queen victoria-第12章

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ich　we　SHOULD　NOT　LIKE　to　tell　them　officially；　the　Minister　is　going　to　write　a　despatch　to　our　man　at　Berlin；　sending　it　BY　POST；　the　Prussians　ARE　SURE　to　read　it；　and　to　learn　in　this　way　what　we　wish　them　to　hear。　Analogous　circumstances　might　very　probably　occur　in　England。　I　tell　you　the　TRICK；〃　wrote　His　Majesty；　〃that　you　should　be　able　to　guard　against　it。〃　Such　were　the　subtleties　of　constitutional　sovereignty。

It　seemed　that　the　time　had　come　for　another　step。　The　King's　next　letter　was　full　of　foreign　politicsthe　situation　in　Spain　and　Portugal；　the　character　of　Louis　Philippe；　and　he　received　a　favourable　answer。　Victoria；　it　is　true；　began　by　saying　that　she　had　shown　the　POLITICAL　PART　of　his　letter　to　Lord　Melbourne；　but　she　proceeded　to　a　discussion　of　foreign　affairs。　It　appeared　that　she　was　not　unwilling　to　exchange　observations　on　such　matters　with　her　uncle。　So　far　so　good。　But　King　Leopold　was　still　cautious；　though　a　crisis　was　impending　in　his　diplomacy；　he　still　hung　back；　at　last；　however；　he　could　keep　silence　no　longer。　It　was　of　the　utmost　importance　to　him　that；　in　his　manoeuvrings　with　France　and　Holland；　he　should　have；　or　at　any　rate　appear　to　have；　English　support。　But　the　English　Government　appeared　to　adopt　a　neutral　attitude；　it　was　too　bad；　not　to　be　for　him　was　to　be　against　him；　could　they　not　see　that？　Yet；　perhaps；　they　were　only　wavering；　and　a　little　pressure　upon　them　from　Victoria　might　still　save　all。　He　determined　to　put　the　case　before　her；　delicately　yet　forciblyjust　as　he　saw　it　himself。　〃All　I　want　from　your　kind　Majesty；〃　he　wrote；　〃is；　that　you　will　OCCASIONALLY　express　to　your　Ministers；　and　particularly　to　good　Lord　Melbourne；　that；　as　far　as　it　is　COMPATIBLE　with　the　interests　of　your　own　dominions；　you　do　NOT　wish　that　your　Government　should　take　the　lead　in　such　measures　as　might　in　a　short　time　bring　on　the　DESTRUCTION　of　this　country；　as　well　as　that　of　your　uncle　and　his　family。〃　The　result　of　this　appeal　was　unexpected；　there　was　dead　silence　for　more　than　a　week。　When　Victoria　at　last　wrote；　she　was　prodigal　of　her　affection。〃　It　would；　indeed；　my　dearest　Uncle；　be　VERY　WRONG　of　you；　if　you　thought　my　feelings　of　warm　and　devoted　attachment　to　you；　and　of　great　affection　for　you；　could　be　changednothing　can　ever　change　them〃but　her　references　to　foreign　politics；　though　they　were　lengthy　and　elaborate；　were　non…committal　in　the　extreme；　they　were　almost　cast　in　an　official　and　diplomatic　form。　Her　Ministers；　she　said；　entirely　shared　her　views　upon　the　subject；　she　understood　and　sympathised　with　the　difficulties　of　her　beloved　uncle's　position；　and　he　might　rest　assured　〃that　both　Lord　Melbourne　and　Lord　Palmerston　are　most　anxious　at　all　times　for　the　prosperity　and　welfare　of　Belgium。〃　That　was　all。　The　King　in　his　reply　declared　himself　delighted；　and　re…echoed　the　affectionate　protestations　of　his　niece。　〃My　dearest　and　most　beloved　Victoria；〃　he　said；　〃you　have　written　me　a　VERY　DEAR　and　long　letter；　which　has　given　me　GREAT　PLEASURE　AND　SATISFACTION。〃　He　would　not　admit　that　he　had　had　a　rebuff。

