queen victoria-第39章

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health　a　Cabinet　question。　Dear　John　seemed　quite　surprised　at　what　she　said；　but　you　are　used　to　these　ebullitions。〃　She　often　sent　him　presents；　an　illustrated　album　arrived　for　him　regularly　from　Windsor　on　Christmas　Day。　But　her　most　valued　gifts　were　the　bunches　of　spring　flowers　which；　gathered　by　herself　and　her　ladies　in　the　woods　at　Osborne；　marked　in　an　especial　manner　the　warmth　and　tenderness　of　her　sentiments。　Among　these　it　was；　he　declared；　the　primroses　that　he　loved　the　best。　They　were；　he　said；　〃the　ambassadors　of　Spring；　the　gems　and　jewels　of　Nature。〃　He　liked　them；　he　assured　her；　〃so　much　better　for　their　being　wild；　they　seem　an　offering　from　the　Fauns　and　Dryads　of　Osborne。〃　〃They　show；〃　he　told　her；　〃that　your　Majesty's　sceptre　has　touched　the　enchanted　Isle。〃　He　sat　at　dinner　with　heaped…up　bowls　of　them　on　every　side；　and　told　his　guests　that　〃they　were　all　sent　to　me　this　morning　by　the　Queen　from　Osborne；　as　she　knows　it　is　my　favorite　flower。〃

As　time　went　on；　and　as　it　became　clearer　and　clearer　that　the　Faery's　thraldom　was　complete；　his　protestations　grew　steadily　more　highlycoloured　and　more　unabashed。　At　last　he　ventured　to　import　into　his　blandishments　a　strain　of　adoration　that　was　almost　avowedly　romantic。　In　phrases　of　baroque　convolution；　he　conveyed　the　message　of　his　heart。　The　pressure　of　business；　he　wrote；　had　〃so　absorbed　and　exhausted　him；　that　towards　the　hour　of　post　he　has　not　had　clearness　of　mind；　and　vigour　of　pen；　adequate　to　convey　his　thoughts　and　facts　to　the　most　loved　and　illustrious　being；　who　deigns　to　consider　them。〃　She　sent　him　some　primroses；　and　he　replied　that　he　could　〃truly　say　they　are　'more　precious　than　rubies；'　coming；　as　they　do；　and　at　such　a　moment；　from　a　Sovereign　whom　he　adores。〃　She　sent　him　snowdrops；　and　his　sentiment　overflowed　into　poetry。　〃Yesterday　eve；〃　he　wrote；　〃there　appeared；　in　Whitehall　Gardens；　a　delicate…looking　case；　with　a　royal　superscription；　which；　when　he　opened；　he　thought；　at　first；　that　your　Majesty　had　graciously　bestowed　upon　him　the　stars　of　your　Majesty's　principal　orders。　And；　indeed；　he　was　so　impressed　with　this　graceful　illusion；　that；　having　a　banquet；　where　there　were　many　stars　and　ribbons；　he　could　not　resist　the　temptation；　by　placing　some　snowdrops　on　his　heart；　of　showing　that；　he；　too；　was　decorated　by　a　gracious　Sovereign。

Then；　in　the　middle　of　the　night；　it　occurred　to　him；　that　it　might　all　be　an　enchantment；　and　that；　perhaps；　it　was　a　Faery　gift　and　came　from　another　monarch：　Queen　Titania；　gathering　flowers；　with　her　Court；　in　a　soft　and　sea…girt　isle；　and　sending　magic　blossoms；　which；　they　say；　turn　the　heads　of　those　who　receive　them。

A　Faery　gift！　Did　he　smile　as　he　wrote　the　words？　Perhaps；　and　yet　it　would　be　rash　to　conclude　that　his　perfervid　declarations　were　altogether　without　sincerity。　Actor　and　spectator　both；　the　two　characters　were　so　intimately　blended　together　in　that　odd　composition　that　they　formed　an　inseparable　unity；　and　it　was　impossible　to　say　that　one　of　them　was　less　genuine　than　the　other。　With　one　element；　he　could　coldly　appraise　the　Faery's　intellectual　capacity；　note　with　some　surprise　that　she　could　be　on　occasion　〃most　interesting　and　amusing；〃　and　then　continue　his　use　of　the　trowel　with　an　ironical　solemnity；　while；　with　the　other；　he　could　be　overwhelmed　by　the　immemorial　panoply　of　royalty；　and；　thrilling　with　the　sense　of　his　own　strange　elevation；　dream　himself　into　a　gorgeous　phantasy　of　crowns　and　powers　and　chivalric　love。　When　he　told　Victoria　that　〃during　a　somewhat　romantic　and　imaginative　life；　nothing　has　ever　occurred　to　him　so　interesting　as　this　confidential　correspondence　with　one　so　exalted　and　so　inspiring；〃　was　he　not　in　earnest　after　all？　When　he　wrote　to　a　lady　about　the　Court；　〃I　love　the　Queenperhaps　the　only　person　in　this　world　left　to　me　that　I　do　love；〃　was　he　not　creating　for　himself　an　enchanted　palace　out　of　the　Arabian　Nights；　full　of　melancholy　and　spangles；　in　which　he　actually　believed？　Victoria's　state　of　mind　was　far　more　simple；　untroubled　by　imaginative　yearnings；　she　never　lost　herself　in　that　nebulous　region　of　the　spirit　where　feeling　and　fancy　grow　confused。　Her　emotions；　with　all　their　intensity　and　all　their　exaggeration；　retained　the　plain　prosaic　texture　of　everyday　life。　And　it　was　fitting　that　her　expression　of　them　should　be　equally　commonplace。　She　was；　she　told　her　Prime　Minister；　at　the　end　of　an　official　letter；　〃yours　aff'ly　V。　R。　and　I。〃　In　such　a　phrase　the　deep　reality　of　her　feeling　is　instantly　manifest。　The　Faery's　feet　were　on　the　solid　earth；　it　was　the　ruse　cynic　who　was　in　the　air。

