im_ come out of the room,' he said to the Queen.

"'He shall not leave the room,' said the Queen; 'I read his danger in
your face.'

"Then Ruthven and his followers rushed upon Rizzio, dragged him from
the room, and stabbed him fifty-six times. You have seen the
blood-stains in the Palace, where the wily Italian was killed.

"It is said that his body was thrown upon the same chest, at the foot
of the stairs, where Mary had seen him first.

"Mary knew that Darnley had caused the murder.

"'I will now have my revenge,' she said, in the presence of the
conspirators.

"She said to Darnley, 'I will cause you to have as sorrowful a heart
as I have now.'

"For political reasons she, however, became seemingly reconciled to
him. Three months after the tragedy, James VI. of Scotland and I. of
England was born. You have seen his birthplace to-day.

"Twelve months passed. Earl Bothwell, a profligate noble, had won the
Queen's confidence. There is little doubt that the two formed a plot
to destroy Darnley's life.

"The Queen went to visit Darnley at Glasgow, he having fallen ill. She
pretended great affection for him, and brought him to Edinburgh, and
secured lodgings for him in a private house. She left him late one
Sunday evening, to attend a marriage feast.

"She remarked to him, in one of their last interviews,--

"'It was about this time, a year ago, I believe, that David was
murdered.'

"After she had gone, there was a great explosion, and Darnley's dead
body was found in a neighboring garden.

"Mary had had her revenge.

"Three months after the tragedy she married Bothwell, who had secured
a divorce from his young wife to prepare the way for the event.

[Illustration: FRANCIS II. AND MARY STUART LOVE-MAKING.]

"Scotland rose against Mary. She fled to England, and threw herself on
the protection of Elizabeth, abdicating the throne in favor of her
son. She was secured as a prisoner, and confined at Carlisle. She was
taken from Carlisle to Fotheringhay Castle. She was at last tried
for conspiracy against the life of Elizabeth. Sentence of death was
passed upon her. She protested her innocence. You know the rest,--the
last tragedy of all, in the Castle of Fotheringhay.

"Bothwell died an exile and a madman, some nine years after his
marriage with Mary.

"It is said that it was found, after her execution, that her real
hair, under her wig, was as white as that of a woman of seventy. I
cannot wonder.

"She