A　few　months　later　the　crisis　came。　King　Leopold　determined　to　make　a　bold　push；　and　to　carry　Victoria　with　him；　this　time；　by　a　display　of　royal　vigour　and　avuncular　authority。　In　an　abrupt；　an　almost　peremptory　letter；　he　laid　his　case；　once　more；　before　his　niece。　〃You　know　from　experience；〃　he　wrote；　〃that　I　NEVER　ASK　ANYTHING　OF　YOU。。。　But；　as　I　said　before；　if　we　are　not　careful　we　may　see　serious　consequences　which　may　affect　more　or　less　everybody；　and　THIS　ought　to　be　the　object　of　our　most　anxious　attention。　I　remain；　my　dear　Victoria；　your　affectionate　uncle；　Leopold　R。〃　The　Queen　immediately　despatched　this　letter　to　Lord　Melbourne；　who　replied　with　a　carefully　thought…out　form　of　words；　signifying　nothing　whatever；　which；　he　suggested；　she　should　send　to　her　uncle。　She　did　so；　copying　out　the　elaborate　formula；　with　a　liberal　scattering　of　〃dear　Uncles〃　interspersed；　and　she　concluded　her　letter　with　a　message　of　〃affectionate　love　to　Aunt　Louise　and　the　children。〃　Then　at　last　King　Leopold　was　obliged　to　recognise　the　facts。　His　next　letter　contained　no　reference　at　all　to　politics。　〃I　am　glad；〃　he　wrote；　〃to　find　that　you　like　Brighton　better　than　last　year。　I　think　Brighton　very　agreeable　at　this　time　of　the　year；　till　the　east　winds　set　in。　The　pavilion；　besides；　is　comfortable；　that　cannot　be　denied。　Before　my　marriage；　it　was　there　that　I　met　the　Regent。　Charlotte　afterwards　came　with　old　Queen　Charlotte。　How　distant　all　this　already；　but　still　how　present　to　one's　memory。〃　Like　poor　Madame　de　Lieven；　His　Majesty　felt　that　he　had　made　a　mistake。

Nevertheless；　he　could　not　quite　give　up　all　hope。　Another　opportunity　offered；　and　he　made　another　effortbut　there　was　not　very　much　conviction　in　it；　and　it　was　immediately　crushed。　〃My　dear　Uncle；〃　the　Queen　wrote；　〃I　have　to　thank　you　for　your　last　letter　which　I　received　on　Sunday。　Though　you　seem　not　to　dislike　my　political　sparks；　I　think　it　is　better　not　to　increase　them；　as　they　might　finally　take　fire；　particularly　as　I　see　with　regret　that　upon　this　one　subject　we　cannot　agree。　I　shall；　therefore；　limit　myself　to　my　expressions　of　very　sincere　wishes　for　the　welfare　and　prosperity　of　Belgium。〃　After　that；　it　was　clear　that　there　was　no　more　to　be　said。　Henceforward　there　is　audible　in　the　King's　letters　a　curiously　elegiac　note。　〃My　dearest　Victoria；　your　DELIGHTFUL　little　letter　has　just　arrived　and　went　like　AN　ARROW　TO　MY　HEART。　Yes；　my　beloved　Victoria！　I　DO　LOVE　YOU　TENDERLY。。。　I　love　you　FOR　YOURSELF；　and　I　love　in　you　the　dear　child　whose　welfare　I　tenderly　watched。〃　He　had　gone　through　much；　yet；　if　life　had　its　disappointments；　it　had　its　satisfactions　too。　〃I　have　all　the　honours　that　can　be　given；　and　I　am；　politically　speaking；　very　solidly　established。〃　But　there　were　other　things　besides　politics；　there　were　romantic　yearnings　in　his　heart。　〃The　only　longing　I　still　have　is　for　the　Orient；　where　I　perhaps　shall　once　end　my　life；　rising　in　the　west　and　setting　in　the　east。〃　As　for　his　devotion　to　his　niece；　that　could　never　end。　〃I　never　press　my　services　on　you；　nor　my　councils；　though　I　may　say　with　some　truth　that　from　the　extraordinary　fate　which　the　higher　powers　had　ordained　for　me；　my　experience；　both　political　and　of　private　life；　is　great。　I　am　ALWAYS　READY　to　be　useful　to　you　when　and　where　and　it　may　be；　and　I　repeat　it；　ALL　I　WANT　IN　RETURN　IS　SOME　LITTLE　SINCERE　AFFECTION　FROM　YOU。〃