He　had　taught　her；　however；　a　lesson；　which　she　had　learnt　with　alarming　rapidity。　A　second　Gloriana；　did　he　call　her？　Very　well；　then；　she　would　show　that　she　deserved　the　compliment。　Disquieting　symptoms　followed　fast。　In　May；　1874；　the　Tsar；　whose　daughter　had　just　been　married　to　Victoria's　second　son；　the　Duke　of　Edinburgh；　was　in　London；　and；　by　an　unfortunate　error；　it　had　been　arranged　that　his　departure　should　not　take　place　until　two　days　after　the　date　on　which　his　royal　hostess　had　previously　decided　to　go　to　Balmoral。　Her　Majesty　refused　to　modify　her　plans。　It　was　pointed　out　to　her　that　the　Tsar　would　certainly　be　offended；　that　the　most　serious　consequences　might　follow；　Lord　Derby　protested；　Lord　Salisbury；　the　Secretary　of　State　for　India；　was　much　perturbed。　But　the　Faery　was　unconcerned；　she　had　settled　to　go　to　Balmoral　on　the　18th；　and　on　the　18th　she　would　go。　At　last　Disraeli；　exercising　all　his　influence；　induced　her　to　agree　to　stay　in　London　for　two　days　more。　〃My　head　is　still　on　my　shoulders；〃　he　told　Lady　Bradford。　〃The　great　lady　has　absolutely　postponed　her　departure！　Everybody　had　failed；　even　the　Prince　of　Wales。。。　and　I　have　no　doubt　I　am　not　in　favour。　I　can't　help　it。　Salisbury　says　I　have　saved　an　Afghan　War；　and　Derby　compliments　me　on　my　unrivalled　triumph。〃　But　before　very　long；　on　another　issue；　the　triumph　was　the　Faery's。　Disraeli；　who　had　suddenly　veered　towards　a　new　Imperialism；　had　thrown　out　the　suggestion　that　the　Queen　of　England　ought　to　become　the　Empress　of　India。　Victoria　seized　upon　the　idea　with　avidity；　and；　in　season　and　out　of　season；　pressed　upon　her　Prime　Minister　the　desirability　of　putting　his　proposal　into　practice。　He　demurred；　but　she　was　not　to　be　baulked；　and　in　1876；　in　spite　of　his　own　unwillingness　and　that　of　his　entire　Cabinet；　he　found　himself　obliged　to　add　to　the　troubles　of　a　stormy　session　by　introducing　a　bill　for　the　alteration　of　the　Royal　Title。　His　compliance；　however；　finally　conquered　the　Faery's　heart。　The　measure　was　angrily　attacked　in　both　Houses；　and　Victoria　was　deeply　touched　by　the　untiring　energy　with　which　Disraeli　defended　it。　She　was；　she　said；　much　grieved　by　〃the　worry　and　annoyance〃　to　which　he　was　subjected；　she　feared　she　was　the　cause　of　it；　and　she　would　never　forget　what　she　owed　to　〃her　kind；　good；　and　considerate　friend。〃　At　the　same　time；　her　wrath　fell　on　the　Opposition。　Their　conduct；　she　declared；　was　〃extraordinary；　incomprehensible；　and　mistaken；〃　and；　in　an　emphatic　sentence　which　seemed　to　contradict　both　itself　and　all　her　former　proceedings；　she　protested　that　she　〃would　be　glad　if　it　were　more　generally　known　that　it　was　HER　wish；　as　people　WILL　have　it；　that　it　has　been　FORCED　UPON　HER！〃　When　the　affair　was　successfully　over；　the　imperial　triumph　was　celebrated　in　a　suitable　manner。　On　the　day　of　the　Delhi　Proclamation；　the　new　Earl　of　Beaconsfield　went　to　Windsor　to　dine　with　the　new　Empress　of　India。　That　night　the　Faery；　usually　so　homely　in　her　attire；　appeared　in　a　glittering　panoply　of　enormous　uncut　jewels；　which　had　been　presented　to　her　by　the　reigning　Princes　of　her　Raj。　At　the　end　of　the　meal　the　Prime　Minister；　breaking　through　the　rules　of　etiquette；　arose；　and　in　a　flowery　oration　proposed　the　health　of　the　Queen…Empress。　His　audacity　was　well　received；　and　his　speech　was　rewarded　by　a　smiling　curtsey。

