Marygrewfrightfullypaleatthiswantofrespect，towhichshewasnotyetaccustomed；butquicklycontainingheranger，asfaraspossible——
“Butstill，mylord，“saidshe，“howeverdisposedImaybetotakeyouasyouare，Imustatleastknowbywhatrightyoucomehere。
Thatletterwhichyouareholdinginyourhandwouldleadmetothinkitisasaspy，iftheeasewithwhichyouentermyroomwithoutbeingaskeddidnotmakemebelieveitisasagaoler。Havethegoodness，then，toinformmebywhichofthesetwonamesImustcallyou。“
“Neitherbyonenortheother，madam；forIamsimplyyourfellow-
traveller，chefoftheescortwhichistotakeyoutoLochlevenCastle，yourfutureresidence。Andyet，scarcelyhaveIarrivedtherethanIshallbeobligedtoleaveyoutogoandassisttheConfederatelordschoosearegentforthekingdom。“
“So，“saidMary，“itwasasprisonerandnotasqueenthatI
surrenderedtoLordKirkcaldy。Itseemstomethatthingswereagreeduponotherwise；butIamgladtoseehowmuchtimeScotchnoblemenneedtobetraytheirswornundertakings“。
“YourGraceforgetsthattheseengagementsweremadeononecondition，“Lindsayanswered。
“Onwhich？“Maryasked。
“Thatyoushouldseparateforeverfromyourhusband’smurderer；andthereistheproof，“headded，showingtheletter，“thatyouhadforgottenyourpromisebeforewethoughtofrevokingours。“
“Andatwhato’clockismydeparturefixed？“saidMary，whomthisdiscussionwasbeginningtofatigue。
“Ateleveno’clock，madam。“
“Itiswell，mylord；asIhavenodesiretomakeyourlordshipwait，youwillhavethegoodness，inwithdrawing，tosendmesomeonetohelpmedress，unlessIamreducedtowaituponmyself。“
And，inpronouncingthesewords，Marymadeagesturesoimperious，thatwhatevermayhavebeenLindsay’swishtoreply，hebowedandwentout。BehindhimenteredMarySeyton。
CHAPTERV
Atthetimeappointedthequeenwasready：shehadsufferedsomuchatEdinburghthatsheleftitwithoutanyregret。Besides，whethertospareherthehumiliationsofthedaybefore，ortoconcealherdeparturefromanypartisanswhomightremaintoher，alitterhadbeenmadeready。Marygotintoitwithoutanyresistance，andaftertwohours’journeyshereachedDuddington；therealittlevesselwaswaitingforher，whichsetsaildirectlyshewasonboard，andnextdayatdawnshedisembarkedontheothersideoftheFirthofForthinthecountyofFife。
MaryhaltedatRosytheCastleonlyjustlongenoughtobreakfast，andimmediatelyrecommencedherjourney；forLordLindsayhaddeclaredthathewishedtoreachhisdestinationthatsameevening。Indeed，asthesunwassetting，MaryperceivedgildedwithhislastraysthehightowersofLochlevenCastle，situatedonanisletinthemidstofthelakeofthesamename。
NodoubttheroyalprisonerwasalreadyexpectedatLochlevenCastle，for，onreachingthelakeside，LordLindsay’sequerryunfurledhisbanner，whichtillthenhadremainedinitscase，andwaveditfromrighttoleft，whilehismasterblewalittlehuntingbuglewhichheworehangingfromhisneck。Aboatimmediatelyputofffromtheislandandcametowardsthearrivals，setinmotionbyfourvigorousoarsmen，whohadsoonpropelleditacrossthespacewhichseparateditfromthebank。Marysilentlygotintoit，andsatdownatthestern，whileLordLindsayandhisequerrystoodupbeforeher；andasherguidedidnotseemanymoreinclinedtospeakthanshewasherselftorespond，shehadplentyoftimetoexamineherfuturedwelling。
