Mary Stuart

SCENE V.

Enter MARGARET CURL, bearing a golden cup of wine;

she places it hastily upon the table, and leans,

pale and trembling, against a chair.

MELVIL.

How, madam! What has frightened you?

KENNEDY.

Oh God!

BURGOYN.

Speak, madam!

CURL.

What, alas! have I beheld!

MELVIL.

Come to yourself, and say what you have seen!

CURL.

As I went down the staircase which conducts

To the great hall below, a door stood open;

I looked into the chamber, and I saw-

Oh heaven!

MELVIL.

What saw you?

CURL.

All the walls were hung

With black; a spacious scaffold, too, o'erspread

With sable cloth, was raised above the floor,

And in the middle of the scaffold stood

A dreadful sable block! upon it lay

A naked, polished axe:-the hall was full

Of cruel people, crowding round the scaffold

Who, with a horrid thirst for human blood,

Seemed waiting for the victim!

THE WOMEN.

Gracious heaven,

Protect our queen!

MELVIL.

Be calm; the queen approaches.