These　were　significant　episodes；　but　a　still　more　serious　manifestation　of　Victoria's　temper　occurred　in　the　following　year；　during　the　crowning　crisis　of　Beaconsfield's　life。　His　growing　imperialism；　his　desire　to　magnify　the　power　and　prestige　of　England；　his　insistence　upon　a　〃spirited　foreign　policy；〃　had　brought　him　into　collision　with　Russia；　the　terrible　Eastern　Question　loomed　up；　and　when　war　broke　out　between　Russia　and　Turkey；　the　gravity　of　the　situation　became　extreme。　The　Prime　Minister's　policy　was　fraught　with　difficulty　and　danger。　Realising　perfectly　the　appalling　implications　of　an　Anglo…Russian　war；　he　was　yet　prepared　to　face　even　that　eventuality　if　he　could　obtain　his　ends　by　no　other　method；　but　he　believed　that　Russia　in　reality　was　still　less　desirous　of　a　rupture；　and　that；　if　he　played　his　game　with　sufficient　boldness　and　adroitness；　she　would　yield；　when　it　came　to　the　point；　all　that　he　required　without　a　blow。　It　was　clear　that　the　course　he　had　marked　out　for　himself　was　full　of　hazard；　and　demanded　an　extraordinary　nerve；　a　single　false　step；　and　either　himself；　or　England；　might　be　plunged　in　disaster。　But　nerve　he　had　never　lacked；　he　began　his　diplomatic　egg…dance　with　high　assurance；　and　then　he　discovered　that；　besides　the　Russian　Government；　besides　the　Liberals　and　Mr。　Gladstone；　there　were　two　additional　sources　of　perilous　embarrassment　with　which　he　would　have　to　reckon。　In　the　first　place　there　was　a　strong　party　in　the　Cabinet；　headed　by　Lord　Derby；　the　Foreign　Secretary；　which　was　unwilling　to　take　the　risk　of　war；　but　his　culminating　anxiety　was　the　Faery。

From　the　first；　her　attitude　was　uncompromising。　The　old　hatred　of　Russia；　which　had　been　engendered　by　the　Crimean　War；　surged　up　again　within　her；　she　remembered　Albert's　prolonged　animosity；　she　felt　the　prickings　of　her　own　greatness；　and　she　flung　herself　into　the　turmoil　with　passionate　heat。　Her　indignation　with　the　Oppositionwith　anyone　who　ventured　to　sympathise　with　the　Russians　in　their　quarrel　with　the　Turkswas　unbounded。　When　anti…Turkish　meetings　were　held　in　London；　presided　over　by　the　Duke　of　Westminster　and　Lord　Shaftesbury；　and　attended　by　Mr。　Gladstone　and　other　prominent　Radicals；　she　considered　that　〃the　Attorney…General　ought　to　be　set　at　these　men；〃　〃it　can't；〃　she　exclaimed；　〃be　constitutional。〃　Never　in　her　life；　not　even　in　the　crisis　over　the　Ladies　of　the　Bedchamber；　did　she　show　herself　a　more　furious　partisan。　But　her　displeasure　was　not　reserved　for　the　Radicals；　the　backsliding　Conservatives　equally　felt　its　force。　She　was　even　discontented　with　Lord　Beaconsfield　himself。　Failing　entirely　to　appreciate　the　delicate　complexity　of　his　policy；　she　constantly　assailed　him　with　demands　for　vigorous　action；　interpreted　each　finesse　as　a　sign　of　weakness；　and　was　ready　at　every　juncture　to　let　slip　the　dogs　of　war。　As　the　situation　developed；　her　anxiety　grew　feverish。　〃The　Queen；〃　she　wrote；　〃is　feeling　terribly　anxious　lest　delay　should　cause　us　to　be　too　late　and　lose　our　prestige　for　ever！　It　worries　her　night　and　day。〃　〃The　Faery；〃　Beaconsfield　told　Lady　Bradford；　〃writes　every　day　and　telegraphs　every　hour；　this　is　almost　literally　the　case。〃　She　raged　loudly　against　th