queen victoria-第38章

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rious　entities；　and　the　more　curious　they　were；　the　more　intimately　at　home　with　them　he　seemed　to　be。　But　Lady　Beaconsfield；　with　her　cracked　idolatry；　and　Mrs。　Brydges…Williams；　with　her　clogs；　her　corpulence；　and　her　legacy；　were　gone：　an　even　more　remarkable　phenomenon　stood　in　their　place。　He　surveyed　what　was　before　him　with　the　eye　of　a　past…master；　and　he　was　not　for　a　moment　at　a　loss。　He　realised　everythingthe　interacting　complexities　of　circumstance　and　character；　the　pride　of　place　mingled　so　inextricably　with　personal　arrogance；　the　superabundant　emotionalism；　the　ingenuousness　of　outlook；　the　solid；　the　laborious　respectability；　shot　through　so　incongruously　by　temperamental　cravings　for　the　coloured　and　the　strange；　the　singular　intellectual　limitations；　and　the　mysteriously　essential　female　elements　impregnating　every　particle　of　the　whole。　A　smile　hovered　over　his　impassive　features；　and　he　dubbed　Victoria　〃the　Faery。〃　The　name　delighted　him；　for；　with　that　epigrammatic　ambiguity　so　dear　to　his　heart；　it　precisely　expressed　his　vision　of　the　Queen。　The　Spenserian　allusion　was　very　pleasantthe　elegant　evocations　of　Gloriana；　but　there　was　more　in　it　than　that：　there　was　the　suggestion　of　a　diminutive　creature；　endowed　with　magicaland　mythicalproperties；　and　a　portentousness　almost　ridiculously　out　of　keeping　with　the　rest　of　her　make…up。　The　Faery；　he　determined；　should　henceforward　wave　her　wand　for　him　alone。　Detachment　is　always　a　rare　quality；　and　rarest　of　all；　perhaps；　among　politicians；　but　that　veteran　egotist　possessed　it　in　a　supreme　degree。　Not　only　did　he　know　what　he　had　to　do；　not　only　did　he　do　it；　he　was　in　the　audience　as　well　as　on　the　stage；　and　he　took　in　with　the　rich　relish　of　a　connoisseur　every　feature　of　the　entertaining　situation；　every　phase　of　the　delicate　drama；　and　every　detail　of　his　own　consummate　performance。

The　smile　hovered　and　vanished；　and；　bowing　low　with　Oriental　gravity　and　Oriental　submissiveness；　he　set　himself　to　his　task。　He　had　understood　from　the　first　that　in　dealing　with　the　Faery　the　appropriate　method　of　approach　was　the　very　antithesis　of　the　Gladstonian；　and　such　a　method　was　naturally　his。　It　was　not　his　habit　to　harangue　and　exhort　and　expatiate　in　official　conscientiousness；　he　liked　to　scatter　flowers　along　the　path　of　business；　to　compress　a　weighty　argument　into　a　happy　phrase；　to　insinuate　what　was　in　his　mind　with　an　air　of　friendship　and　confidential　courtesy。　He　was　nothing　if　not　personal；　and　he　had　perceived　that　personality　was　the　key　that　opened　the　Faery's　heart。　Accordingly；　he　never　for　a　moment　allowed　his　intercourse　with　her　to　lose　the　personal　tone；　he　invested　all　the　transactions　of　State　with　the　charms　of　familiar　conversation；　she　was　always　the　royal　lady；　the　adored　and　revered　mistress；　he　the　devoted　and　respectful　friend。　When　once　the　personal　relation　was　firmly　established；　every　difficulty　disappeared。　But　to　maintain　that　relation　uninterruptedly　in　a　smooth　and　even　course　a　particular　care　was　necessary：　the　bearings　had　to　be　most　assiduously　oiled。　Nor　was　Disraeli　in　any　doubt　as　to　the　nature　of　the　lubricant。　〃You　have　heard　me　called　a　flatterer；〃　he　said　to　Matthew　Arnold；　〃and　it　is　true。　Everyone　likes　flattery；　and　when　you　come　to　royalty　you　should　lay　it　on　with　a　trowel。〃　He　practiced　what　he　preached。　His　adulation　was　incessant；　and　he　applied　it　in　the　very　thickest　slabs。　〃There　is　no　honor　and　no　reward；〃　he　declared；　〃that　with　him　can　ever　equal　the　possession　of　your　Majesty's　kind　thoughts。　All　his　own　thoughts　and　feelings　and　duties　and　affections　are　now　concentrated　in　your　Majesty；　and　he　desires　nothing　more　for　his　remaining　years　than　to　serve　your　Majesty；　or；　if　that　service　ceases；　to　live　still　on　its　memory　as　a　period　of　his　existence　most　interesting　and　fascinating。