queen victoria-第30章

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e　Great　Exhibition　asserted　itself　no　less　in　the　confused　complexities　of　war。　Again　and　again　the　Prince's　suggestions；　rejected　or　unheeded　at　first；　were　adopted　under　the　stress　of　circumstances　and　found　to　be　full　of　value。　The　enrolment　of　a　foreign　legion；　the　establishment　of　a　depot　for　troops　at　Malta；　the　institution　of　periodical　reports　and　tabulated　returns　as　to　the　condition　of　the　army　at　Sebastopolsuch　were　the　contrivances　and　the　achievements　of　his　indefatigable　brain。　He　went　further：　in　a　lengthy　minute　he　laid　down　the　lines　for　a　radical　reform　in　the　entire　administration　of　the　army。　This　was　premature；　but　his　proposal　that　〃a　camp　of　evolution〃　should　be　created；　in　which　troops　should　be　concentrated　and　drilled；　proved　to　be　the　germ　of　Aldershot。

Meanwhile　Victoria　had　made　a　new　friend：　she　had　suddenly　been　captivated　by　Napoleon　III。　Her　dislike　of　him　had　been　strong　at　first。　She　considered　that　he　was　a　disreputable　adventurer　who　had　usurped　the　throne　of　poor　old　Louis　Philippe；　and　besides　he　was　hand…in…glove　with　Lord　Palmerston。　For　a　long　time；　although　he　was　her　ally；　she　was　unwilling　to　meet　him；　but　at　last　a　visit　of　the　Emperor　and　Empress　to　England　was　arranged。　Directly　he　appeared　at　Windsor　her　heart　began　to　soften。　She　found　that　she　was　charmed　by　his　quiet　manners；　his　low；　soft　voice；　and　by　the　soothing　simplicity　of　his　conversation。　The　good…will　of　England　was　essential　to　the　Emperor's　position　in　Europe；　and　he　had　determined　to　fascinate　the　Queen。　He　succeeded。　There　was　something　deep　within　her　which　responded　immediately　and　vehemently　to　natures　that　offered　a　romantic　contrast　with　her　own。　Her　adoration　of　Lord　Melbourne　was　intimately　interwoven　with　her　half…unconscious　appreciation　of　the　exciting　unlikeness　between　herself　and　that　sophisticated；　subtle；　aristocratical　old　man。　Very　different　was　the　quality　of　her　unlikeness　to　Napoleon；　but　its　quantity　was　at　least　as　great。　From　behind　the　vast　solidity　of　her　respectability；　her　conventionality；　her　established　happiness；　she　peered　out　with　a　strange　delicious　pleasure　at　that　unfamiliar；　darkly…glittering　foreign　object；　moving　so　meteorically　before　her；　an　ambiguous　creature　of　wilfulness　and　Destiny。　And；　to　her　surprise；　where　she　had　dreaded　antagonisms；　she　discovered　only　sympathies。　He　was；　she　said；　〃so　quiet；　so　simple；　naif　even；　so　pleased　to　be　informed　about　things　he　does　not　know；　so　gentle；　so　full　of　tact；　dignity；　and　modesty；　so　full　of　kind　attention　towards　us；　never　saying　a　word；　or　doing　a　thing；　which　could　put　me　out。。。　There　is　something　fascinating；　melancholy；　and　engaging　which　draws　you　to　him；　in　spite　of　any　prevention　you　may　have　against　him；　and　certainly　without　the　assistance　of　any　outward　appearance；　though　I　like　his　face。〃　She　observed　that　he　rode　〃extremely　well；　and　looks　well　on　horseback；　as　he　sits　high。〃　And　he　danced　〃with　great　dignity　and　spirit。〃　Above　all；　he　listened　to　Albert；　listened　with　the　most　respectful　attention；　showed；　in　fact；　how　pleased　he　was　〃to　be　informed　about　things　he　did　not　know；〃　and　afterwards　was　heard　to　declare　that　he　had　never　met　the　Prince's　equal。　On　one　occasion；　indeedbut　only　on　onehe　had　seemed　to　grow　slightly　restive。　In　a　diplomatic　conversation；　〃I　expatiated　a　little　on　the　Holstein　question；〃　wrote　the　Prince　in　a　memorandum；　〃which　appeared　to　bore　the　Emperor　as　'tres　compliquee。'〃

