nothing but what is good and approved by
Parliament."

She committed herself to no reply, and so they were content to take
their answer from her silence. They went in quest of Huntly and
Sir James Balfour, and the five of them entered into a bond for the
destruction of him whom they named "the young fool and proud tiranne,"
to be engaged in when Mary should have pardoned Morton and his
fellow-conspirators.

It was not until Christmas Eve that she signed this pardon of some
seventy fugitives, proscribed for their participation in the Rizzio
murder, towards whom she had hitherto shown herself so implacable.

The world saw in this no more than a deed of clemency and charity
befitting the solemn festival of good-will. But the five who had entered
into that bond at Craigmillar Castle beheld in it more accurately the
fulfilment of her part of the suggested bargain, the price she paid in
advance to be rid of Darnley, the sign of her full agreement that the
knot which might not be unravelled should be cut.

On that same day Her Grace went with Bothwell to Lord Drummond's, where
they abode for the best part of a week, and thence they went on
together to Tullibardine, the rash and open intimacy between them giving
nourishment to scandal.

At the same time Darnley quitted Stirling, where he had lately been
living in miserable conditions, ignored by the nobles, and even stinted
in his necessary expenses, deprived of his ordinary servants, and his
silver replaced by pewter. The miserable youth reached Glasgow deadly
sick. He had been taken ill on the way, and the inevitable rumour was
spread that he had been poisoned. Later, when it became known that his
once lovely countenance was now blotched and disfigured, it was realized
that his illness was no more than the inevitable result of the debauched
life he led.

Conceiving himself on the point of death, Darnley wrote piteously to the
Queen; but she ignored his letters until she learnt that his condition
was improving, when at last (on January 29th) she went to visit him at
Glasgow. It may well be that she nourished some hope that nature would
resolve the matter for her, and remove the need for such desperate
measures as had been concerted. But seeing him likely to recover, two
things became necessary, to bring him to the place that was suitable for
the fulfilment of her designs, and to simulate reconciliation with him,
and even renewed and tender affection, so that none might