queen victoria-第17章

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rossing　was　a　very　rough　one；　the　Duke　went　hurriedly　below；　while　the　two　Princes；　we　are　told；　lay　on　either　side　of　the　cabin　staircase　〃in　an　almost　helpless　state。〃　At　Dover　a　large　crowd　was　collected　on　the　pier；　and　〃it　was　by　no　common　effort　that　Prince　Albert；　who　had　continued　to　suffer　up　to　the　last　moment；　got　up　to　bow　to　the　people。〃　His　sense　of　duty　triumphed。　It　was　a　curious　omen：　his　whole　life　in　England　was　foreshadowed　as　he　landed　on　English　ground。

Meanwhile　Victoria；　in　growing　agitation；　was　a　prey　to　temper　and　to　nerves。　She　grew　feverish；　and　at　last　Sir　James　Clark　pronounced　that　she　was　going　to　have　the　measles。　But；　once　again；　Sir　James's　diagnosis　was　incorrect。　It　was　not　the　measles　that　were　attacking　her；　but　a　very　different　malady；　she　was　suddenly　prostrated　by　alarm；　regret；　and　doubt。　For　two　years　she　had　been　her　own　mistressthe　two　happiest　years；　by　far；　of　her　life。　And　now　it　was　all　to　end！　She　was　to　come　under　an　alien　dominationshe　would　have　to　promise　that　she　would　honour　and　obey。。。　someone；　who　might；　after　all；　thwart　her；　oppose　herand　how　dreadful　that　would　be！　Why　had　she　embarked　on　this　hazardous　experiment？　Why　had　she　not　been　contented　with　Lord　M。？　No　doubt；　she　loved　Albert；　but　she　loved　power　too。　At　any　rate；　one　thing　was　certain：　she　might　be　Albert's　wife；　but　she　would　always　be　Queen　of　England。　He　reappeared；　in　an　exquisite　uniform；　and　her　hesitations　melted　in　his　presence　like　mist　before　the　sun。　On　February　10；　1840；　the　marriage　took　place。　The　wedded　pair　drove　down　to　Windsor；　but　they　were　not；　of　course；　entirely　alone。　They　were　accompanied　by　their　suites；　and；　in　particular；　by　two　personsthe　Baron　Stockmar　and　the　Baroness　Lehzen。

III

Albert　had　foreseen　that　his　married　life　would　not　be　all　plain　sailing；　but　he　had　by　no　means　realised　the　gravity　and　the　complication　of　the　difficulties　which　he　would　have　to　face。　Politically；　he　was　a　cipher。　Lord　Melbourne　was　not　only　Prime　Minister；　he　was　in　effect　the　Private　Secretary　of　the　Queen；　and　thus　controlled　the　whole　of　the　political　existence　of　the　sovereign。　A　queen's　husband　was　an　entity　unknown　to　the　British　Constitution。　In　State　affairs　there　seemed　to　be　no　place　for　him；　nor　was　Victoria　herself　at　all　unwilling　that　this　should　be　so。　〃The　English；〃　she　had　told　the　Prince　when；　during　their　engagement；　a　proposal　had　been　made　to　give　him　a　peerage；　〃are　very　jealous　of　any　foreigner　interfering　in　the　government　of　this　country；　and　have　already　in　some　of　the　papers　expressed　a　hope　that　you　would　not　interfere。　Now；　though　I　know　you　never　would；　still；　if　you　were　a　Peer；　they　would　all　say；　the　Prince　meant　to　play　a　political　part。　I　know　you　never　would！〃　In　reality；　she　was　not　quite　so　certain；　but　she　wished　Albert　to　understand　her　views。　He　would；　she　hoped；　make　a　perfect　husband；　but；　as　for　governing　the　country；　he　would　see　that　she　and　Lord　M。　between　them　could　manage　that　very　well；　without　his　help。

But　it　was　not　only　in　politics　that　the　Prince　discovered　that　the　part　cut　out　for　him　was　a　negligible　one。　Even　as　a　husband；　he　found；　his　functions　were　to　be　of　an　extremely　limited　kind。　Over　the　whole　of　Victoria's　private　life　the　Baroness　reigned　supreme；　and　she　had　not　the　slightest　intention　of　allowing　that　supremacy　to　be　diminished　by　one　iota。　Since　the　accession；　her　power　had　greatly　increased。　Besides　the　undefined　and　enormous　influence　which　she　exercised　through　her　management　of　the　Queen's　private　correspondence；　she　was　now　the　superintendent　of　the　royal　establishment　and　controlled　the　important　office　of　Privy　Purse。　Albert　very　soon　perceived　that　he　was　not　master　in　his　own　house。　Every　detail　of　his　own　and　his　wife's　existence　was　supervised　by　a　third　person：　nothing　could　be　done　until　the　consent　of　Lehzen　had　first　been　obtained。　And　Victoria；　who　adored　Lehzen　with　unabated　intensity；　saw　nothing　in　all　this　that　was　wrong。

