1566.] THE DARN LEY MARRIAGE. 399 formed to escape, she sent him to the lords to promise in her name that she was ready to forget, the past, and to bury all unkindness in a general reconciliation. They felt instinctively that what they had done could never really be pardoned ; but Ruth ven, Morton, and Murray returned with Darnley to her presence, when again, with the seeming simplicity of which she was so finished a mistress, she repeated the same assurances. She was ready, she said, to bind herself in writing if they would not trust her word ; and while the two other noblemen were drawing a form for her to sign, she took Murray by the hand and walked with him for an hour. She then retired to her room. Darnley, as soon as the bond was ready, took charge of it, promis- ing to return it signed on the following day ; and meanwhile he pressed again that after so much conces- sion on her part they were bound to meet her with corresponding courtesy, and to spare her the ignominy of being longer held a prisoner in her own palace. Had they refused to consent, an attempt would have been made that night by Bothwell to carry her off by force. But to reject the request of Darnley, whose elevation to a share of the throne was the professed ob- ject of the conspiracy, was embarrassing and perhaps dangerous ; they gave way after another warning ; the guard was withdrawn, Euthven protesting as he yielded that ' whatever bloodshed followed should be on the King's head. The important point gained, Darnley would not awake suspicion by returning to the Queen ; he sent her
