queen victoria-第14章

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lation；　bowed　low；　and　departed。

Had　she　won？　Time　would　show；　and　in　the　meantime　she　scribbled　down　another　letter。　〃Lord　Melbourne　must　not　think　the　Queen　rash　in　her　conduct。。。　The　Queen　felt　this　was　an　attempt　to　see　whether　she　could　be　led　and　managed　like　a　child。〃＇*＇　The　Tories　were　not　only　wicked　but　ridiculous。　Peel；　having；　as　she　understood；　expressed　a　wish　to　remove　only　those　members　of　the　Household　who　were　in　Parliament；　now　objected　to　her　Ladies。　〃I　should　like　to　know；〃　she　exclaimed　in　triumphant　scorn；　〃if　they　mean　to　give　the　Ladies　seats　in　Parliament？〃

＇*＇　The　exclamation　〃They　wished　to　treat　me　like　a　girl；　but　I　will　show　them　that　I　am　Queen　of　England！〃　often　quoted　as　the　Queen's；　is　apocryphal。　It　is　merely　part　of　Greville's　summary　of　the　two　letters　to　Melbourne。　It　may　be　noted　that　the　phrase　〃the　Queen　of　England　will　not　submit　to　such　trickery〃　is　omitted　in　〃Girlhood；〃　and　in　general　there　are　numerous　verbal　discrepancies　between　the　versions　of　the　journal　and　the　letters　in　the　two　books。

The　end　of　the　crisis　was　now　fast　approaching。　Sir　Robert　returned；　and　told　her　that　if　she　insisted　upon　retaining　all　her　Ladies　he　could　not　form　a　Government。　She　replied　that　she　would　send　him　her　final　decision　in　writing。　Next　morning　the　late　Whig　Cabinet　met。　Lord　Melbourne　read　to　them　the　Queen's　letters；　and　the　group　of　elderly　politicians　were　overcome　by　an　extraordinary　wave　of　enthusiasm。　They　knew　very　well　that；　to　say　the　least；　it　was　highly　doubtful　whether　the　Queen　had　acted　in　strict　accordance　with　the　constitution；　that　in　doing　what　she　had　done　she　had　brushed　aside　Lord　Melbourne's　advice；　that；　in　reality；　there　was　no　public　reason　whatever　why　they　should　go　back　upon　their　decision　to　resign。　But　such　considerations　vanished　before　the　passionate　urgency　of　Victoria。　The　intensity　of　her　determination　swept　them　headlong　down　the　stream　of　her　desire。　They　unanimously　felt　that　〃it　was　impossible　to　abandon　such　a　Queen　and　such　a　woman。〃　Forgetting　that　they　were　no　longer　her　Majesty's　Ministers；　they　took　the　unprecedented　course　of　advising　the　Queen　by　letter　to　put　an　end　to　her　negotiation　with　Sir　Robert　Peel。　She　did　so；　all　was　over；　she　had　triumphed。　That　evening　there　was　a　ball　at　the　Palace。　Everyone　was　present。　〃Peel　and　the　Duke　of　Wellington　came　by　looking　very　much　put　out。〃　She　was　perfectly　happy；　Lord　M。　was　Prime　Minister　once　more；　and　he　was　by　her　side。

VIII

Happiness　had　returned　with　Lord　M。；　but　it　was　happiness　in　the　midst　of　agitation。　The　domestic　imbroglio　continued　unabated；　until　at　last　the　Duke；　rejected　as　a　Minister；　was　called　in　once　again　in　his　old　capacity　as　moral　physician　to　the　family。　Something　was　accomplished　when；　at　last；　he　induced　Sir　John　Conroy　to　resign　his　place　about　the　Duchess　of　Kent　and　leave　the　Palace　for　ever；　something　more　when　he　persuaded　the　Queen　to　write　an　affectionate　letter　to　her　mother。　The　way　seemed　open　for　a　reconciliation；　but　the　Duchess　was　stormy　still。　She　didn't　believe　that　Victoria　had　written　that　letter；　it　was　not　in　her　handwriting；　and　she　sent　for　the　Duke　to　tell　him　so。　The　Duke；　assuring　her　that　the　letter　was　genuine；　begged　her　to　forget　the　past。　But　that　was　not　so　easy。　〃What　am　I　to　do　if　Lord　Melbourne　comes　up　to　me？〃　〃Do；　ma'am？　Why；　receive　him　with　civility。〃　Well；　she　would　make　an　effort。。。　〃But　what　am　I　to　do　if　Victoria　asks　me　to　shake　hands　with　Lehzen？〃　〃Do；　ma'am？　Why；　take　her　in　your　arms　and　kiss　her。〃　〃What！〃　The　Duchess　bristled　in　every　feather；　and　then　she　burst　into　a　hearty　laugh。　〃No；　ma'am；　no；〃　said　the　Duke；　laughing　too。　〃I　don't　mean　you　are　to　take　Lehzen　in　your　arms　and　kiss　her；　but　the　Queen。〃　The　Duke　might　perhaps　have　succeeded；　had　not　all　attempts　at　conciliation　been　rendered　hopeless　by　a　tragical　event。　Lady　Flora；　it　was　discovered；　had　been　suffering　from　a　terrible　internal　malady；　which　now　grew　rapidly　worse。　There　could　be　little　doubt　that　she　was　dying。　The　Queen's　unpopularity　reached　an　extraordinary　height。　More　than　once　she　was　publicly　insulted。　〃Mrs。　Melbourne；〃　was　shouted　at　her　when　she　appeared　at　her　balcony；　and；　at　Ascot；　she　was　hissed　by　the　Duchess　of　Montrose　and　Lady　Sarah　Ingestre　as　she　passed。　Lady　Flora　died。　The　whole　scandal　burst　out　again　with　redoubled　vehemence；　while；　in　the　Palace；　the　two　parties　were　henceforth　divided　by　an　impassable；　a　Stygian；　gulf。