Nor　was　the　Prince　happier　in　his　social　surroundings。　A　shy　young　foreigner；　awkward　in　ladies'　company；　unexpansive　and　self…opinionated；　it　was　improbable　that；　in　any　circumstances；　he　would　have　been　a　society　success。　His　appearance；　too；　was　against　him。　Though　in　the　eyes　of　Victoria　he　was　the　mirror　of　manly　beauty；　her　subjects；　whose　eyes　were　of　a　less　Teutonic　cast；　did　not　agree　with　her。　To　themand　particularly　to　the　high…born　ladies　and　gentlemen　who　naturally　saw　him　mostwhat　was　immediately　and　distressingly　striking　in　Albert's　face　and　figure　and　whole　demeanour　was　his　un…English　look。　His　features　were　regular；　no　doubt；　but　there　was　something　smooth　and　smug　about　them；　he　was　tall；　but　he　was　clumsily　put　together；　and　he　walked　with　a　slight　slouch。　Really；　they　thought；　this　youth　was　more　like　some　kind　of　foreign　tenor　than　anything　else。　These　were　serious　disadvantages；　but　the　line　of　conduct　which　the　Prince　adopted　from　the　first　moment　of　his　arrival　was　far　from　calculated　to　dispel　them。　Owing　partly　to　a　natural　awkwardness；　partly　to　a　fear　of　undue　familiarity；　and　partly　to　a　desire　to　be　absolutely　correct；　his　manners　were　infused　with　an　extraordinary　stiffness　and　formality。　Whenever　he　appeared　in　company；　he　seemed　to　be　surrounded　by　a　thick　hedge　of　prickly　etiquette。　He　never　went　out　into　ordinary　society；　he　never　walked　in　the　streets　of　London；　he　was　invariably　accompanied　by　an　equerry　when　he　rode　or　drove。　He　wanted　to　be　irreproachable　and；　if　that　involved　friendlessness；　it　could　not　be　helped。　Besides；　he　had　no　very　high　opinion　of　the　English。　So　far　as　he　could　see；　they　cared　for　nothing　but　fox…hunting　and　Sunday　observances；　they　oscillated　between　an　undue　frivolity　and　an　undue　gloom；　if　you　spoke　to　them　of　friendly　joyousness　they　stared；　and　they　did　not　understand　either　the　Laws　of　Thought　or　the　wit　of　a　German　University。　Since　it　was　clear　that　with　such　people　he　could　have　very　little　in　common；　there　was　no　reason　whatever　for　relaxing　in　their　favour　the　rules　of　etiquette。　In　strict　privacy；　he　could　be　natural　and　charming；　Seymour　and　Anson　were　devoted　to　him；　and　he　returned　their　affection；　but　they　were　subordinatesthe　receivers　of　his　confidences　and　the　agents　of　his　will。　From　the　support　and　the　solace　of　true　companionship　he　was　utterly　cut　off。

A　friend；　indeed；　he　hador　rather；　a　mentor。　The　Baron；　established　once　more　in　the　royal　residence；　was　determined　to　work　with　as　wholehearted　a　detachment　for　the　Prince's　benefit　as；　more　than　twenty　years　before；　he　had　worked　for　his　uncle's。　The　situations　then　and　now；　similar　in　many　respects；　were　yet　full　of　differences。　Perhaps　in　either　case　the　difficulties　to　be　encountered　were　equally　great；　but　the　present　problem　was　the　more　complex　and　the　more　interesting。　The　young　doctor　who；　unknown　and　insignificant；　had　nothing　at　the　back　of　him　but　his　own　wits　and　the　friendship　of　an　unimportant　Prince；　had　been　replaced　by　the　accomplished　confidant　of　kings　and　ministers；　ripe　in　years；　in　reputation；　and　in　the　wisdom　of　a　vast　experience。　It　was　possible　for　him　to　treat　Albert　with　something　of　the　affectionate　authority　of　a　father；　but；　on　the　other　hand；　Albert　was　no　Leopold。　As　the　Baron　was　very　well　aware；　he　had　none　of　his　uncle's　rigidity　of　ambition；　none　of　his　overweening　impulse　to　be　personally　great。　He　was　virtuous　and　well…intentioned；　he　was　clever　and　well…informed；　but　he　took　no　interest　in　politics；　and　there　were　no　signs　that　he　possessed　any　commanding　force　of　character。　Left　to　himself；　he　would　almost　certainly　have　subsided　into　a　high…minded　nonentity；　an　aimless　dilettante　busy　over　culture；　a　palace　appendage　without　influence　or　power。　But　he　was　not　left　to　himself：　Stockmar　saw　to　that。　For　ever　at　his　pupil's　elbow；　the　hidden　Baron　pushed　him　forward；　with　tireless　pressure；　along　the　path　which　had　been　trod　by　Leopold　so　many　years　ago。　But；　this　time；　the　goal　at　the　end　of　it　was　something　more　than　the　mediocre　royalty　that　Leopold　had　reached。　The　prize　which　Stockmar；　with　all　the　energy　of　disinterested　devotion；　had　determined　should　be　Albert's　was　a　tremendous　prize　indeed。

