Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 11.djvu/595

 1585.] THE BOND OF ASSOCIATION. 579 be removed to a place to which access would be less im- possible. La Rue's communication must have been almost the last which she received for many months, and Paulet's skill at last stopped the channels by which her own private letters were carried out. Every one of her servants was in league to deceive his watchful- ness. He described himself to Walsingham as bewil- dered by the treachery with Avhich he was surrounded. 'Nau's French busy head' especially perplexed him. He so little trusted his power to match such a diplo- matist that he dared not speak to Nau. There was a priest too, disguised in the household, whom he had de- tected, but knew not what to do with, Elizabeth, as he said, ' so dandled the Catholics.' She bade him, as he expected, let the priest be, and he had one traitor the more to watch over. Still by resolute perseverance he did his work, and did it effectually. Intelligence neither went nor came. Mary Stuart alternately raved, cursed, wept, and entreated. Paulet was courteous, but firm, and could be neither frightened nor melted into indulg- ence. 1 The priest was winked at, and gave her ' the consolations of religion.' She was allowed to walk, ride, or hunt, but always surrounded by a guard ; no stranger was permitted to see her, and everything which went out of the Castle passed through Paulet's hands. Her rooms looked into the yard. She begged hard for a suite which faced the country, but she was refused. Paulet knew that she meant to use the windows to i See Paulet's correspondence j and August, 1585 : MSS. witaWalsingham, May, June, July, I QUEEN OF SCOTS.