Thecastle，orratherthefortressofLochleven，alreadysomewhatgloomyinitssituationandarchitecture，borrowedfreshmournfulnessstillfromthehouratwhichitappearedtothequeen’sgaze。Itwas，sofarasshecouldjudgeamidthemistsrisingfromthelake，oneofthosemassivestructuresofthetwelfthcenturywhichseem，sofastshutuparethey，thestonearmourofagiant。Asshedrewnear，Marybegantomakeoutthecontoursoftwogreatroundtowers，whichflankedthecornersandgaveittheseverecharacterofastateprison。Aclumpofancienttreesenclosedbyahighwall，orratherbyarampart，roseatitsnorthfront，andseemedvegetationinstone，andcompletedthegeneraleffectofthisgloomyabode，while，onthecontrary，theeyewanderingfromitandpassingfromislandstoislands，lostitselfinthewest，inthenorth，andinthesouth，inthevastplainofKinross，orstoppedsouthwardsatthejaggedsummitsofBenLomond，whosefarthestslopesdieddownontheshoresofthelake。
ThreepersonsawaitedMaryatthecastledoor：LadyDouglas，WilliamDouglasherson，andachildoftwelvewhowascalledLittleDouglas，andwhowasneitherasonnorabrotheroftheinhabitantsofthecastle，butmerelyadistantrelative。Asonecanimagine，therewerefewcomplimentsbetweenMaryandherhosts；andthequeen，conductedtoherapartment，whichwasonthefirstfloor，andofwhichthewindowsoverlookedthelake，wassoonleftwithMarySeyton，theonlyoneofthefourMaryswhohadbeenallowedtoaccompanyher。
However，rapidastheinterviewhadbeen，andshortandmeasuredthewordsexchangedbetweentheprisonerandhergaolers，Maryhadhadtime，togetherwithwhatsheknewofthembeforehand，toconstructforherselfafairlyaccurateideaofthenewpersonageswhohadjustmingledinherhistory。
LadyLochleven，wifeofLordWilliamDouglas，ofwhomwehavealreadysaidafewwordsatthebeginningofthishistory，wasawomanoffromfifty-fivetosixtyyearsofage，whohadbeenhandsomeenoughinheryouthtofixuponherselftheglancesofKingJamesV，andwhohadhadasonbyhim，whowasthissameMurraywhomwehavealreadyseenfiguringsoofteninMary’shistory，andwho，althoughhisbirthwasillegitimate，hadalwaysbeentreatedasabrotherbythequeen。
LadyLochlevenhadhadamomentaryhope，sogreatwastheking’sloveforher，ofbecominghiswife，whichuponthewholewaspossible，thefamilyofMar，fromwhichshewasdescended，beingtheequalofthemostancientandthenoblestfamiliesinScotland。But，unluckily，perhapsslanderously，certaintalkwhichwascirculatingamongtheyoungnoblemenofthetimecametoJames’sears；itwassaidthattogetherwithherroyalloverthebeautifulfavouritehadanother，whomshehadchosen，nodoubtfromcuriosity，fromtheverylowestclass。ItwasaddedthatthisPorterfeld，orPorterfield，wastherealfatherofthechildwhohadalreadyreceivedthenameofJamesStuart，andwhomthekingwaseducatingashissonatthemonasteryofSt。Andrews。Theserumours，wellfoundedornot，hadthereforestoppedJamesVatthemomentwhen，ingratitudetoherwhohadgivenhimason，hewasonthepointofraisinghertotherankofqueen；
sothat，insteadofmarryingherhimself，hehadinvitedhertochooseamongthenoblesatcourt；andasshewasveryhandsome，andtheking’sfavourwentwiththemarriage，thischoice，whichfellonLordWilliamDouglasofLochleven，didnotmeetwithanyresistanceonhispart。However，inspiteofthisdirectprotection，thatJamesVpreservedforherallhislife，LadyDouglascouldneverforgetthatshehadfingeredhigherfortune；moreover，shehadahatredfortheonewho，accordingtoherself，hadusurpedherplace，andpoorMaryhadnaturallyinheritedtheprofoundanimositythatLadyDouglasboretohermother，whichhadalreadycometolightinthefewwordsthatthetwowomenhadexchanged。Besides，inageing，whetherfromrepentanceforhererrorsorfromhypocrisy，LadyDouglashadbecomeaprudeandapuritan；sothatatthistimesheunitedwiththenaturalacrimonyofhercharacterallthestiffnessofthenewreligionshehadadopted。
