queen victoria-第10章

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ing　over　the　pages　of　the　Bible。　To　the　ladies　whom　he　most　liked；　he　would　lend　some　learned　work　on　the　Revelation；　crammed　with　marginal　notes　in　his　own　hand；　or　Dr。　Lardner's　〃Observations　upon　the　Jewish　Errors　with　respect　to　the　Conversion　of　Mary　Magdalene。〃　The　more　pious　among　them　had　high　hopes　that　these　studies　would　lead　him　into　the　right　way；　but　of　this　there　were　no　symptoms　in　his　after…dinner　conversations。

The　paradox　of　his　political　career　was　no　less　curious。　By　temperament　an　aristocrat；　by　conviction　a　conservative；　he　came　to　power　as　the　leader　of　the　popular　party；　the　party　of　change。　He　had　profoundly　disliked　the　Reform　Bill；　which　he　had　only　accepted　at　last　as　a　necessary　evil；　and　the　Reform　Bill　lay　at　the　root　of　the　very　existence；　of　the　very　meaning；　of　his　government。　He　was　far　too　sceptical　to　believe　in　progress　of　any　kind。　Things　were　best　as　they　were　or　rather；　they　were　least　bad。　〃You'd　better　try　to　do　no　good；〃　was　one　of　his　dictums；　〃and　then　you'll　get　into　no　scrapes。〃　Education　at　best　was　futile；　education　of　the　poor　was　positively　dangerous。　The　factory　children？　〃Oh；　if　you'd　only　have　the　goodness　to　leave　them　alone！〃　Free　Trade　was　a　delusion；　the　ballot　was　nonsense；　and　there　was　no　such　thing　as　a　democracy。

Nevertheless；　he　was　not　a　reactionary；　he　was　simply　an　opportunist。　The　whole　duty　of　government；　he　said；　was　〃to　prevent　crime　and　to　preserve　contracts。〃　All　one　could　really　hope　to　do　was　to　carry　on。　He　himself　carried　on　in　a　remarkable　mannerwith　perpetual　compromises；　with　fluctuations　and　contradictions；　with　every　kind　of　weakness；　and　yet　with　shrewdness；　with　gentleness；　even　with　conscientiousness；　and　a　light　and　airy　mastery　of　men　and　of　events。　He　conducted　the　transactions　of　business　with　extraordinary　nonchalance。　Important　persons；　ushered　up　for　some　grave　interview；　found　him　in　a　towselled　bed；　littered　with　books　and　papers；　or　vaguely　shaving　in　a　dressing…room；　but；　when　they　went　downstairs　again；　they　would　realise　that　somehow　or　other　they　had　been　pumped。　When　he　had　to　receive　a　deputation；　he　could　hardly　ever　do　so　with　becoming　gravity。　The　worthy　delegates　of　the　tallow…chandlers；　or　the　Society　for　the　Abolition　of　Capital　Punishment；　were　distressed　and　mortified　when；　in　the　midst　of　their　speeches；　the　Prime　Minister　became　absorbed　in　blowing　a　feather；　or　suddenly　cracked　an　unseemly　joke。　How　could　they　have　guessed　that　he　had　spent　the　night　before　diligently　getting　up　the　details　of　their　case？　He　hated　patronage　and　the　making　of　appointmentsa　feeling　rare　in　Ministers。　〃As　for　the　Bishops；〃　he　burst　out；　〃I　positively　believe　they　die　to　vex　me。〃　But　when　at　last　the　appointment　was　made；　it　was　made　with　keen　discrimination。　His　colleagues　observed　another　symptomwas　it　of　his　irresponsibility　or　his　wisdom？　He　went　to　sleep　in　the　Cabinet。

Probably；　if　he　had　been　born　a　little　earlier；　he　would　have　been　a　simpler　and　a　happier　man。　As　it　was；　he　was　a　child　of　the　eighteenth　century　whose　lot　was　cast　in　a　new；　difficult；　unsympathetic　age。　He　was　an　autumn　rose。　With　all　his　gracious　amenity；　his　humour；　his　happy…go…lucky　ways；　a　deep　disquietude　possessed　him。　A　sentimental　cynic；　a　sceptical　believer；　he　was　restless　and　melancholy　at　heart。　Above　all；　he　could　never　harden　himself；　those　sensitive　petals　shivered　in　every　wind。　Whatever　else　he　might　be；　one　thing　was　certain：　Lord　Melbourne　was　always　human；　supremely　humantoo　human；　perhaps。

