queen victoria-第32章

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ry。　〃The　Queen　has　a　right　to　claim　that　her　husband　should　be　an　Englishman；〃　she　wrote。　But　unfortunately；　in　spite　of　the　Royal　Letters　Patent；　Albert　remained　as　foreign　as　before；　and　as　the　years　passed　his　dejection　deepened。　She　worked　with　him；　she　watched　over　him；　she　walked　with　him　through　the　woods　at　Osborne；　while　he　whistled　to　the　nightingales；　as　he　had　whistled　once　at　Rosenau　so　long　ago。　When　his　birthday　came　round；　she　took　the　greatest　pains　to　choose　him　presents　that　he　would　really　like。　In　1858；　when　he　was　thirty…nine；　she　gave　him　〃a　picture　of　Beatrice；　life…size；　in　oil；　by　Horsley；　a　complete　collection　of　photographic　views　of　Gotha　and　the　country　round；　which　I　had　taken　by　Bedford；　and　a　paper…weight　of　Balmoral　granite　and　deers'　teeth；　designed　by　Vicky。〃　Albert　was　of　course　delighted；　and　his　merriment　at　the　family　gathering　was　more　pronounced　than　ever：　and　yet。。。　what　was　there　that　was　wrong？

No　doubt　it　was　his　health。　He　was　wearing　himself　out　in　the　service　of　the　country；　and　certainly　his　constitution；　as　Stockmar　had　perceived　from　the　first；　was　ill…adapted　to　meet　a　serious　strain。　He　was　easily　upset；　he　constantly　suffered　from　minor　ailments。　His　appearance　in　itself　was　enough　to　indicate　the　infirmity　of　his　physical　powers。　The　handsome　youth　of　twenty　years　since　with　the　flashing　eyes　and　the　soft　complexion　had　grown　into　a　sallow；　tired…looking　man；　whose　body；　in　its　stoop　and　its　loose　fleshiness；　betrayed　the　sedentary　labourer；　and　whose　head　was　quite　bald　on　the　top。　Unkind　critics；　who　had　once　compared　Albert　to　an　operatic　tenor；　might　have　remarked　that　there　was　something　of　the　butler　about　him　now。　Beside　Victoria；　he　presented　a　painful　contrast。　She；　too；　was　stout；　but　it　was　with　the　plumpness　of　a　vigorous　matron；　and　an　eager　vitality　was　everywhere　visiblein　her　energetic　bearing；　her　protruding；　enquiring　glances；　her　small；　fat；　capable；　and　commanding　hands。　If　only；　by　some　sympathetic　magic；　she　could　have　conveyed　into　that　portly；　flabby　figure；　that　desiccated　and　discouraged　brain；　a　measure　of　the　stamina　and　the　self…assurance　which　were　so　pre…eminently　hers！

But　suddenly　she　was　reminded　that　there　were　other　perils　besides　those　of　ill…health。　During　a　visit　to　Coburg　in　1860；　the　Prince　was　very　nearly　killed　in　a　carriage　accident。　He　escaped　with　a　few　cuts　and　bruises；　but　Victoria's　alarm　was　extreme；　though　she　concealed　it。　〃It　is　when　the　Queen　feels　most　deeply；〃　she　wrote　afterwards；　〃that　she　always　appears　calmest；　and　she　could　not　and　dared　not　allow　herself　to　speak　of　what　might　have　been；　or　even　to　admit　to　herself　（and　she　cannot　and　dare　not　now）　the　entire　danger；　for　her　head　would　turn！〃　Her　agitation；　in　fact；　was　only　surpassed　by　her　thankfulness　to　God。　She　felt；　she　said；　that　she　could　not　rest　〃without　doing　something　to　mark　permanently　her　feelings；〃　and　she　decided　that　she　would　endow　a　charity　in　Coburg。　〃L1；000；　or　even　L2；000；　given　either　at　once；　or　in　instalments　yearly；　would　not；　in　the　Queen's　opinion；　be　too　much。〃　Eventually；　the　smaller　sum　having　been　fixed　upon；　it　was　invested　in　a　trust；　called　the　〃Victoria…Stift；〃　in　the　name　of　the　Burgomaster　and　chief　clergyman　of　Coburg；　who　were　directed　to　distribute　the　interest　yearly　among　a　certain　number　of　young　men　and　women　of　exemplary　character　belonging　to　the　humbler　ranks　of　life。

