# ■ 4 The death of David Riccio

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 inside it was warm and friendly．

Suddenly， a door opened behind me． In the door was Henry Darnley，my husband．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 ran behind me and held my dress． My friends in the room stood up too， and moved towards Ruthven 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 pulled him 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's screams． I think he fell down 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 you killed him in front of me． I'm never going to forget that，Henry Darnley． Never！'

■ 4 達維·裡奇奧之死

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·裡奇奧也在那裡，另外還有六、七個人。我們在一間小屋子裡，桌上擺著豐盛的菜餚，我們都很高興。雖然外面夜幕籠罩，但屋子裡充滿了溫暖和友好的氣氛。

突然，我身後的門被打開了，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，你想吃點什麼嗎？”

“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。然後他伸出手環抱著我。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——魯斯溫勳爵站在那兒。他手裡拿著一把刀。他的臉紅紅的，滿臉怒容。

起初，誰也沒有動。然後魯斯溫說道，“陛下，把達維·裡奇奧從這房間裡趕出去，馬上！我要他！”

我看著裡奇奧，他顯得很害怕。“為什麼？”我問，“你為什麼要他？”

“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·裡奇奧是我的朋友！他呆在這裡，和我在一起！”

“他得出來，女人！”魯斯溫勳爵說。“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·裡奇奧跑到我身後抓住我的衣服。我房間裡的朋友們也站了起來，憤怒地向魯斯溫逼近，但是魯斯溫手裡拿著刀。

“回去！”他怒吼。“不要過來！”

接著，五個拿刀的男人衝進了這間小屋。一場衝突開始了。一個男人把刀架在我面前，另一個人去攻擊躲在我身後的達維·裡奇奧。然後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！”

我幫不了他，因為達恩利緊緊抓著我。可是我能聽到達維·裡奇奧的尖叫聲。我想他是從樓梯上摔了下去，尖叫持續了二三分鐘後。一切歸於平靜。

“你在幹什麼？”我憤怒地責問達恩利。“裡奇奧是個好人——你為什麼要這樣做？”

達恩利笑道。“你是我的妻子，瑪麗——不是達維·裡奇奧的！”他說。“所以你為什麼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裡！”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·裡奇奧強。你想去看看他嗎？

五分鐘後，我看到了他。他已經死了，地上到處是血。可憐的達維·裡奇奧，他現在給上帝唱歌了，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·裡奇奧是我的朋友，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！”