And　now；　with　old　age　upon　him；　his　life　took　a　sudden；　new；　extraordinary　turn。　He　became；　in　the　twinkling　of　an　eye；　the　intimate　adviser　and　the　daily　companion　of　a　young　girl　who　had　stepped　all　at　once　from　a　nursery　to　a　throne。　His　relations　with　women　had　been；　like　everything　else　about　him；　ambiguous。　Nobody　had　ever　been　able　quite　to　gauge　the　shifting；　emotional　complexities　of　his　married　life；　Lady　Caroline　vanished；　but　his　peculiar　susceptibilities　remained。　Female　society　of　some　kind　or　other　was　necessary　to　him；　and　he　did　not　stint　himself；　a　great　part　of　every　day　was　invariably　spent　in　it。　The　feminine　element　in　him　made　it　easy；　made　it　natural　and　inevitable　for　him　to　be　the　friend　of　a　great　many　women；　but　the　masculine　element　in　him　was　strong　as　well。　In　such　circumstances　it　is　also　easy；　it　is　even　natural；　perhaps　it　is　even　inevitable；　to　be　something　more　than　a　friend。　There　were　rumours　and　combustions。　Lord　Melbourne　was　twice　a　co…respondent　in　a　divorce　action；　but　on　each　occasion　he　won　his　suit。　The　lovely　Lady　Brandon；　the　unhappy　and　brilliant　Mrs。　Norton。。。　the　law　exonerated　them　both。　Beyond　that　hung　an　impenetrable　veil。　But　at　any　rate　it　was　clear　that；　with　such　a　record；　the　Prime　Minister's　position　in　Buckingham　Palace　must　be　a　highly　delicate　one。　However；　he　was　used　to　delicacies；　and　he　met　the　situation　with　consummate　success。　His　behaviour　was　from　the　first　moment　impeccable。　His　manner　towards　the　young　Queen　mingled；　with　perfect　facility；　the　watchfulness　and　the　respect　of　a　statesman　and　a　courtier　with　the　tender　solicitude　of　a　parent。　He　was　at　once　reverential　and　affectionate；　at　once　the　servant　and　the　guide。　At　the　same　time　the　habits　of　his　life　underwent　a　surprising　change。　His　comfortable；　unpunctual　days　became　subject　to　the　unaltering　routine　of　a　palace；　no　longer　did　he　sprawl　on　sofas；　not　a　single　〃damn〃　escaped　his　lips。　The　man　of　the　world　who　had　been　the　friend　of　Byron　and　the　regent；　the　talker　whose　paradoxes　had　held　Holland　House　enthralled；　the　cynic　whose　ribaldries　had　enlivened　so　many　deep　potations；　the　lover　whose　soft　words　had　captivated　such　beauty　and　such　passion　and　such　wit；　might　now　be　seen；　evening　after　evening；　talking　with　infinite　politeness　to　a　schoolgirl；　bolt　upright；　amid　the　silence　and　the　rigidity　of　Court　etiquette。

IV

On　her　side；　Victoria　was　instantaneously　fascinated　by　Lord　Melbourne。　The　good　report　of　Stockmar　had　no　doubt　prepared　the　way；　Lehzen　was　wisely　propitiated；　and　the　first　highly　favourable　impression　was　never　afterwards　belied。　She　found　him　perfect；　and　perfect　in　her　sight　he　remained。　Her　absolute　and　unconcealed　adoration　was　very　natural；　what　innocent　young　creature　could　have　resisted；　in　any　circumstances；　the　charm　and　the　devotion　of　such　a　man？　But；　in　her　situation；　there　was　a　special　influence　which　gave　a　peculiar　glow　to　all　she　felt。　After　years　of　emptiness　and　dullness　and　suppression；　she　had　come　suddenly；　in　the　heyday　of　youth；　into　freedom　and　power。　She　was　mistress　of　herself；　of　great　domains　and　palaces；　she　was　Queen　of　England。　Responsibilities　and　difficulties　she　might　have；　no　doubt；　and　in　heavy　measure；　but　one　feeling　dominated　and　absorbed　all　othersthe　feeling　of　joy。　Everything　pleased　her。　She　was　in　high　spirits　from　morning　till　night。　Mr。　Creevey；　grown　old　now；　and　very　near　his　end；　catching　a　glimpse　of　her　at　Brighton；　was　much　amused；　in　his　sharp　fashion；　by　the　ingenuous　gaiety　of　〃little　Vic。〃　〃A　more　homely　little　being　you　never　beheld；　when　she　is　at　her　ease；　and　she　is　evidently　dying　to　be　always　more　so。　She　laughs　in　real　earnest；　opening　her　mouth　as　wide　as　it　can　go；　showing　not　very　pretty　gums。。。　She　eats　quite　as　heartily　as　she　laughs；　I　think　I　may　say　she　gobbles。。。　She　blushes　and　laughs　every　instant　in　so　natural　a　way　as　to　disarm　anybody。〃　But　it　was　not　merely　when　she　was　laughing　or　gobbling　that　she　enjoyed　herself；　the　performance　of　her　official　duties　gave　her　intense　satisfaction。　〃I　really　have　immensely　to　do；〃　she　wrote　in　her　Journal　a　few　days　after　her　accession；　〃I　receive　so　many　communications　from　my　Ministers；　but　I　like　it　very　much。〃　And　again；　a　week　later；　〃I　repeat　what　I　said　before　that　I　have　so　many　communications　from　the　Ministers；　and　from　me　to　them；　and　I　get　so　many　papers　to　sign　every　day；　that　I　have　always　a　very　great　deal　to　do。　I　delight　in　this　work。〃　Through　the　girl's　immaturity　the　vigorous　predestined　tastes　of　the　woman　were　pushing　themselves　into　existence　with　eager　velocity；　with　delicious　force。

