queen victoria-第26章

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If　Palmerston　had　been　a　sensitive　man；　he　would　probably　have　resigned　on　the　receipt　of　the　Queen's　missive。　But　he　was　far　from　sensitive；　he　loved　power；　and　his　power　was　greater　than　ever；　an　unerring　instinct　told　him　that　this　was　not　the　time　to　go。　Nevertheless；　he　was　seriously　perturbed。　He　understood　at　last　that　he　was　struggling　with　a　formidable　adversary；　whose　skill　and　strength；　unless　they　were　mollified；　might　do　irreparable　injury　to　his　career。　He　therefore　wrote　to　Lord　John；　briefly　acquiescing　in　the　Queen's　requirements〃I　have　taken　a　copy　of　this　memorandum　of　the　Queen　and　will　not　fail　to　attend　to　the　directions　which　it　contains〃and　at　the　same　time；　he　asked　for　an　interview　with　the　Prince。　Albert　at　once　summoned　him　to　the　Palace；　and　was　astonished　to　observe；　as　he　noted　in　a　memorandum；　that　when　Palmerston　entered　the　room　〃he　was　very　much　agitated；　shook；　and　had　tears　in　his　eyes；　so　as　quite　to　move　me；　who　never　under　any　circumstances　had　known　him　otherwise　than　with　a　bland　smile　on　his　face。〃　The　old　statesman　was　profuse　in　protestations　and　excuses；　the　young　one　was　coldly　polite。　At　last；　after　a　long　and　inconclusive　conversation；　the　Prince；　drawing　himself　up；　said　that；　in　order　to　give　Lord　Palmerston　〃an　example　of　what　the　Queen　wanted；〃　he　would　〃ask　him　a　question　point…blank。〃　Lord　Palmerston　waited　in　respectful　silence；　while　the　Prince　proceeded　as　follows：　〃You　are　aware　that　the　Queen　has　objected　to　the　Protocol　about　Schleswig；　and　of　the　grounds　on　which　she　has　done　so。　Her　opinion　has　been　overruled；　the　Protocol　stating　the　desire　of　the　Great　Powers　to　see　the　integrity　of　the　Danish　monarchy　preserved　has　been　signed；　and　upon　this　the　King　of　Denmark　has　invaded　Schleswig；　where　the　war　is　raging。　If　Holstein　is　attacked　also；　which　is　likely；　the　Germans　will　not　be　restrained　from　flying　to　her　assistance；　Russia　has　menaced　to　interfere　with　arms；　if　the　Schleswigers　are　successful。　What　will　you　do；　if　this　emergency　arises　（provoking　most　likely　an　European　war）；　and　which　will　arise　very　probably　when　we　shall　be　at　Balmoral　and　Lord　John　in　another　part　of　Scotland？　The　Queen　expects　from　your　foresight　that　you　have　contemplated　this　possibility；　and　requires　a　categorical　answer　as　to　what　you　would　do　in　the　event　supposed。〃　Strangely　enough；　to　this　pointblank　question；　the　Foreign　Secretary　appeared　to　be　unable　to　reply。　The　whole　matter；　he　said；　was　extremely　complicated；　and　the　contingencies　mentioned　by　His　Royal　Highness　were　very　unlikely　to　arise。　The　Prince　persisted；　but　it　was　useless；　for　a　full　hour　he　struggled　to　extract　a　categorical　answer；　until　at　length　Palmerston　bowed　himself　out　of　the　room。　Albert　threw　up　his　hands　in　shocked　amazement：　what　could　one　do　with　such　a　man？

