1567.] THE MURDER OF DARNLEV. 51! With these thoughts in her mind Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland, lay down upon her bed to sleep, doubtless sleep with the soft tranquillity of an innocent child. Remorse may disturb the slumbers of the man who is dabbling with his first experiences of wrong. When the pleasure has been tasted and is gone, and nothing is left of the crime but the ruin which it has wrought, then too the Furies take their seats upon the midnight pillow. But the meridian of evil is for the most part left unvexed ; and when human creatures have chosen their road they are let alone to follow it to the end. The next morning the Queen added a few closing words :
- If in the mean time I hear nothing to the contrary,
according to my commission I will bring the man to Craigmillar on Monday where he will be all Wednes- day and I will go to Edinburgh to draw blood of me. Provide for all things and discourse upon it first with yourself/ This letter and another to Maitland she gave in charge to Paris to take to Edinburgh. In delivering them she bade him tell Bothwell that she had prevented the King from kissing her, as Lady Reres could wit- ness ; and she told him to ask Maitland whether Craig- millar was to be the place, or whether they had changed their plan. They would give him answers with which he would come back to her immediately. She would herself wait at Glasgow with the King till his return. Paris, after being a day upon the road, reached Edin- burgh with his despatches on the night of Saturday the
