tell me, do you believe that I could willingly have married Bothwell, even
though my heart had not been filled with the image of you, who are strong,
gentle, and beautiful?"

You, if you are a man, may think that in my place you would have resisted
the attack of this beautiful queen, but if so you think--pardon me, my
friend--you are a fool. Under the spell of her magic influence I wavered
in the conviction which had long since come upon me, that I had for years
been her fool and her dupe. I forgot the former lessons I had learned from
her perfidy. I forgot my manhood. I forgot all of good that had of late
grown up in me. God help me, I forgot even Madge.

"If I could only believe you, Mary," I answered, growing insane under the
influence of her fascinations, "If I could only believe you."

"Give me your lips, Malcolm," she whispered, "give me your lips.--Again,
my Malcolm.--Ah, now you believe me."

The lying logic of a wanton kiss is irresistible. I was drunk and, alas! I
was convinced. When I think of that time, Samson is my only
comfort--Samson and a few hundred million other fools, who like Samson and
me have been wheedled, kissed, and duped into misery and ruin.

I said: "I do believe you, Mary. I beg you to forgive me for having
doubted you. You have been traduced and brutally misused."

"It is sweet to hear you speak those words. But it is better to think that
at last we have come together with nothing to part us save that I am a
prisoner in the hands of my vindictive, jealous cousin. I thank God that
my kingdom of Scotland has been taken from me. I ever hated the Scots.
They are an ignorant, unkempt, wry-necked, stubborn, filthy race. But,
above all, my crown stood between you and me. I may now be a woman, and
were it not for Elizabeth, you and I could yet find solace in each other
for all our past sufferings. Malcolm, I have a sweet thought. If I could
escape to fair, beautiful France, all would be happiness for us. You could
claim your mother's estates in the balmy south, and we might live upon
them. Help me, my Malcolm, to escape, and your reward shall be greater and
sweeter than man ever before received from woman."

I struggled against her blandishments for a moment, but I was lost.

"You shall escape and I will go with you," said I. Man needs to make but
one little prayer to God, "Lead me not into temptation." That prayer
answered, all else of good will follow.

The morning sun had just begun to