queen victoria-第40章

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every　day　and　telegraphs　every　hour；　this　is　almost　literally　the　case。〃　She　raged　loudly　against　the　Russians。　〃And　the　language；〃　she　cried；　〃the　insulting　languageused　by　the　Russians　against　us！　It　makes　the　Queen's　blood　boil！〃　〃Oh；〃　she　wrote　a　little　later；　〃if　the　Queen　were　a　man；　she　would　like　to　go　and　give　those　Russians；　whose　word　one　cannot　believe；　such　a　beating！　We　shall　never　be　friends　again　till　we　have　it　out。　This　the　Queen　feels　sure　of。〃

The　unfortunate　Prime　Minister；　urged　on　to　violence　by　Victoria　on　one　side；　had　to　deal；　on　the　other；　with　a　Foreign　Secretary　who　was　fundamentally　opposed　to　any　policy　of　active　interference　at　all。　Between　the　Queen　and　Lord　Derby　he　held　a　harassed　course。　He　gained；　indeed；　some　slight　satisfaction　in　playing　on　the　one　against　the　otherin　stimulating　Lord　Derby　with　the　Queen's　missives；　and　in　appeasing　the　Queen　by　repudiating　Lord　Derby's　opinions；　on　one　occasion　he　actually　went　so　far　as　to　compose；　at　Victoria's　request；　a　letter　bitterly　attacking　his　colleague；　which　Her　Majesty　forthwith　signed；　and　sent；　without　alteration；　to　the　Foreign　Secretary。　But　such　devices　only　gave　a　temporary　relief；　and　it　soon　became　evident　that　Victoria's　martial　ardour　was　not　to　be　sidetracked　by　hostilities　against　Lord　Derby；　hostilities　against　Russia　were　what　she　wanted；　what　she　would；　what　she　must；　have。　For　now；　casting　aside　the　last　relics　of　moderation；　she　began　to　attack　her　friend　with　a　series　of　extraordinary　threats。　Not　once；　not　twice；　but　many　times　she　held　over　his　head　the　formidable　menace　of　her　imminent　abdication。　〃If　England；〃　she　wrote　to　Beaconsfield；　〃is　to　kiss　Russia's　feet；　she　will　not　be　a　party　to　the　humiliation　of　England　and　would　lay　down　her　crown；〃　and　she　added　that　the　Prime　Minister　might；　if　he　thought　fit；　repeat　her　words　to　the　Cabinet。　〃This　delay；〃　she　ejaculated；　〃this　uncertainty　by　which；　abroad；　we　are　losing　our　prestige　and　our　position；　while　Russia　is　advancing　and　will　be　before　Constantinople　in　no　time！　Then　the　Government　will　be　fearfully　blamed　and　the　Queen　so　humiliated　that　she　thinks　she　would　abdicate　at　once。　Be　bold！〃　〃She　feels；〃　she　reiterated；　〃she　cannot；　as　she　before　said；　remain　the　Sovereign　of　a　country　that　is　letting　itself　down　to　kiss　the　feet　of　the　great　barbarians；　the　retarders　of　all　liberty　and　civilisation　that　exists。〃　When　the　Russians　advanced　to　the　outskirts　of　Constantinople　she　fired　off　three　letters　in　a　day　demanding　war；　and　when　she　learnt　that　the　Cabinet　had　only　decided　to　send　the　Fleet　to　Gallipoli　she　declared　that　〃her　first　impulse〃　was　〃to　lay　down　the　thorny　crown；　which　she　feels　little　satisfaction　in　retaining　if　the　position　of　this　country　is　to　remain　as　it　is　now。〃　It　is　easy　to　imagine　the　agitating　effect　of　such　a　correspondence　upon　Beaconsfield。　This　was　no　longer　the　Faery；　it　was　a　genie　whom　he　had　rashly　called　out　of　her　bottle；　and　who　was　now　intent　upon　showing　her　supernal　power。　More　than　once；　perplexed；　dispirited；　shattered　by　illness；　he　had　thoughts　of　withdrawing　altogether　from　the　game。　One　thing　alone；　he　told　Lady　Bradford；　with　a　wry　smile；　prevented　him。　〃If　I　could　only；〃　he　wrote；　〃face　the　scene　which　would　occur　at　headquarters　if　I　resigned；　I　would　do　so　at　once。〃