VI

The　correspondence　with　King　Leopold　was　significant　of　much　that　still　lay　partly　hidden　in　the　character　of　Victoria。　Her　attitude　towards　her　uncle　had　never　wavered　for　a　moment。　To　all　his　advances　she　had　presented　an　absolutely　unyielding　front。　The　foreign　policy　of　England　was　not　his　province；　it　was　hers　and　her　Ministers'；　his　insinuations；　his　entreaties；　his　strugglesall　were　quite　useless；　and　he　must　understand　that　this　was　so。　The　rigidity　of　her　position　was　the　more　striking　owing　to　the　respectfulness　and　the　affection　with　which　it　was　accompanied。　From　start　to　finish　the　unmoved　Queen　remained　the　devoted　niece。　Leopold　himself　must　have　envied　such　perfect　correctitude；　but　what　may　be　admirable　in　an　elderly　statesman　is　alarming　in　a　maiden　of　nineteen。　And　privileged　observers　were　not　without　their　fears。　The　strange　mixture　of　ingenuous　light…heartedness　and　fixed　determination；　of　frankness　and　reticence；　of　childishness　and　pride；　seemed　to　augur　a　future　that　was　perplexed　and　full　of　dangers。　As　time　passed　the　less　pleasant　qualities　in　this　curious　composition　revealed　themselves　more　often　and　more　seriously。　There　were　signs　of　an　imperious；　a　peremptory　temper；　an　egotism　that　was　strong　and　hard。　It　was　noticed　that　the　palace　etiquette；　far　from　relaxing；　grew　ever　more　and　more　inflexible。　By　some；　this　was　attributed　to　Lehzen's　influence；　but；　if　that　was　so；　Lehzen　had　a　willing　pupil；　for　the　slightest　infringements　of　the　freezing　rules　of　regularity　and　deference　were　invariably　and　immediately　visited　by　the　sharp　and　haughty　glances　of　the　Queen。　Yet　Her　Majesty's　eyes；　crushing　as　they　could　be；　were　less　crushing　than　her　mouth。　The　self…will　depicted　in　those　small　projecting　teeth　and　that　small　receding　chin　was　of　a　more　dismaying　kind　than　that　which　a　powerful　jaw　betokens；　it　was　a　selfwill　imperturbable；　impenetrable；　unintelligent；　a　self…will　dangerously　akin　to　obstinacy。　And　the　obstinacy　of　monarchs　is　not　as　that　of　other　men。

Within　two　years　of　her　accession；　the　storm…clouds　which；　from　the　first；　had　been　dimly　visible　on　the　horizon；　gathered　and　burst。　Victoria's　relations　with　her　mother　had　not　improved。　The　Duchess　of　Kent；　still　surrounded　by　all　the　galling　appearances　of　filial　consideration；　remained　in　Buckingham　Palace　a　discarded　figure；　powerless　and　inconsolable。　Sir　John　Conroy；　banished　from　the　presence　of　the　Queen；　still　presided　over　the　Duchess's　household；　and　the　hostilities　of　Kensington　continued　unabated　in　the　new　surroundings。　Lady　Flora　Hastings　still　cracked　her　malicious　jokes；　the　animosity　of　the　Baroness　was　still　unappeased。　One　day；　Lady　Flora　found　the　joke　was　turned　against　her。　Early　in　1839；　travelling　in　the　suite　of　the　Duchess；　she　had　returned　from　Scotland　in　the　same　carriage　with　Sir　John。　A　change　in　her　figure　became　the　subject　of　an　unseemly　jest；　tongues　wagged；　and　the　jest　grew　serious。　It　was　whispered　that　Lady　Flora　was　with　child。　The　state　of　her　health　seemed　to　confirm　the　suspicion；　she　consulted　Sir　James　Clark；　the　royal　physician；　and；　after　the　consultation；　Sir　James　let　his　tongue　wag；　too。　On　this；　the　scandal　flared　up　sky…high。　Everyone　was　talking；　the　Baroness　was　not　surprised；　the　Duchess　rallied　tumultuously　to　the　support　of　her　lady；　the　Queen　was　informed。　At　last　the　extraordinary　expedient　of　a　medical　examination　was　resorted　to；　during　which　Sir　James；　according　to　Lady　Flora；　behaved　with　brutal　rudeness；　while　a　second　doctor　was　extremely　polite。　Finally；　both　physicians　signed　a　certificate　entirely　exculpating　the　lady。　But　this　was　by　no　means　the　end　of　the　business。　The　Hastings　family；　socially　a　very　powerful　one；　threw　itself　into　the　fray　with　all　the　fury　of　outraged　pride　and　injured　innocence；　Lord　Hastings　insisted　upon　an　audience　of　the　Queen；　wrote　to　the　papers；　and　demanded　the　dismissal　of　Sir　James　Clark。　The　Queen　expressed　her　regret　to　Lady　Flora；　but　Sir　James　Clark　was　not　dismissed。　The　tide　of　opinion　turned　violently　against　the　Queen　and　her　advisers；　high　society　was　disgusted　by　all　this　washing　of　dirty　linen　in　Buckingham　Palace；　the　public　at　large　was　indignant　at　the　ill…treatment　of　Lady　Flora。　By　the　end　of　March；　the　popularity；　so　radiant　and　so　abundant；　with　which　the　young　Sovereign　had　begun　her　reign；　had　entirely　disappeared。

There　can　be　no　doubt　that　a　great　lack　of　discretion　had　been　shown　by　the　Court。　Ill…natured　tittle…tattle；　which　should　have　been　instantly　nipped　in　the　bud；　had　been　allowed　to　assume　disgraceful　proportions；　and　the　Throne　itself　had　become　involved　in　the　personal　malignities　of　the　palace。　A　particularly　awkward　question　had　been　raised　by　the　position　of　S