Shortly　afterwards　the　Queen　underwent；　for　the　first　time　in　her　life；　the　actual　experience　of　close　personal　loss。　Early　in　1861　the　Duchess　of　Kent　was　taken　seriously　ill；　and　in　March　she　died。　The　event　overwhelmed　Victoria。　With　a　morbid　intensity；　she　filled　her　diary　for　pages　with　minute　descriptions　of　her　mother's　last　hours；　her　dissolution；　and　her　corpse；　interspersed　with　vehement　apostrophes；　and　the　agitated　outpourings　of　emotional　reflection。　In　the　grief　of　the　present　the　disagreements　of　the　past　were　totally　forgotten。　It　was　the　horror　and　the　mystery　of　DeathDeath；　present　and　actualthat　seized　upon　the　imagination　of　the　Queen。　Her　whole　being；　so　instinct　with　vitality；　recoiled　in　agony　from　the　grim　spectacle　of　the　triumph　of　that　awful　power。　Her　own　mother；　with　whom　she　had　lived　so　closely　and　so　long　that　she　had　become　a　part　almost　of　her　existence；　had　fallen　into　nothingness　before　her　very　eyes！　She　tried　to　forget；　but　she　could　not。　Her　lamentations　continued　with　a　strange　abundance；　a　strange　persistency。　It　was　almost　as　if；　by　some　mysterious　and　unconscious　precognition；　she　realised　that　for　her；　in　an　especial　manner；　that　grisly　Majesty　had　a　dreadful　dart　in　store。

For　indeed；　before　the　year　was　out；　a　far　more　terrible　blow　was　to　fall　upon　her。　Albert；　who　had　for　long　been　suffering　from　sleeplessness；　went；　on　a　cold　and　drenching　day　towards　the　end　of　November；　to　inspect　the　buildings　for　the　new　Military　Academy　at　Sandhurst。　On　his　return；　it　was　clear　that　the　fatigue　and　exposure　to　which　he　had　been　subjected　had　seriously　affected　his　health。　He　was　attacked　by　rheumatism；　his　sleeplessness　continued；　and　he　complained　that　he　felt　thoroughly　unwell。　Three　days　later　a　painful　duty　obliged　him　to　visit　Cambridge。　The　Prince　of　Wales；　who　had　been　placed　at　that　University　in　the　previous　year；　was　behaving　in　such　a　manner　that　a　parental　visit　and　a　parental　admonition　had　become　necessary。　The　disappointed　father；　suffering　in　mind　and　body；　carried　through　his　task；　but；　on　his　return　journey　to　Windsor；　he　caught　a　fatal　chill。　During　the　next　week　he　gradually　grew　weaker　and　more　miserable。　Yet；　depressed　and　enfeebled　as　he　was；　he　continued　to　work。　It　so　happened　that　at　that　very　moment　a　grave　diplomatic　crisis　had　arisen。　Civil　war　had　broken　out　in　America；　and　it　seemed　as　if　England；　owing　to　a　violent　quarrel　with　the　Northern　States；　was　upon　the　point　of　being　drawn　into　the　conflict。　A　severe　despatch　by　Lord　John　Russell　was　submitted　to　the　Queen；　and　the　Prince　perceived　that；　if　it　was　sent　off　unaltered；　war　would　be　the　almost　inevitable　consequence。　At　seven　o'clock　on　the　morning　of　December　1；　he　rose　from　his　bed；　and　with　a　quavering　hand　wrote　a　series　of　suggestions　for　the　alteration　of　the　draft；　by　which　its　language　might　be　softened；　and　a　way　left　open　for　a　peaceful　solution　of　the　question。　These　changes　were　accepted　by　the　Government；　and　war　was　averted。　It　was　the　Prince's　last　memorandum。

He　had　always　declared　that　he　viewed　the　prospect　of　death　with　equanimity。　〃I　do　not　cling　to　life；〃　he　had　once　said　to　Victoria。　〃You　do；　but　I　set　no　store　by　it。〃　And　then　he　had　added：　〃I　am　sure；　if　I　had　a　severe　illness；　I　should　give　up　at　once；　I　should　not　struggle　for　life。　I　have　no　tenacity　of　life。〃　He　had　judged　correctly。　Before　he　had　been　ill　many　days；　he　told　a　friend　that　he　was　convinced　he　would　not　recover。　He　sank　and　sank。　Nevertheless；　if　his　case　had　been　properly　understood　and　skilfully　treated　from　the　first；　he　might　conceivably　have　been　saved；　but　the　doctors　failed　to　diagnose　his　symptoms；　and　it　is　noteworthy　that　his　principal　physician　was　Sir　James　Clark。　When　it　was　suggested　that　other　advice　should　be　taken；　Sir　James　pooh…poohed　the　idea：　〃there　was　no　cause　for　alarm；〃　he　said。　But　the　strange　illness　grew　worse。　At　last；　after　a　letter　of　fierce　remonstrance　from　Palmerston；　Dr。　Watson　was　sent　for；　and　Dr。　Watson　saw　at　once　that　he　had　come　too　late　The　Prince　was　in　the　grip　of　typhoid　fever。　〃I　think　that　everything　so　far　is　satisfactory；〃　said　Sir　James　Clark。＇*＇