He　held　on；　however；　to　emerge　victorious　at　last。　The　Queen　was　pacified；　Lord　Derby　was　replaced　by　Lord　Salisbury；　and　at　the　Congress　of　Berlin　der　alte　Jude　carried　all　before　him。　He　returned　to　England　in　triumph；　and　assured　the　delighted　Victoria　that　she　would　very　soon　be；　if　she　was　not　already；　the　〃Dictatress　of　Europe。〃

But　soon　there　was　an　unexpected　reverse。　At　the　General　Election　of　1880　the　country；　mistrustful　of　the　forward　policy　of　the　Conservatives；　and　carried　away　by　Mr。　Gladstone's　oratory；　returned　the　Liberals　to　power。　Victoria　was　horrified；　but　within　a　year　she　was　to　be　yet　more　nearly　hit。　The　grand　romance　had　come　to　its　conclusion。　Lord　Beaconsfield；　worn　out　with　age　and　maladies；　but　moving　still；　an　assiduous　mummy；　from　dinner…party　to　dinner…party；　suddenly　moved　no　longer。　When　she　knew　that　the　end　was　inevitable；　she　seemed；　by　a　pathetic　instinct；　to　divest　herself　of　her　royalty；　and　to　shrink；　with　hushed　gentleness；　beside　him；　a　woman　and　nothing　more。　〃I　send　some　Osborne　primroses；〃　she　wrote　to　him　with　touching　simplicity；　〃and　I　meant　to　pay　you　a　little　visit　this　week；　but　I　thought　it　better　you　should　be　quite　quiet　and　not　speak。　And　I　beg　you　will　be　very　good　and　obey　the　doctors。〃　She　would　see　him；　she　said；　〃when　we；　come　back　from　Osborne；　which　won't　be　long。〃　〃Everyone　is　so　distressed　at　your　not　being　well；〃　she　added；　and　she　was；　〃Ever　yours　very　aff'ly　V。R。I。〃　When　the　royal　letter　was　given　him；　the　strange　old　comedian；　stretched　on　his　bed　of　death；　poised　it　in　his　hand；　appeared　to　consider　deeply；　and　then　whispered　to　those　about　him；　〃This　ought　to　be　read　to　me　by　a　Privy　Councillor。〃



CHAPTER　IX。　OLD　AGE

I

Meanwhile　in　Victoria's　private　life　many　changes　and　developments　had　taken　place。　With　the　marriages　of　her　elder　children　her　family　circle　widened；　grandchildren　appeared；　and　a　multitude　of　new　domestic　interests　sprang　up。　The　death　of　King　Leopold　in　1865　had　removed　the　predominant　figure　of　the　older　generation；　and　the　functions　he　had　performed　as　the　centre　and　adviser　of　a　large　group　of　relatives　in　Germany　and　in　England　devolved　upon　Victoria。　These　functions　she　discharged　with　unremitting　industry；　carrying　on　an　enormous　correspondence；　and　following　with　absorbed　interest　every　detail　in　the　lives　of　the　ever…ramifying　cousinhood。　And　she　tasted　to　the　full　both　the　joys　and　the　pains　of　family　affection。　She　took　a　particular　delight　in　her　grandchildren；　to　whom　she　showed　an　indulgence　which　their　parents　had　not　always　enjoyed；　though；　even　to　her　grandchildren；　she　could　be；　when　the　occasion　demanded　it；　severe。　The　eldest　of　them；　the　little　Prince　Wilhelm　of　Prussia；　was　a　remarkably　headstrong　child；　he　dared　to　be　impertinent　even　to　his　grandmother；　and　once；　when　she　told　him　to　bow　to　a　visitor　at　Osborne；　he　disobeyed　her　outright。　This　would　not　do：　the　order　was　sternly　repeated；　and　the　naughty　boy；　noticing　that　his　grandmama　had　suddenly　turned　into　a　most　terrifying　lady；　submitted　his　will　to　hers；　and　bowed　very　low　indeed。