What　indeed？　For；　in　spite　of　all　his　apologies　and　all　his　promises；　within　a　few　weeks　the　incorrigible　reprobate　was　at　his　tricks　again。　The　Austrian　General　Haynau；　notorious　as　a　rigorous　suppressor　of　rebellion　in　Hungary　and　Italy；　and　in　particular　as　a　flogger　of　women；　came　to　England　and　took　it　into　his　head　to　pay　a　visit　to　Messrs。　Barclay　and　Perkins's　brewery。　The　features　of　〃General　Hyena；〃　as　he　was　everywhere　calledhis　grim　thin　face；　his　enormous　pepper…and…salt　moustacheshad　gained　a　horrid　celebrity；　and　it　so　happened　that　among　the　clerks　at　the　brewery　there　was　a　refugee　from　Vienna；　who　had　given　his　fellow…workers　a　first…hand　account　of　the　General's　characteristics。　The　Austrian　Ambassador；　scenting　danger；　begged　his　friend　not　to　appear　in　public；　or；　if　he　must　do　so；　to　cut　off　his　moustaches　first。　But　the　General　would　take　no　advice。　He　went　to　the　brewery；　was　immediately　recognised；　surrounded　by　a　crowd　of　angry　draymen；　pushed　about；　shouted　at；　punched　in　the　ribs；　and　pulled　by　the　moustaches　until；　bolting　down　an　alley　with　the　mob　at　his　heels　brandishing　brooms　and　roaring　〃Hyena！〃　he　managed　to　take　refuge　in　a　public　house；　whence　he　was　removed　under　the　protection　of　several　policemen。　The　Austrian　Government　was　angry　and　demanded　explanations。　Palmerston；　who；　of　course；　was　privately　delighted　by　the　incident；　replied　regretting　what　had　occurred；　but　adding　that　in　his　opinion　the　General　had　〃evinced　a　want　of　propriety　in　coming　to　England　at　the　present　moment；〃　and　he　delivered　his　note　to　the　Ambassador　without　having　previously　submitted　it　to　the　Queen　or　to　the　Prime　Minister。　Naturally；　when　this　was　discovered；　there　was　a　serious　storm。　The　Prince　was　especially　indignant；　the　conduct　of　the　draymen　he　regarded；　with　disgust　and　alarm；　as　〃a　slight　foretaste　of　what　an　unregulated　mass　of　illiterate　people　is　capable；〃　and　Palmerston　was　requested　by　Lord　John　to　withdraw　his　note；　and　to　substitute　for　it　another　from　which　all　censure　of　the　General　had　been　omitted。　On　this　the　Foreign　Secretary　threatened　resignation；　but　the　Prime　Minister　was　firm。　For　a　moment　the　royal　hopes　rose　high；　only　to　be　dashed　to　the　ground　again　by　the　cruel　compliance　of　the　enemy。　Palmerston；　suddenly　lamblike；　agreed　to　everything；　the　note　was　withdrawn　and　altered；　and　peace　was　patched　up　once　more。

It　lasted　for　a　year；　and　then；　in　October；　1851；　the　arrival　of　Kossuth　in　England　brought　on　another　crisis。　Palmerston's　desire　to　receive　the　Hungarian　patriot　at　his　house　in　London　was　vetoed　by　Lord　John；　once　more　there　was　a　sharp　struggle；　once　more　Palmerston；　after　threatening　resignation；　yielded。　But　still　the　insubordinate　man　could　not　keep　quiet。　A　few　weeks　later　a　deputation　of　Radicals　from　Finsbury　and　Islington　waited　on　him　at　the　Foreign　Office　and　presented　him　with　an　address；　in　which　the　Emperors　of　Austria　and　Russia　were　stigmatised　as　〃odious　and　detestable　assassins〃　and　〃merciless　tyrants　and　despots。〃　The　Foreign　Secretary　in　his　reply；　while　mildly　deprecating　these　expressions；　allowed　his　real　sentiments　to　appear　with　a　most　undiplomatic　insouciance　There　was　an　immediate　scandal；　and　the　Court　flowed　over　with　rage　and　vituperation。　〃I　think；〃　said　the　Baron；　〃the　man　has　been　for　some　time　insane。〃　Victoria；　in　an　agitated　letter；　urged　Lord　John　to　assert　his　authority。　But　Lord　John　perceived　that　on　this　matter　the　Foreign　Secretary　had　the　support　of　public　opinion；　and　he　judged　it　wiser　to　bide　his　time。

He　had　not　long　to　wait。　The　culmination　of　the　long　series　of　conflicts；　threats；　and　exacerbations　came　before　the　year　was　out。　On　December　2；　Louis　Napoleon's　coup　d'etat　took　place　in　Paris；　and　on　the　following　day　Palmerston；　without　consulting　anybody；　expressed　in　a　conversation　with　the　French　Ambassador　his　approval　of　Napoleon's　act。　Two　days　later；　he　was　instructed　by　the　Prime　Minister；　in　accordance　with　a　letter　from　the　Queen；　that　it　was　the　policy　of　the　English　Government　to　maintain　an　attitude　of　strict　neutrality　towards　the　affairs　of　France。　Nevertheless；　in　an　official　despatch　to　the　British　Amambassador　in　Paris；　he　repeated　the　approval　of　the　coup　d'etat　which　he　had　already　given　verbally　to　the　French　Ambassador　in　London。　This　despatch　was　submitted　neither　to　the　Queen　nor　to　the　Prime　Minister。　Lord　John's　patience；　as　he　himself　said；　〃was　drained　to　the　last　drop。〃　He　dismissed　Lord　Palmerston。