The　beginning　of　the　undertaking　proved　to　be　the　most　arduous　part　of　it。　Albert　was　easily　dispirited：　what　was　the　use　of　struggling　to　perform　in　a　role　which　bored　him　and　which；　it　was　quite　clear；　nobody　but　the　dear　good　Baron　had　any　desire　that　he　should　take　up？　It　was　simpler；　and　it　saved　a　great　deal　of　trouble；　to　let　things　slide。　But　Stockmar　would　not　have　it。　Incessantly；　he　harped　upon　two　stringsAlbert's　sense　of　duty　and　his　personal　pride。　Had　the　Prince　forgotten　the　noble　aims　to　which　his　life　was　to　be　devoted？　And　was　he　going　to　allow　himself；　his　wife；　his　family；　his　whole　existence；　to　be　governed　by　Baroness　Lehzen？　The　latter　consideration　was　a　potent　one。　Albert　had　never　been　accustomed　to　giving　way；　and　now；　more　than　ever　before；　it　would　be　humiliating　to　do　so。　Not　only　was　he　constantly　exasperated　by　the　position　of　the　Baroness　in　the　royal　household；　there　was　another　and　a　still　more　serious　cause　of　complaint。　He　was；　he　knew　very　well；　his　wife's　intellectual　superior；　and　yet　he　found；　to　his　intense　annoyance；　that　there　were　parts　of　her　mind　over　which　he　exercised　no　influence。　When；　urged　on　by　the　Baron；　he　attempted　to　discuss　politics　with　Victoria；　she　eluded　the　subject；　drifted　into　generalities；　and　then　began　to　talk　of　something　else。　She　was　treating　him　as　she　had　once　treated　their　uncle　Leopold。　When　at　last　he　protested；　she　replied　that　her　conduct　was　merely　the　result　of　indolence；　that　when　she　was　with　him　she　could　not　bear　to　bother　her　head　with　anything　so　dull　as　politics。　The　excuse　was　worse　than　the　fault：　was　he　the　wife　and　she　the　husband？　It　almost　seemed　so。　But　the　Baron　declared　that　the　root　of　the　mischief　was　Lehzen：　that　it　was　she　who　encouraged　the　Queen　to　have　secrets；　who　did　worseundermined　the　natural　ingenuousness　of　Victoria；　and　induced　her　to　give；　unconsciously　no　doubt；　false　reasons　to　explain　away　her　conduct。

Minor　disagreements　made　matters　worse。　The　royal　couple　differed　in　their　tastes。　Albert；　brought　up　in　a　regime　of　Spartan　simplicity　and　early　hours；　found　the　great　Court　functions　intolerably　wearisome；　and　was　invariably　observed　to　be　nodding　on　the　sofa　at　half…past　ten；　while　the　Queen's　favourite　form　of　enjoyment　was　to　dance　through　the　night；　and　then；　going　out　into　the　portico　of　the　Palace；　watch　the　sun　rise　behind　St。　Paul's　and　the　towers　of　Westminster。　She　loved　London　and　he　detested　it。　It　was　only　in　Windsor　that　he　felt　he　could　really　breathe；　but　Windsor　too　had　its　terrors：　though　during　the　day　there　he　could　paint　and　walk　and　play　on　the　piano；　after　dinner　black　tedium　descended　like　a　pall。　He　would　have　liked　to　summon　distinguished　scientific　and　literary　men　to　his　presence；　and　after　ascertaining　their　views　upon　various　points　of　art　and　learning；　to　set　forth　his　own；　but　unfortunately　Victoria　〃had　no　fancy　to　encourage　such　people；〃　knowing　that　she　was　unequal　to　taking　a　part　in　their　conversation；　she　insisted　that　the　evening　routine　should　remain　unalt