One　detail　of　her　happy　situation　deserves　particular　mention。　Apart　from　the　splendour　of　her　social　position　and　the　momentousness　of　her　political　one；　she　was　a　person　of　great　wealth。　As　soon　as　Parliament　met；　an　annuity　of　L385；000　was　settled　upon　her。　When　the　expenses　of　her　household　had　been　discharged；　she　was　left　with　L68；000　a　year　of　her　own。　She　enjoyed　besides　the　revenues　of　the　Duchy　of　Lancaster；　which　amounted　annually　to　over　L27；000。　The　first　use　to　which　she　put　her　money　was　characteristic：　she　paid　off　her　father's　debts。　In　money　matters；　no　less　than　in　other　matters；　she　was　determined　to　be　correct。　She　had　the　instincts　of　a　man　of　business；　and　she　never　could　have　borne　to　be　in　a　position　that　was　financially　unsound。

With　youth　and　happiness　gilding　every　hour；　the　days　passed　merrily　enough。　And　each　day　hinged　upon　Lord　Melbourne。　Her　diary　shows　us；　with　undiminished　clarity；　the　life　of　the　young　sovereign　during　the　early　months　of　her　reigna　life　satisfactorily　regular；　full　of　delightful　business；　a　life　of　simple　pleasures；　mostly　physicalriding；　eating；　dancinga　quick；　easy；　highly　unsophisticated　life；　sufficient　unto　itself。　The　light　of　the　morning　is　upon　it；　and；　in　the　rosy　radiance；　the　figure　of　〃Lord　M。〃　emerges；　glorified　and　supreme。　If　she　is　the　heroine　of　the　story；　he　is　the　hero；　but　indeed　they　are　more　than　hero　and　heroine；　for　there　are　no　other　characters　at　all。　Lehzen；　the　Baron；　Uncle　Leopold；　are　unsubstantial　shadowsthe　incidental　supers　of　the　piece。　Her　paradise　was　peopled　by　two　persons；　and　surely　that　was　enough。　One　sees　them　together　still；　a　curious　couple；　strangely　united　in　those　artless　pages；　under　the　magical　illumination　of　that　dawn　of　eighty　years　ago：　the　polished　high　fine　gentleman　with　the　whitening　hair　and　whiskers　and　the　thick　dark　eyebrows　and　the　mobile　lips　and　the　big　expressive　eyes；　and　beside　him　the　tiny　Queenfair；　slim；　elegant；　active；　in　her　plain　girl's　dress　and　little　tippet；　looking　up　at　him　earnestly；　adoringly；　with　eyes　blue　and　projecting；　and　half…open　mouth。　So　they　appear　upon　every　page　of　the　Journal；　upon　every　page　Lord　M。　is　present；　Lord　M。　is　speaking；　Lord　M。　is　being　amusing；　instructive；　delightful；　and　affectionate　at　once；　while　Victoria　drinks　in　the　honied　words；　laughs　till　she　shows　her　gums；　tries　hard　to　remember；　and　runs　off；　as　soon　as　she　is　left　alone；　to　put　it　all　down。　Their　long　conversations　touched　upon　a　multitude　of　topics。　Lord　M。　would　criticise　books；　throw　out　a　remark　or　two　on　the　British　Constitution；　make　some　passing　reflections　on　human　life；　and　tell　story　after　story　of　the　great　people　of　the　eighteenth　century。　Then　there　would　be　business　a　despatch　perhaps　from　Lord　Durham　in　Canada；　which　Lord　M。　would　read。　But　first　he　must　explain　a　little。　〃He　said　that　I　must　know　that　Canada　originally　belonged　to　the　French；　and　was　only　ceded　to　the　English　in　1760；　when　it　was　taken　in　an　expedition　under　Wolfe：　'a　very　daring　enterprise；'　he　said。　Canada　was　then　entirely　French；　and　the　British　only　came　afterwards。。。　Lo