Victoria　was　in　ecstasies；　and　Albert　knew　that　the　triumph　was　his　even　more　than　Lord　John's。　It　was　his　wish　that　Lord　Granville；　a　young　man　whom　he　believed　to　be　pliant　to　his　influence；　should　be　Palmerston's　successor；　and　Lord　Granville　was　appointed。　Henceforward；　it　seemed　that　the　Prince　would　have　his　way　in　foreign　affairs。　After　years　of　struggle　and　mortification；　success　greeted　him　on　every　hand。　In　his　family；　he　was　an　adored　master；　in　the　country；　the　Great　Exhibition　had　brought　him　respect　and　glory；　and　now　in　the　secret　seats　of　power　he　had　gained　a　new　supremacy。　He　had　wrestled　with　the　terrible　Lord　Palmerston；　the　embodiment　of　all　that　was　most　hostile　to　him　in　the　spirit　of　England；　and　his　redoubtable　opponent　had　been　overthrown。　Was　England　herself　at　his　feet？　It　might　be　so；　and　yet。。。　it　is　said　that　the　sons　of　England　have　a　certain　tiresome　quality：　they　never　know　when　they　are　beaten。　It　was　odd；　but　Palmerston　was　positively　still　jaunty。　Was　it　possible？　Could　he　believe；　in　his　blind　arrogance；　that　even　his　ignominious　dismissal　from　office　was　something　that　could　be　brushed　aside？

III

The　Prince's　triumph　was　short…lived。　A　few　weeks　later；　owing　to　Palmerston's　influence；　the　Government　was　defeated　in　the　House；　and　Lord　John　resigned。　Then；　after　a　short　interval；　a　coalition　between　the　Whigs　and　the　followers　of　Peel　came　into　power；　under　the　premiership　of　Lord　Aberdeen。　Once　more；　Palmerston　was　in　the　Cabinet。　It　was　true　that　he　did　not　return　to　the　Foreign　Office；　that　was　something　to　the　good；　in　the　Home　Department　it　might　be　hoped　that　his　activities　would　be　less　dangerous　and　disagreeable。　But　the　Foreign　Secretary　was　no　longer　the　complacent　Granville；　and　in　Lord　Clarendon　the　Prince　knew　that　he　had　a　Minister　to　deal　with；　who；　discreet　and　courteous　as　he　was；　had　a　mind　of　his　own。　These　changes；　however；　were　merely　the　preliminaries　of　a　far　more　serious　development。

Events；　on　every　side；　were　moving　towards　a　catastrophe。　Suddenly　the　nation　found　itself　under　the　awful　shadow　of　imminent　war。　For　several　months；　amid　the　shifting　mysteries　of　diplomacy　and　the　perplexed　agitations　of　politics；　the　issue　grew　more　doubtful　and　more　dark；　while　the　national　temper　was　strained　to　the　breaking…point。　At　the　very　crisis　of　the　long　and　ominous　negotiations；　it　was　announced　that　Lord　Palmerston　had　resigned。　Then　the　pent…up　fury　of　the　people　burst　forth。　They　had　felt　that　in　the　terrible　complexity　of　events　they　were　being　guided　by　weak　and　embarrassed　counsels；　but　they　had　been　reassured　by　the　knowledge　that　at　the　centre　of　power　there　was　one　man　with　strength；　with　courage；　with　determination；　in　whom　they　could　put　their　trust。　They　now　learnt　that　that　man　was　no　longer　among　their　leaders。　Why？　In　their　rage；　anxiety；　and　nervous　exhaustion；　they　looked　round　desperately　for　some　hidden　and　horrible　explanation　of　what　had　occurred。　They　suspected　plots；　they　smelt　treachery　in　the　air。　It　was　easy　to　guess　the　object　upon　which　their　frenzy　would　vent　itself。　Was　there　not　a　foreigner　in　the　highest　of　high　places；　a　foreigner　whose　hostility　to　their　own　adored　champion　was　unrelenting　and　unconcealed？　The　moment　that　Palmerston's　resignation　was　known；　there　was　a　universal　outcry　and　an　extraordinary　tempest　of　anger　and　hatred　burst；　with　unparalleled　violence；　upon　the　head　of　the　Prince。

It　was　everywhere　asserted　and　believed　that　the　Queen's　husband　was　a　traitor　to　the　country；　that　he　was　a　tool　of　the　Russian　Court；　that　in　obedience　to　Russian　influences　he　had　forced　Palmerston　out　of　the　Government；　and　that　he　was　directing　the　foreign　policy　of　England　in　the　interests　of　England's　enemies。　For　many　weeks　these　accusations　filled　the　whole　of　the　press；　repeated　at　public　meetings；　elaborated　in　private　talk；　they　flew　over　the　country；　growing　every　moment　more　extreme　and　more　improbable。　While　respectable