspromisedthatmasonsshouldbesent；butnothingwasdone，andtheholesremainedopen。
ThedayafterhisarrivalatKirkofField，thekingsawalightinthathousenearhiswhichliebelieveddeserted；nextdayheaskedAlexanderDurhamwhenceitcame，andheheardthattheArchbishopofSt。Andrew’shadlefthispalaceinEdinburghandhadhousedtheresincetheprecedingevening，onedidn’tknowwhy：thisnewsstillfurtherincreasedtheking’suneasiness；theArchbishopofSt。
Andrew’swasoneofhismostdeclaredenemies。
Theking，littlebylittleabandonedbyallhisservantslivedonthefirstfloorofanisolatedpavilion，havingabouthimonlythissameAlexanderDurham，whomwehavementionedalready，andwhowashisvalet。Darnley，whohadquiteaspecialfriendshipforhim，andwhobesides，aswehavesaid，fearedsomeattackonhislifeateverymoment，hadmadehimmovehisbedintohisownapartment，sothatbothweresleepinginthesameroom。
Onthenightofthe8thFebruary，DarnleyawokeDurham：hethoughtheheardfootstepsintheapartmentbeneathhim。Durhamrose，tookaswordinonehand，ataperintheother，andwentdowntothegroundfloor；butalthoughDarnleywasquitecertainhehadnotbeendeceived，Durhamcameupagainamomentafter，sayinghehadseennoone。
Themorningofthenextdaypassedwithoutbringinganythingfresh。
ThequeenwasmarryingoneofherservantsnamedSebastian：hewasanAuvergnatwhomshehadbroughtwithherfromFrance，andwhomshelikedverymuch。However，asthekingsentwordthathehadnotseenherfortwodays，shelefttheweddingtowardssixo’clockintheevening，andcametopayhimavisit，accompaniedbytheCountessofArgyllandtheCountessofHuntly。Whileshewasthere，Durham，inpreparinghisbed，setfiretohispalliasse，whichwasburnedaswellasapartofthemattress；sothat，havingthrownthemoutofthewindowallinflames，forfearlestthefireshouldreachtherestofthefurniture，hefoundhimselfwithoutabed，andaskedpermissiontoreturntothetowntosleep；butDarnley，whorememberedhisterrorthenightbefore，andwhowassurprisedatthepromptnessthathadmadeDurhamthrowallhisbeddingoutofthewindow，beggedhimnottogoaway，offeringhimoneofhismattresses，oreventotakehimintohisownbed。However，inspiteofthisoffer，Durhaminsisted，sayingthathefeltunwell，andthatheshouldliketoseeadoctorthesameevening。SothequeenintercededforDurham，andpromisedDarnleytosendhimanothervalettospendthenightwithhim：Darnleywasthenobligedtoyield，and，makingMaryrepeatthatshewouldsendhimsomeone，hegaveDurhamleaveforthatevening。AtthatmomentParis；ofwhomthequeenspeaksinherletters，camein：hewasayoungFrenchmanwhohadbeeninScotlandforsomeyears，andwho，afterhavingservedwithBothwellandSeyton，wasatpresentwiththequeen。Seeinghim，shegotup，andasDarnleystillwishedtokeepher——
“Indeed，mylord，itisimpossible，“saidshe，“tocomeandseeyou。
IhaveleftthispoorSebastian’swedding，andImustreturntoit；
forIpromisedtocamemaskedtohisball。“
Thekingdarednotinsist；heonlyremindedherofthepromisethatshehadmadetosendhimaservant：Maryrenewedityetonceagain，andwentawaywithherattendants。AsforDurham，hehadsetoutthemomenthereceivedpermission。
Itwasnineo’clockintheevening。Darnley，leftalone，carefullyshutthedoorswithin，andretiredtorest，thoughinreadinesstorisetoletintheservantwhoshouldcometospendthenightwithhim。Scarcelywasheinbedthanthesamenoisethathehadheardthenightbeforerecommenced；thistimeDarnleylistenedwithalltheattentionfeargives，andsoonhehadnolongeranydoubtbutthatseveralmenwerewalkingaboutbeneathhim。Itwasuselesstocall，itwasdangeroustogoout；towaitwastheonlycoursethatremainedtotheking。Hemadesureagainthatthedoorswerewellfastened，puthisswordunderhispillow，extinguishedhislampforfearthelightmightbetrayhim，andawaitedinsilenceforhisservant’sarrival；butthehourspassedaway，andtheservantdidnotcome。
Atoneo’clockinthemorning，Bothwell，afterhavingtalkedsomewhilewiththequeen，inthepresenceofthecaptainoftheguard，returnedhometochangehisdress；aftersomeminutes，hecameoutwrappedupinthelargecloakofaGermanhussar，wentthroughtheguard-house，andhadthecastlegateopened。Onceoutside，hetookhiswaywithallspeedtoKirkofField，whichheenteredbytheopeninginthewall：scarcelyhadhemadeastepinthegardenthanhemetJamesBalfour，governorofthecastle。
“Well，“hesaidtohim，“howfarhavewegot？
“Everythingisready，“repliedBalfour，“andwewerewaitingforyoutosetfiretothefuse“。“Thatiswell，“Bothwellanswered——“butfirstIwanttomakesurethatheisinhisroom。“
Atthesewords，Bothwellopenedthepaviliondoorwithafalsekey，and，havinggropedhiswayupthestairs；hewenttolistenatDarnley’sdoor。Darnley，hearingnofurthernoise，hadendedbygoingtosleep；buthesleptwithajerkybreathingwhichpointedtohisagitation。LittlematteredittoBothwellwhatkindofsleepitwas，providedthathewasreallyinhisroom。Hewentdownagaininsilence，then，ashehadcomeup，andtakingalanternfromoneoftheconspirators，hewenthimselfintothelowerroomtoseeifeverythingwasinorder：thisroomwasfullofbarrelsofpowder，andafusereadypreparedwantedbutasparktosetthewholeonfire。