Victoria；　too；　became　much　attached　to　the　Empress；　whose　looks　and　graces　she　admired　without　a　touch　of　jealousy。　Eugenie；　indeed；　in　the　plenitude　of　her　beauty；　exquisitely　dressed　in　wonderful　Parisian　crinolines　which　set　off　to　perfection　her　tall　and　willowy　figure；　might　well　have　caused　some　heart…burning　in　the　breast　of　her　hostess；　who；　very　short；　rather　stout；　quite　plain；　in　garish　middle…class　garments；　could　hardly　be　expected　to　feel　at　her　best　in　such　company。　But　Victoria　had　no　misgivings。　To　her　it　mattered　nothing　that　her　face　turned　red　in　the　heat　and　that　her　purple　pork…pie　hat　was　of　last　year's　fashion；　while　Eugenie；　cool　and　modish；　floated　in　an　infinitude　of　flounces　by　her　side。　She　was　Queen　of　England；　and　was　not　that　enough？　It　certainly　seemed　to　be；　true　majesty　was　hers；　and　she　knew　it。　More　than　once；　when　the　two　were　together　in　public；　it　was　the　woman　to　whom；　as　it　seemed；　nature　and　art　had　given　so　little；　who；　by　the　sheer　force　of　an　inherent　grandeur；　completely　threw　her　adorned　and　beautiful　companion　into　the　shade。

There　were　tears　when　the　moment　came　for　parting；　and　Victoria　felt　〃quite　wehmuthig；〃　as　her　guests　went　away　from　Windsor。　But　before　long　she　and　Albert　paid　a　return　visit　to　France；　where　everything　was　very　delightful；　and　she　drove　incognito　through　the　streets　of　Paris　in　a　〃common　bonnet；〃　and　saw　a　play　in　the　theatre　at　St。　Cloud；　and；　one　evening；　at　a　great　party　given　by　the　Emperor　in　her　honour　at　the　Chateau　of　Versailles；　talked　a　little　to　a　distinguished…looking　Prussian　gentleman；　whose　name　was　Bismarck。　Her　rooms　were　furnished　so　much　to　her　taste　that　she　declared　they　gave　her　quite　a　home　feelingthat；　if　her　little　dog　were　there；　she　should　really　imagine　herself　at　home。　Nothing　was　said；　but　three　days　later　her　little　dog　barked　a　welcome　to　her　as　she　entered　the　apartments。　The　Emperor　himself；　sparing　neither　trouble　nor　expense；　had　personally　arranged　the　charming　surprise。　Such　were　his　attentions。　She　returned　to　England　more　enchanted　than　ever。　〃Strange　indeed；〃　she　exclaimed；　〃are　the　dispensations　and　ways　of　Providence！〃

The　alliance　prospered；　and　the　war　drew　towards　a　conclusion。　Both　the　Queen　and　the　Prince；　it　is　true；　were　most　anxious　that　there　should　not　be　a　premature　peace。　When　Lord　Aberdeen　wished　to　open　negotiations　Albert　attacked　him　in　a　〃geharnischten〃　letter；　while　Victoria　rode　about　on　horseback　reviewing　the　troops。　At　last；　however；　Sebastopol　was　captured。　The　news　reached　Balmoral　late　at　night；　and　〃in　a　few　minutes　Albert　and　all　the　gentlemen　in　every　species　of　attire　sallied　forth；　followed　by　all　the　servants；　and　gradually　by　all　the　population　of　the　village…keepers；　gillies；　workmen〃up　to　the　top　of　the　cairn。〃　A　bonfire　was　lighted；　the　pipes　were　played；　and　guns　were　shot　off。　〃About　three…quarters　of　an　hour　after　Albert　came　down　and　said　the　scene　had　been　wild　and　exciting　beyond　everything。　The　people　had　been　drinking　healths　in　whisky　and　were　in　great　ecstasy。〃　The　〃great　ecstasy；〃　perhaps；　would　be　replaced　by　other　feelings　next　morning；　but　at　any　rate　the　war　was　overthough；　to　be　sure；　its　end　seemed　as　difficult　to　account　for　as　its　beginning。　The　dispensations　and　ways　of　Providence　continued　to　be　strange。