WilliamDouglas，whowastheeldestsonofLordLochleven，onhismother’ssidehalf-brotherofMurray，wasamanoffromthirty-fivetothirty-sixyearsofage，athletic，withhardandstronglypronouncedfeatures，red-hairedlikealltheyoungerbranch，andwhohadinheritedthatpaternalhatredthatforacenturytheDouglasescherishedagainsttheStuarts，andwhichwasshownbysomanyplots，rebellions，andassassinations。AccordingasfortunehadfavouredordesertedMurray，WilliamDouglashadseentheraysofthefraternalstardrawnearorawayfromhim；hehadthenfeltthathewaslivinginanother’slife，andwasdevoted，bodyandsoul，tohimwhowashiscauseofgreatnessorofabasement。Mary’sfall，whichmustnecessarilyraiseMurray，wasthusasourceofjoyforhim，andtheConfederatelordscouldnothavechosenbetterthaninconfidingthesafe-keepingoftheirprisonertotheinstinctivespiteofLadyDouglasandtotheintelligenthatredofherson。
AstoLittleDouglas，hewas，aswehavesaid，achildoftwelve，forsomemonthsanorphan，whomtheLochlevenshadtakenchargeof，andwhomtheymadebuythebreadtheygavehimbyallsortsofharshness。
Theresultwasthatthechild，proudandspitefulasaDouglas，andknowing，althoughhisfortunewasinferior，thathisbirthwasequaltohisproudrelatives，hadlittlebylittlechangedhisearlygratitudeintolastingandprofoundhatred：foroneusedtosaythatamongtheDouglasestherewasanageforloving，butthattherewasnoneforhating。Itresultsthat，feelinghisweaknessandisolation，thechildwasself-containedwithstrengthbeyondhisyears，and，humbleandsubmissiveinappearance，onlyawaitedthemomentwhen，agrown-upyoungman，hecouldleaveLochleven，andperhapsavengehimselffortheproudprotectionofthosewhodweltthere。Butthefeelingsthatwehavejustexpresseddidnotextendtoallthemembersofthefamily：asmuchasfromthebottomofhisheartthelittleDouglasdetestedWilliamandhismother，somuchhelovedGeorge，thesecondofLadyLochleven’ssons，ofwhomwehavenotyetspoken，because，beingawayfromthecastlewhenthequeenarrived，wehavenotyetfoundanopportunitytopresenthimtoourreaders。
George，whoatthistimemighthavebeenabouttwenty-fiveortwenty-
sixyearsold，wasthesecondsonofLordLochleven；butbyasingularchance，thathismother’sadventurousyouthhadcausedSirWilliamtointerpretamiss，thissecondsonhadnoneofthecharacteristicfeaturesoftheDouglases’fullcheeks，highcolour，largeears，andredhair。TheresultwasthatpoorGeorge，who，onthecontrary，hadbeengivenbynaturepalecheeks，darkblueeyes，andblackhair，hadbeensincecomingintotheworldanobjectofindifferencetohisfatherandofdisliketohiselderbrother。Astohismother，whethershewereindeedingoodfaithsurprisedlikeLordDouglasatthisdifferenceinrace，whethersheknewthecauseandinwardlyreproachedherself，Georgehadneverbeen，ostensiblyatleast，theobjectofaverylivelymaternalaffection；sotheyoungman，followedfromhischildhoodbyafatalitythathecouldnotexplain，hadsprunguplikeawildshrub，fullofsapandstrength，butuncultivatedandsolitary。Besides，fromthetimewhenhewasfifteen，onewasaccustomedtohismotivelessabsences，whichtheindifferencethateveryoneborehimmademoreoverperfectlyexplicable；fromtimetotime，however，hewasseentoreappearatthecastle，likethosemigratorybirdswhichalwaysreturntothesameplacebutonlystayamoment，thentaketheirwayagainwithoutone’sknowingtowardswhatspotintheworldtheyaredirectingtheirflight。