〃　〃In　life；〃　he　told　her；　〃one　must　have　for　one's　thoughts　a　sacred　depository；　and　Lord　Beaconsfield　ever　presumes　to　seek　that　in　his　Sovereign　Mistress。〃　She　was　not　only　his　own　solitary　support；　she　was　the　one　prop　of　the　State。　〃If　your　Majesty　is　ill；〃　he　wrote　during　a　grave　political　crisis；　〃he　is　sure　he　will　himself　break　down。　All；　really；　depends　upon　your　Majesty。〃　〃He　lives　only　for　Her；〃　he　asseverated；　〃and　works　only　for　Her；　and　without　Her　all　is　lost。〃　When　her　birthday　came　he　produced　an　elaborate　confection　of　hyperbolic　compliment。　〃To…day　Lord　Beaconsfield　ought　fitly；　perhaps；　to　congratulate　a　powerful　Sovereign　on　her　imperial　sway；　the　vastness　of　her　Empire；　and　the　success　and　strength　of　her　fleets　and　armies。　But　he　cannot；　his　mind　is　in　another　mood。　He　can　only　think　of　the　strangeness　of　his　destiny　that　it　has　come　to　pass　that　he　should　be　the　servant　of　one　so　great；　and　whose　infinite　kindness；　the　brightness　of　whose　intelligence　and　the　firmness　of　whose　will；　have　enabled　him　to　undertake　labours　to　which　he　otherwise　would　be　quite　unequal；　and　supported　him　in　all　things　by　a　condescending　sympathy；　which　in　the　hour　of　difficulty　alike　charms　and　inspires。　Upon　the　Sovereign　of　many　lands　and　many　hearts　may　an　omnipotent　Providence　shed　every　blessing　that　the　wise　can　desire　and　the　virtuous　deserve！〃　In　those　expert　hands　the　trowel　seemed　to　assume　the　qualities　of　some　lofty　masonic　symbolto　be　the　ornate　and　glittering　vehicle　of　verities　unrealised　by　the　profane。

Such　tributes　were　delightful；　but　they　remained　in　the　nebulous　region　of　words；　and　Disraeli　had　determined　to　give　his　blandishments　a　more　significant　solidity。　He　deliberately　encouraged　those　high　views　of　her　own　position　which　had　always　been　native　to　Victoria's　mind　and　had　been　reinforced　by　the　principles　of　Albert　and　the　doctrines　of　Stockmar。　He　professed　to　a　belief　in　a　theory　of　the　Constitution　which　gave　the　Sovereign　a　leading　place　in　the　councils　of　government；　but　his　pronouncements　upon　the　subject　were　indistinct；　and　when　he　emphatically　declared　that　there　ought　to　be　〃a　real　Throne；〃　it　was　probably　with　the　mental　addition　that　that　throne　would　be　a　very　unreal　one　indeed　whose　occupant　was　unamenable　to　his　cajoleries。　But　the　vagueness　of　his　language　was　in　itself　an　added　stimulant　to　Victoria。　Skilfully　confusing　the　woman　and　the　Queen；　he　threw；　with　a　grandiose　gesture；　the　government　of　England　at　her　feet；　as　if　in　doing　so　he　were　performing　an　act　of　personal　homage。　In　his　first　audience　after　returning　to　power；　he　assured　her　that　〃whatever　she　wished　should　be　done。〃　When　the　intricate　Public　Worship　Regulation　Bill　was　being　discussed　by　the　Cabinet；　he　told　the　Faery　that　his　〃only　object〃　was　〃to　further　your　Majesty's　wishes　in　this　matter。〃　When　he　brought　off　his　great　coup　over　the　Suez　Canal；　he　used　expressions　which　implied　that　the　only　gainer　by　the　transaction　was　Victoria。　〃It　is　just　settled；〃　he　wrote　in　triumph；　〃you　have　it；　Madam。。。　Four　millions　sterling！　and　almost　immediately。　There　was　only　one　firm　that　could　do　itRothschilds。　They　behaved　admirably；　advanced　the　money　at　a　low　rate；　and　the　entire　interest　of　the　Khedive　is　now　yours；　Madam。〃　Nor　did　he　limit　himself　to　highly…spiced　insinuations。　Writing　with　all　the　authority　of　his　office；　he　advised　the　Queen　that　she　had　the　constitutional　right　to　dismiss　a　Ministry　which　was　supported　by　a　large　majority　in　the　House　of　Commons；　he　even　urged　her　to　do　so；　if；　in　her　opinion；　〃your　Majesty's　Government　have　from　wilfulness；　or　even　from　weakness；　deceived　your　Majesty。〃　To　the　horror　of　Mr。　Gladstone；　he　not　only　kept　the　Queen　informed　as　to　the　general　course　of　business　in　the　Cabinet；　but　revealed　to　her　the　part　taken　in　its　discussions　by　individual　members　of　it。　Lord　Derby；　the　son　of　the　late　Prime　Minister　and　Disraeli's　Foreign　Secretary；　viewed　these　developments　with　grave　mistrust。　〃Is　there　not；〃　he　ventured　to　write　to　his　Chief；　〃just　a　risk　of　encouraging　her　in　too　large　ideas　of　her　personal　power；　and　too　great　indifference　to　what　the　public　expects？　I　only　ask；　it　is　for　you　to　judge。〃