＇*＇　Clarendon；　II；　253…4：　〃One　cannot　speak　with　certainty；　but　it　is　horrible　to　think　that　such　a　life　MAY　have　been　sacrificed　to　Sir　J。　Clark's　selfish　jealousy　of　every　member　of　his　profession。〃　The　Earl　of　Clarendon　to　the　Duchess　of　Manchester；　December　17；　1861。


The　restlessness　and　the　acute　suffering　of　the　earlier　days　gave　place　to　a　settled　torpor　and　an　everdeepening　gloom。　Once　the　failing　patient　asked　for　music〃a　fine　chorale　at　a　distance；〃　and　a　piano　having　been　placed　in　the　adjoining　room；　Princess　Alice　played　on　it　some　of　Luther's　hymns；　after　which　the　Prince　repeated　〃The　Rock　of　Ages。〃　Sometimes　his　mind　wandered；　sometimes　the　distant　past　came　rushing　upon　him；　he　heard　the　birds　in　the　early　morning；　and　was　at　Rosenau　again；　a　boy。　Or　Victoria　would　come　and　read　to　him　〃Peveril　of　the　Peak；〃　and　he　showed　that　he　could　follow　the　story；　and　then　she　would　bend　over　him；　and　he　would　murmur　〃liebes　Frauchen〃　and　〃gutes　Weibchen；〃　stroking　her　cheek。　Her　distress　and　her　agitation　were　great；　but　she　was　not　seriously　frightened。　Buoyed　up　by　her　own　abundant　energies；　she　would　not　believe　that　Albert's　might　prove　unequal　to　the　strain。　She　refused　to　face　such　a　hideous　possibility。　She　declined　to　see　Dr。　Watson。　Why　should　she？　Had　not　Sir　James　Clark　assured　her　that　all　would　be　well？　Only　two　days　before　the　end；　which　was　seen　now　to　be　almost　inevitable　by　everyone　about　her；　she　wrote；　full　of　apparent　confidence；　to　the　King　of　the　Belgians：　〃I　do　not　sit　up　with　him　at　night；〃　she　said；　〃as　I　could　be　of　no　use；　and　there　is　nothing　to　cause　alarm。〃　The　Princess　Alice　tried　to　tell　her　the　truth；　but　her　hopefulness　would　not　be　daunted。　On　the　morning　of　December　14；　Albert；　just　as　she　had　expected；　seemed　to　be　better；　perhaps　the　crisis　was　over。　But　in　the　course　of　the　day　there　was　a　serious　relapse。　Then　at　last　she　allowed　herself　to　see　that　she　was　standing　on　the　edge　of　an　appalling　gulf。　The　whole　family　was　summoned；　and；　one　after　another；　the　children　took　a　silent　farewell　of　their　father。　〃It　was　a　terrible　moment；〃　Victoria　wrote　in　her　diary；　〃but；　thank　God！　I　was　able　to　command　myself；　and　to　be　perfectly　calm；　and　remained　sitting　by　his　side。〃　He　murmured　something；　but　she　could　not　hear　what　it　was；　she　thought　he　was　speaking　in　French。　Then　all　at　once　he　began　to　arrange　his　hair；　〃just　as　he　used　to　do　when　well　and　he　was　dressing。〃　〃Es　kleines　Frauchen；〃　she　whispered　to　him；　and　he　seemed　to　understand。　For　a　moment；　towards　the　evening；　she　went　into　another　room；　but　was　immediately　called　back；　she　saw　at　a　glance　that　a　ghastly　change　had　taken　place。　As　she　knelt　by　the　bed；　he　breathed　deeply；　breathed　gently；　breathed　at　last　no　more。　His　features　became　perfectly　rigid；　she　shrieked　one　long　wild　shriek　that　rang　through　the　terror…stricken　castle　and　understood　that　she　had　lost　him　for　ever。



CHAPTER　VII。　WIDOWHOOD

I

The　death　of　the　Prince　Consort　was　the　central　turning…point　in　the　history　of　Queen　Victoria。　She　herself　felt　that　her　true　life　had　ceased　with　her　husband's；　and　that　the　remainder　of　her　days　upon　earth　was　of　a　twilight　naturean　epilogue　to　a　drama　that　was　done。　Nor　is　it　possible　that　her　biographer　should　escape　a　similar　impression。　For　him；　too；　there　is　a　darkness　over　the　latter　half　of　that　long　career。　The　first　fortytwo　years　of　the　Queen's　life　are　illuminated　by　a　great　and　varied　quantity　of　authentic　information。　With　Albert's　death　a　veil　descends。　Only　occasionally；　at　fitful　and　disconnected　intervals；　does　it　lift　for　a　moment　or　two；　a　few　main　outlines；　a　few　remarkable　details　may　be　discerned；　the