书虫——苏格兰玛丽女王.docVIP

第 PAGE 4页共 NUMPAGES 16页 苏格兰玛丽女王 1 Fotheringhay My name is Bess Curle， but this is not my story． It is the story of my lady Mary， Queen of Scots．She wrote the story， and then she gave it to me． I am going to give it to her son． She began the story a week ago． It was January 1587， and we sat here in our cold room in Fotheringhay Castle， in the north of England． We couldnt see much from the window．One or two houses， a river， some trees， some horses， and a road． Thats all． The road goes to London， the home of Queen Elizabeth of England． Mary sat with her little dog in her hands and watched it， all day long． No one came along the road． Nothing happened． I watched Mary， unhappily． ‘Please， Your Majesty， come away from that window，’I said．‘ It doesnt help． No one is going to come． Queen Eliza－beth cant do it—Queens dont kill Queens．’ ‘Dont they， Bess？mary said．‘Then why are we here， in this prison？Why am I not free？’ ‘Why， Your Majesty？Because Queen Elizabeth is afraid of you．’ ‘Thats right，mary said．‘Shes afraid of me， and she hates me too． She hates me because I am beautiful， and she is not； because I had three husbands， and she never married．And because many people—good Catnolic people in England，France，Scotland，Spain—say that I， Mary， am the true Queen of England， not Elizabeth．And Elizabeth has no chil－dren， so， when she is dead， my son James…’ She came away from the window and stood in front of me．‘James，she said quietly，‘my son．Does he think about me sometimes？ He was only ten months old when I last saw him． It is nearly twenty years…’ ‘Of course he thinks about you， Your Majesty，’I said． ‘You write to him often．How can he forget his mother？’ ‘Then why doesnt he write to me？mary asked．‘Does he want me to say here in an English prison？’ ‘No， of course not， Your Majesty． But—he has a lot of work， Your Majesty．He is the King of Scotland， and…’ ‘He is not the King of Scotland，Bess，she said．‘Not be- fore I am dead．Remember that．’ ‘No， Your M