As　for　Victoria；　she　accepted　everythingcompliments；　flatteries；　Elizabethan　prerogativeswithout　a　single　qualm。　After　the　long　gloom　of　her　bereavement；　after　the　chill　of　the　Gladstonian　discipline；　she　expanded　to　the　rays　of　Disraeli's　devotion　like　a　flower　in　the　sun。　The　change　in　her　situation　was　indeed　miraculous。　No　longer　was　she　obliged　to　puzzle　for　hours　over　the　complicated　details　of　business；　for　now　she　had　only　to　ask　Mr。　Disraeli　for　an　explanation；　and　he　would　give　it　her　in　the　most　concise；　in　the　most　amusing；　way。　No　longer　was　she　worried　by　alarming　novelties；　no　longer　was　she　put　out　at　finding　herself　treated；　by　a　reverential　gentleman　in　high　collars；　as　if　she　were　some　embodied　precedent；　with　a　recondite　knowledge　of　Greek。　And　her　deliverer　was　surely　the　most　fascinating　of　men。　The　strain　of　charlatanism；　which　had　unconsciously　captivated　her　in　Napoleon　III；　exercised　the　same　enchanting　effect　in　the　case　of　Disraeli。　Like　a　dram…drinker；　whose　ordinary　life　is　passed　in　dull　sobriety；　her　unsophisticated　intelligence　gulped　down　his　rococo　allurements　with　peculiar　zest。　She　became　intoxicated；　entranced。　Believing　all　that　he　told　her　of　herself；　she　completely　regained　the　self…confidence　which　had　been　slipping　away　from　her　throughout　the　dark　period　that　followed　Albert's　death。　She　swelled　with　a　new　elation；　while　he；　conjuring　up　before　her　wonderful　Oriental　visions；　dazzled　her　eyes　with　an　imperial　grandeur　of　which　she　had　only　dimly　dreamed。　Under　the　compelling　influence；　her　very　demeanour　altered。　Her　short；　stout　figure；　with　its　folds　of　black　velvet；　its　muslin　streamers；　its　heavy　pearls　at　the　heavy　neck；　assumed　an　almost　menacing　air。　In　her　countenance；　from　which　the　charm　of　youth　had　long　since　vanished；　and　which　had　not　yet　been　softened　by　age；　the　traces　of　grief；　of　disappointment；　and　of　displeasure　were　still　visible；　but　they　were　overlaid　by　looks　of　arrogance　and　sharp　lines　of　peremptory　hauteur。　Only；　when　Mr。　Disraeli　appeared；　the　expression　changed　in　an　instant；　and　the　forbidding　visage　became　charged　with　smiles。　For　him　she　would　do　anything。　Yielding　to　his　encouragements；　she　began　to　emerge　from　her　seclusion；　she　appeared　in　London　in　semi…state；　at　hospitals　and　concerts；　she　opened　Parliament；　she　reviewed　troops　and　distributed　medals　at　Aldershot。　But　such　public　signs　of　favour　were　trivial　in　comparison　with　her　private　attentions。　During　his　flours　of　audience；　she　could　hardly　restrain　her　excitement　and　delight。　〃I　can　only　describe　my　reception；〃　he　wrote　to　a　friend　on　one　occasion；　〃by　telling　you　that　I　really　thought　she　was　going　to　embrace　me。　She　was　wreathed　with　smiles；　and；　as　she　tattled；　glided　about　the　room　like　a　bird。〃　In　his　absence；　she　talked　of　him　perpetually；　and　there　was　a　note　of　unusual　vehemence　in　her　solicitude　for　his　health。　〃John　Manners；〃　Disraeli　told　Lady　Bradford；　〃who　has　just　come　from　Osborne；　says　that　the　Faery　only　talked　of　one　subject；　and　that　was　her　Primo。　According　to　him；　it　was　her　gracious　opinion　that　the　Government　should　make　my　health　a　Cabinet　question。　Dear　John　seemed　quite　surprised　at　what　she　said；　but　you　are　used　to　th