Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 11.djvu/539

 1584-] THE BOND OF ASSOCIATION. 523 ants. The Queen of Scots was writing to him in un- suspecting confidence, believing him to be entirely hers. She cautioned him against Elizabeth's duplicity ; she directed him, as his mistress, to speak in her name as well as her son's, and make use of Scotland in her in- terest by appealing to Elizabeth's fears. 1 But Gray had taken the measure of the situation. He considered that Elizabeth would win, and that her cause Was therefore the safest to stand by. Mauvissiere, who was watching him, was puzzled. Tie saw that Gray was trimming, but he could not distinguish whether the double play was his own or the King's. He had ascertained that James too was willing to make his bargain alone if he could obtain better terms by separating himself from his mother. 2 By degrees, but by degrees only, the truth dawned on the Queen of Scots. In his letters to her, James had. professed himself the most dutiful of sons. She had imagined that he was now about to consent to the long- agitated association of herself in the Scotch Crown with him. She learnt instead that Gray had told Elizabeth, in James's name, that the association never could be. Elizabeth being now satisfied that there was no danger, had consented to the coming up of M. Nau. Mary Stuart sent a letter by him, saying that she refused her consent to a separate treaty. She insisted that her own and her son's interests should be identified. She, us 1 The Queen of Scots to the | 2 Mauvissiere to the Kins; of Master of Gray, October I II,
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France, November 15 25 : TEI - LET, vol. Hi.