Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 11.djvu/477

 1584.] EXPULSION OF MENDOZA. 461 his cousin in Scotland. He was afraid of Spain. Ho was afraid of the Pope. He objected to foreign troops ; preferring, if the invasion were to take place, that only Scots should be employed upon it. If Guise conquered England he feare*d he might be inclined to keep it, or else Philip might be inclined to keep it. It coxild not be for his sake, he said, that his mother had been con- spiring with these people, for she had been busy at it for fifteen years. It was that she herself might recover her liberty, and possibly the Scotch crown. Moreover the secret was out the King of France objected. The Queen of England had received notice, and was on her guard. All that Fontenay could gather from him was that he would not renounce the scheme entirely. lie would keep it as a second string to his bow, in case the Queen of England would not come to terms with him. He professed to wish well to his mother, but his tone was cold. Fontenay observed that he asked few ques- ' tions about her, showed no curiosity about her health, her treatment, or her occupations. On the third point of importance that was spoken of, the association in the throne, he was equally unsatis- factory. Mary Stuart had not been easy about him. She knew that at one time he had been ready to sacri- fice her if he could obtain his own recognition. She had hoped better things since the late revolution, but she was not certain, and she had charged Fontenay, if he trifled, to threaten him with her curse. He tried to evade the question when Fontenay brought it before him. He went off upon the detestation which he had