It was a Saturday evening in March 1566. I was in Edin-burgh with some friends. David Riccio was there, with six or seven other people. We were in a small room, but there was a good dinner on the table, and we were happy. It was dark outside, but insideit was warm and friendly.
Suddenly, a door opened behind me. In the door was Henry Darnley,myhusband.I stood up and smiled.
‘Good evening, my lord,'I said.‘Please come in. Would you like something to eat?'
‘No, thank you,'he said.‘I'm not hungry.But I want to sit next to you, wife. Please tell that man to move.'
A man got out of the chair next to me and Darnley sat beside me.Then he put his arms round me. I did not like it. His face was hot, and his eyes looked unhappy. But I smiled and said,‘I'm happy to see you, my lord.'
‘Are you, Mary?'He laughed.‘Are you really?'
‘Yes, of course, my lord. But—'
Then the second door opened and his friend, Lord Ruthven,stood there.He had a knife in his hand. His face was red, and he looked very angry.
Af first no one moved. Then Ruthven said,‘Your Majesty,send David Riccio out of this room, now! I want him!'
I looked at Riccio. He was afraid.‘Why?'I said.‘Why do you want him?'
‘He is a bad, wicked man!'Ruthven said.‘Send him out!'
‘No!'I said.‘You want to kill him. David Riccio is my friend! He stays here, with me!'
‘He goes out, woman!'Lord Ruthven said.‘ King Henry,hold your wife, please!'
I stood up, but Darnley held my arms and I could not move.David Riccio ranbehind me and held my dress. My friends in the room stood up too, and moved towardsRuthven angrily.But he had a knife in his hand.
‘Get back!'he said angrily.‘Don't touch me!'
Then five men with knives ran into the little room, and there was a fight. One man held a knife in my face, and an-other man hit David Riccio, behind me. Then they pulledhim out of the room.
‘Help me!'he screamed.‘Help me, my Queen—please!They're going to kill me!Don't—aaaaaargh!'
I couldn't help him, because Darnley had me in his arms.But I could hear David Riccio'sscreams. I think he felldown the stairs, and he screamed for two or three minutes. Then it was quiet.
‘What are you doing?'I asked Darnley angrily.‘Riccio is a good man—why are you doing this?'
Darnley laughed.‘You are my wife, Mary—not David Ric-cio's!'he said.‘so why are you with him every evening?You never talk to me!'
‘I don't talk to you because you are never here!'I said.‘You are always drinking with your friends! You aren't a king, you're a stupid boy!'
He laughed again. It was not a nice laugh.‘Well,'he said.‘Perhaps I am a boy, but that is better than David Riccio,now.Do you want to go and see him?'
I did see him, five minutes after that. He was very dead,and there was blood all over the floor. Poor David Riccio. He sings to God now, not me.
I looked at Henry Darnley, my husband. He had a stupid smile on his face. But I think he was afraid of me.I looked at him a long time, and the smile went away.
‘Remember this night,husband,'I said to him.‘Remem-ber it well.Think about it when you look into my eyes, and before you go to sleep. David Riccio was my friend, and youkilled him in front of me. I'm never going to forget that,Henry Darnley. Never!'
4 達維·里奇奧之死
1566年 3月的一個星期六晚上。我和一些朋友呆在愛丁堡。達維·里奇奧也在那里,另外還有六、七個人。我們在一間小屋子里,桌上擺著豐盛的菜肴,我們都很高興。雖然外面夜幕籠罩,但屋子里充滿了溫暖和友好的氣氛。
突然,我身后的門被打開了,門口站著我的丈夫亨利·達恩利。我站起來朝他笑。
“晚上好,我的丈夫,”我說道,“請進來吧,你想吃點什么嗎?”
“不,謝謝,”他說。“我不餓。但我想坐在你身邊,我的妻子。請叫那個人走開。”
一人從我身旁的座位上站起來,達恩利坐到了我身邊。然后他伸出手環(huán)抱著我。我不喜歡這樣。他的臉很熱,他的眼神看起來很不高興。但我還是笑著對他說。“很高興見到你,我的丈夫。”
“是嗎,瑪麗?”他笑道。“是真的嗎?”
“是的,當然是的,我的丈夫。不過——”
接著,第二扇門打開了,他的朋友——魯斯溫勛爵站在那兒。他手里拿著一把刀。他的臉紅紅的,滿臉怒容。
起初,誰也沒有動。然后魯斯溫說道,“陛下,把達維·里奇奧從這房間里趕出去,馬上!我要他!”
我看著里奇奧,他顯得很害怕。“為什么?”我問,“你為什么要他?”
“他是個不道德的壞人!”魯斯溫說。“把他趕出去!”
“不!”我說。“你想殺他。達維·里奇奧是我的朋友!他呆在這里,和我在一起!”
“他得出來,女人!”魯斯溫勛爵說。“亨利親王,抓住你的妻子,快點!”
我站了起來,可是達恩利抓住我的胳膊,我不能動彈。達維·里奇奧跑到我身后抓住我的衣服。我房間里的朋友們也站了起來,憤怒地向魯斯溫逼近,但是魯斯溫手里拿著刀。
“回去!”他怒吼。“不要過來!”
接著,五個拿刀的男人沖進了這間小屋。一場沖突開始了。一個男人把刀架在我面前,另一個人去攻擊躲在我身后的達維·里奇奧。然后他們把他拖出了房間。
“救命!”他尖叫道。“救救我,我的女王——請救救我!他們要殺我!不要!——啊!”
我?guī)筒涣怂?,因為達恩利緊緊抓著我??墒俏夷苈牭竭_維·里奇奧的尖叫聲。我想他是從樓梯上摔了下去,尖叫持續(xù)了二三分鐘后。一切歸于平靜。
“你在干什么?”我憤怒地責問達恩利。“里奇奧是個好人——你為什么要這樣做?”
達恩利笑道。“你是我的妻子,瑪麗——不是達維·里奇奧的!”他說。“所以你為什么要每晚和他呆在一起?你從沒對我說過!”
“我沒有對你說是因為你從來不在這里!”我說。“你總是和你的朋友們不停地喝酒!你不是個親王,你是個愚蠢的小男孩!”
他又一次笑了,那是個不帶好意的笑。“好吧,”他說。“也許我只是個男孩,但也比達維·里奇奧強。你想去看看他嗎?
五分鐘后,我看到了他。他已經(jīng)死了,地上到處是血??蓱z的達維·里奇奧,他現(xiàn)在給上帝唱歌了,而不再為我。
我看著亨利·達恩利——我的丈夫。他臉上帶著愚蠢的微笑。但我認為他還是怕我的。我盯著他看了很久,他臉上的笑容漸漸消失了。
“記住今天晚上,丈夫,”我對他說。“好好記住。在你看著我的眼睛的時候,在你上床睡覺之前,好好想一想這件事。達維·里奇奧是我的朋友,而你卻當著我的面殺死了他。對此我永遠都不會原諒,亨利·達恩利,永遠不!”