Nevertheless；　Lord　M。　was　back；　and　every　trouble　faded　under　the　enchantment　of　his　presence　and　his　conversation。　He；　on　his　side；　had　gone　through　much；　and　his　distresses　were　intensified　by　a　consciousness　of　his　own　shortcomings。　He　realised　clearly　enough　that；　if　he　had　intervened　at　the　right　moment；　the　Hastings　scandal　might　have　been　averted；　and；　in　the　bedchamber　crisis；　he　knew　that　he　had　allowed　his　judgment　to　be　overruled　and　his　conduct　to　be　swayed　by　private　feelings　and　the　impetuosity　of　Victoria。　But　he　was　not　one　to　suffer　too　acutely　from　the　pangs　of　conscience。　In　spite　of　the　dullness　and　the　formality　of　the　Court；　his　relationship　with　the　Queen　had　come　to　be　the　dominating　interest　in　his　life；　to　have　been　deprived　of　it　would　have　been　heartrending；　that　dread　eventuality　had　beensomehowavoided；　he　was　installed　once　more；　in　a　kind　of　triumph；　let　him　enjoy　the　fleeting　hours　to　the　full！　And　so；　cherished　by　the　favour　of　a　sovereign　and　warmed　by　the　adoration　of　a　girl；　the　autumn　rose；　in　those　autumn　months　of　1839；　came　to　a　wondrous　blooming。　The　petals　expanded；　beautifully；　for　the　last　time。　For　the　last　time　in　this　unlookedfor；　this　incongruous；　this　almost　incredible　intercourse；　the　old　epicure　tasted　the　exquisiteness　of　romance。　To　watch；　to　teach；　to　restrain；　to　encourage　the　royal　young　creature　beside　himthat　was　much；　to　feel　with　such　a　constant　intimacy　the　impact　of　her　quick　affection；　her　radiant　vitalitythat　was　more；　most　of　all；　perhaps；　was　it　good　to　linger　vaguely　in　humorous　contemplation；　in　idle　apostrophe；　to　talk　disconnectedly；　to　make　a　little　joke　about　an　apple　or　a　furbelow；　to　dream。　The　springs　of　his　sensibility；　hidden　deep　within　him；　were　overflowing。　Often；　as　he　bent　over　her　hand　and　kissed　it；　he　found　himself　in　tears。

Upon　Victoria；　with　all　her　impermeability；　it　was　inevitable　that　such　a　companionship　should　have　produced；　eventually；　an　effect。　She　was　no　longer　the　simple　schoolgirl　of　two　years　since。　The　change　was　visible　even　in　her　public　demeanour。　Her　expression；　once　〃ingenuous　and　serene；〃　now　appeared　to　a　shrewd　observer　to　be　〃bold　and　discontented。〃　She　had　learnt　something　of　the　pleasures　of　power　and　the　pains　of　it；　but　that　was　not　all。　Lord　Melbourne　with　his　gentle　instruction　had　sought　to　lead　her　into　the　paths　of　wisdom　and　moderation；　but　the　whole　unconscious　movement　of　his　character　had　swayed　her　in　a　very　different　direction。　The　hard　clear　pebble；　subjected　for　so　long　and　so　constantly　to　that　encircling　and　insidious　fluidity；　had　suffered　a　curious　corrosion；　it　seemed　to　be　actually　growing　a　little　soft　and　a　little　clouded。　Humanity　and　fallibility　are　infectious　things；　was　it　possible　that　Lehzen's　prim　pupil　had　caught　them？　That　she　was　beginning　to　listen　to　siren　voices？　That　the　secret　impulses　of　self…expression；　of　self…indulgence　even；　were　mastering　her　life？　For　a　moment　the　child　of　a　new　age　looked　back；　and　wavered　towards　the　eighteenth　century。　It　was　the　most　critical　moment　of　her　career。　Had　those　influences　lasted；　the　development　of　her　character；　the　history　of　her　life；　would　have　been　completely　changed。