IV

An　unexpected　consequence　of　the　war　was　a　complete　change　in　the　relations　between　the　royal　pair　and　Palmerston。　The　Prince　and　the　Minister　drew　together　over　their　hostility　to　Russia；　and　thus　it　came　about　that　when　Victoria　found　it　necessary　to　summon　her　old　enemy　to　form　an　administration　she　did　so　without　reluctance。　The　premiership；　too；　had　a　sobering　effect　upon　Palmerston；　he　grew　less　impatient　and　dictatorial；　considered　with　attention　the　suggestions　of　the　Crown；　and　was；　besides；　genuinely　impressed　by　the　Prince's　ability　and　knowledge。　Friction；　no　doubt；　there　still　occasionally　was；　for；　while　the　Queen　and　the　Prince　devoted　themselves　to　foreign　politics　as　much　as　ever；　their　views；　when　the　war　was　over；　became　once　more　antagonistic　to　those　of　the　Prime　Minister。　This　was　especially　the　case　with　regard　to　Italy。　Albert；　theoretically　the　friend　of　constitutional　government；　distrusted　Cavour；　was　horrified　by　Garibaldi；　and　dreaded　the　danger　of　England　being　drawn　into　war　with　Austria。　Palmerston；　on　the　other　hand；　was　eager　for　Italian　independence；　but　he　was　no　longer　at　the　Foreign　Office；　and　the　brunt　of　the　royal　displeasure　had　now　to　be　borne　by　Lord　John　Russell。　In　a　few　years　the　situation　had　curiously　altered。　It　was　Lord　John　who　now　filled　the　subordinate　and　the　ungrateful　role；　but　the　Foreign　Secretary；　in　his　struggle　with　the　Crown；　was　supported；　instead　of　opposed；　by　the　Prime　Minister。　Nevertheless　the　struggle　was　fierce；　and　the　policy；　by　which　the　vigorous　sympathy　of　England　became　one　of　the　decisive　factors　in　the　final　achievement　of　Italian　unity；　was　only　carried　through　in　face　of　the　violent　opposition　of　the　Court。

Towards　the　other　European　storm…centre；　also；　the　Prince's　attitude　continued　to　be　very　different　to　that　of　Palmerston。　Albert's　great　wish　was　for　a　united　Germany　under　the　leadership　of　a　constitutional　and　virtuous　Prussia；　Palmerston　did　not　think　that　there　was　much　to　be　said　for　the　scheme；　but　he　took　no　particular　interest　in　German　politics；　and　was　ready　enough　to　agree　to　a　proposal　which　was　warmly　supported　by　both　the　Prince　and　the　Queenthat　the　royal　Houses　of　England　and　Prussia　should　be　united　by　the　marriage　of　the　Princess　Royal　with　the　Prussian　Crown　Prince。　Accordingly；　when　the　Princess　was　not　yet　fifteen；　the　Prince；　a　young　man　of　twenty…four；　came　over　on　a　visit　to　Balmoral；　and　the　betrothal　took　place。　Two　years　later；　in　1857；　the　marriage　was　celebrated。　At　the　last　moment；　however；　it　seemed　that　there　might　be　a　hitch。　It　was　pointed　out　in　Prussia　that　it　was　customary　for　Princes　of　the　blood　royal　to　be　married　in　Berlin；　and　it　was　suggested　that　there　was　no　reason　why　the　present　case　should　be　treated　as　an　exception。　When　this　reached　the　ears　of　Victoria；　she　was　speechless　with　indignation。　In　a　note；　emphatic　even　for　Her　Majesty；　she　instructed　the　Foreign　Secretary　to　tell　the　Prussian　Ambassador　〃not　to　ENTERTAIN　the　POSSIBILITY　of　such　a　question。。。　The　Queen　NEVER　could　consent　to　it；　both　for　public　and　for　private　reasons；　and　the　assumption　of　its　being　TOO　MUCH　for　a　Prince　Royal　of　Prussia　to　come　over　to　marry　the　Princess　Royal　of　Great　Britain　in　England　is　too　ABSURD　to　say　the　least。　。　。　Whatever　may　be　the　usual　practice　of　Prussian　princes；　it　is　not　EVERY　day　that　one　marries　the　eldest　daughter　of　the　Queen　of　England。　The　question　must　therefore　be　considered　as　settled　and　closed。〃　It　was；　and　the　wedding　took　place　in　St。　James's　Chapel。　There　were　great　festivitiesilluminations；　state　concerts；　immense　crowds；　and　general　rejoicings。　At　Windsor　a　magnificent　banquet　was　given　to　the　bride　and　bridegroom　in　the　Waterloo　room；　at　which；　Victoria　noted　in　her　diary；　〃everybody　was　most　friendly　and　kind　about　Vicky　and　full　of　the　universal　enthusiasm；　of　which　the　Duke　of　Buccleuch　gave　us　most　pleasing　instances；　he　having　been　in　the　very　thick　of　the　crowd　and　among　the　lowest　of　the　low。〃　Her　feelings　during　several　days　had　been　growing　more　and　more　emotional；　and　when　the　time　came　for　the　young　couple　to　depart　she　very　nearly　broke　downbut　not　quite。　〃Poor　dear　child！〃　she　wrote　afterwards。　〃I　clasped　her　in　my　arms　and　blessed　her；　and　knew　not　what　to　say。　I　kissed　good　Fritz　and　pressed　his　hand　again　and　again。　He　was　unable　to　speak　and　the　tears　were　in　his　eyes。　I　embraced　them　both　again　at　the　carriage　door；　and　Albert　got　into　the　carriage；　an　open　one；　with　them　and