ord against
the rails. The door opened, and Bothwell, wrapped in his scarlet cloak,
stood bending his tall shoulders under the low lintel. His gleaming
eyes, so oddly mocking in their glance, for all that his face was set,
fell upon Darnley, and with their look flung him into an inward state of
blending fear and rage.

"Your Grace," said Bothwell's deep voice, "it is close upon midnight."

He came no more than in time; it needed the sight of him with its
reminder of all that he meant to her to sustain a purpose that was being
sapped by pity.

"Very well," she said. "I come."

Bothwell stood aside to give her egress and to invite it. But the King
delayed her.

"A moment--a word!" he begged, and to Bothwell: "Give us leave apart,
sir!"

Yet, King though he might be, there was no ready obedience from the
arrogant Border lord, her lover. It was to Mary that Bothwell looked for
commands, nor stirred until she signed to him to go. And even then he
went no farther than the other side of the door, so that he might be
close at hand to fortify her should any weakness assail her now in this
supreme hour.

Darnley struggled up in bed, caught her hand, and pulled her to him.

"Do not leave me, Mary. Do not leave me!" he implored her.

"Why, what is this?" she cried, but her voice lacked steadiness. "Would
you have me disappoint poor Sebastien, who loves me?"

"I see. Sebastien is more to you than I?"

"Now this is folly. Sebastien is my faithful servant."

"And am I less? Do you not believe that my one aim henceforth will be to
serve you and faithfully? Oh, forgive this weakness. I am full of evil
foreboding to-night. Go, then, if go you must, but give me at least some
assurance of your love, some pledge of it in earnest that you will come
again to-morrow nor part from me again."

She looked into the white, piteous young face that had once been so
lovely, and her soul faltered. It needed the knowledge that Bothwell
waited just beyond the door, that he could overhear what was being said,
to strengthen her fearfully in her tragic purpose.

She has been censured most for what next she did. Murray himself spoke
of it afterwards as the worst part of the business. But it is possible
that she was concerned only at the moment to put an end to a scene that
was unnerving her, and that she took the readiest means to it.

She drew a ring from her finger and slipped it on to one of his.

"Be this the pledge, then," she said;