And　why　should　they　not　last？　She；　for　one；　was　very　anxious　that　they　should。　Let　them　last　for　ever！　She　was　surrounded　by　Whigs；　she　was　free　to　do　whatever　she　wanted；　she　had　Lord　M。；　she　could　not　believe　that　she　could　ever　be　happier。　Any　change　would　be　for　the　worse；　and　the　worst　change　of　all。。。　no；　she　would　not　hear　of　it；　it　would　be　quite　intolerable；　it　would　upset　everything；　if　she　were　to　marry。　And　yet　everyone　seemed　to　want　her　tothe　general　public；　the　Ministers；　her　Saxe…Coburg　relationsit　was　always　the　same　story。　Of　course；　she　knew　very　well　that　there　were　excellent　reasons　for　it。　For　one　thing；　if　she　remained　childless；　and　were　to　die；　her　uncle　Cumberland；　who　was　now　the　King　of　Hanover；　would　succeed　to　the　Throne　of　England。　That；　no　doubt；　would　be　a　most　unpleasant　event；　and　she　entirely　sympathised　with　everybody　who　wished　to　avoid　it。　But　there　was　no　hurry；　naturally；　she　would　marry　in　the　endbut　not　just　yetnot　for　three　or　four　years。　What　was　tiresome　was　that　her　uncle　Leopold　had　apparently　determined；　not　only　that　she　ought　to　marry；　but　that　her　cousin　Albert　ought　to　be　her　husband。　That　was　very　like　her　uncle　Leopold；　who　wanted　to　have　a　finger　in　every　pie；　and　it　was　true　that　long　ago；　in　far…off　days；　before　her　accession　even；　she　had　written　to　him　in　a　way　which　might　well　have　encouraged　him　in　such　a　notion。　She　had　told　him　then　that　Albert　possessed　〃every　quality　that　could　be　desired　to　render　her　perfectly　happy；〃　and　had　begged　her　〃dearest　uncle　to　take　care　of　the　health　of　one；　now　so　dear　to　me；　and　to　take　him　under　your　special　protection；〃　adding；　〃I　hope　and　trust　all　will　go　on　prosperously　and　well　on　this　subject　of　so　much　importance　to　me。〃　But　that　had　been　years　ago；　when　she　was　a　mere　child；　perhaps；　indeed；　to　judge　from　the　language；　the　letter　had　been　dictated　by　Lehzen；　at　any　rate；　her　feelings；　and　all　the　circumstances；　had　now　entirely　changed。　Albert　hardly　interested　her　at　all。

In　later　life　the　Queen　declared　that　she　had　never　for　a　moment　dreamt　of　marrying　anyone　but　her　cousin；　her　letters　and　diaries　tell　a　very　different　story。　On　August　26；　1837；　she　wrote　in　her　journal：　〃To…day　is　my　dearest　cousin　Albert's　18th　birthday；　and　I　pray　Heaven　to　pour　its　choicest　blessings　on　his　beloved　head！〃　In　the　subsequent　years；　however；　the　date　passes　unnoticed。　It　had　been　arranged　that　Stockmar　should　accompany　the　Prince　to　Italy；　and　the　faithful　Baron　left　her　side　for　that　purpose。　He　wrote　to　her　more　than　once　with　sympathetic　descriptions　of　his　young　companion；　but　her　mind　was　by　this　time　made　up。　She　liked　and　admired　Albert　very　much；　but　she　did　not　want　to　marry　him。　〃At　present；〃　she　told　Lord　Melbourne　in　April；　1839；　〃my　feeling　is　quite　against　ever　marrying。〃　When　her　cousin's　Italian　tour　came　to　an　end；　she　began　to　grow　nervous；　she　knew　that；　according　to　a　long…standing　engagement；　his　next　journey　would　be　to　England。　He　would　probably　arrive　in　the　autumn；　and　by　July　her　uneasiness　was　intense。　She　determined　to　write　to　her　uncle；　in　order　to　make　her　position　clear。　It　must　be　understood　she　said；　that　〃there　is　no　no　engagement　between　us。〃　If　she　should　like　Albert；　she　could　〃make　no　final　promise　this　year；　for；　at　the　very　earliest；　any　such　event　could　not　take　place　till　two　or　three　years　hence。〃　She　had；　she　said；　〃a　great　repugnance〃　to　change　her　present　position；　and；　if　she　should　not　like　him；　she　was　〃very　anxious　that　it　should　be　understood　that　she　would　not　be　guilty　of　any　breach　of　promise；　for　she　never