It　would　have　been　well　if　all　the　Queen's　domestic　troubles　could　have　been　got　over　as　easily。　Among　her　more　serious　distresses　was　the　conduct　of　the　Prince　of　Wales。　The　young　man　was　now　independent　and　married；　he　had　shaken　the　parental　yoke　from　his　shoulders；　he　was　positively　beginning　to　do　as　he　liked。　Victoria　was　much　perturbed；　and　her　worst　fears　seemed　to　be　justified　when　in　1870　he　appeared　as　a　witness　in　a　society　divorce　case。　It　was　clear　that　the　heir　to　the　throne　had　been　mixing　with　people　of　whom　she　did　not　at　all　approve。　What　was　to　be　done？　She　saw　that　it　was　not　only　her　son　that　was　to　blamethat　it　was　the　whole　system　of　society；　and　so　she　despatched　a　letter　to　Mr。　Delane；　the　editor　of　The　Times；　asking　him　if　he　would　〃frequently　WRITE　articles　pointing　out　the　IMMENSE　danger　and　evil　of　the　wretched　frivolity　and　levity　of　the　views　and　lives　of　the　Higher　Classes。〃　And　five　years　later　Mr。　Delane　did　write　an　article　upon　that　very　subject。　Yet　it　seemed　to　have　very　little　effect。

Ah！　if　only　the　Higher　Classes　would　learn　to　live　as　she　lived　in　the　domestic　sobriety　of　her　sanctuary　at　Balmoral！　For　more　and　more　did　she　find　solace　and　refreshment　in　her　Highland　domain；　and　twice　yearly；　in　the　spring　and　in　the　autumn；　with　a　sigh　of　relief；　she　set　her　face　northwards；　in　spite　of　the　humble　protests　of　Ministers；　who　murmured　vainly　in　the　royal　ears　that　to　transact　the　affairs　of　State　over　an　interval　of　six　hundred　miles　added　considerably　to　the　cares　of　government。　Her　ladies；　too；　felt　occasionally　a　slight　reluctance　to　set　out；　for；　especially　in　the　early　days；　the　long　pilgrimage　was　not　without　its　drawbacks。　For　many　years　the　Queen's　conservatism　forbade　the　continuation　of　the　railway　up　Deeside；　so　that　the　last　stages　of　the　journey　had　to　be　accomplished　in　carriages。　But；　after　all；　carriages　had　their　good　points；　they　were　easy；　for　instance；　to　get　in　and　out　of；　which　was　an　important　consideration；　for　the　royal　train　remained　for　long　immune　from　modern　conveniences；　and　when　it　drew　up；　on　some　border　moorland；　far　from　any　platform；　the　highbred　dames　were　obliged　to　descend　to　earth　by　the　perilous　foot…board；　the　only　pair　of　folding　steps　being　reserved　for　Her　Majesty's　saloon。　In　the　days　of　crinolines　such　moments　were　sometimes　awkward；　and　it　was　occasionally　necessary　to　summon　Mr。　Johnstone；　the　short　and　sturdy　Manager　of　the　Caledonian　Railway；　who；　more　than　once；　in　a　high　gale　and　drenching　rain　with　great　difficulty　〃pushed　up〃as　he　himself　described　itsome　unlucky　Lady　Blanche　or　Lady　Agatha　into　her　compartment。　But　Victoria　cared　for　none　of　these　things。　She　was　only　intent　upon　regaining；　with　the　utmost　swiftness；　her　enchanted　Castle；　where　every　spot　was　charged　with　memories；　where　every　memory　was　sacred；　and　where　life　was　passed　in　an　incessant　and　delightful　round　of　absolutely　trivial　events。

And　it　was　not　only　the　place　that　she　loved；　she　was　equally　attached　to　〃the　simple　mountaineers；〃　from　whom；　she　said；　〃she　learnt　many　a　lesson　of　resignation　and　faith。〃　Smith　and　Grant　and　Ross　and　Thompsonshe　was　devoted　to　them　all；　but；　beyond　the　rest；　she　was　devoted　to　John　Brown。　The　Prince's　gillie　had　now　become　the　Queen's　personal　attendanta　body　servant　from　whom　she　was　never　parted；　who　accompanied　her　on　her　drives；　waited　on　her　during　the　day；　and　slept　in　a　neighbouring　chamber　at　night。　She　liked　his　strength；　his　solidity；　the　sense　he　gave　her　of　physical　security；　she　even　liked　his　rugged　manners　and　his　rough　unaccommodating　speech。　She　allowed　him　to　take　liberties　with　her　which　would　have　been　unthinkable　from　anybody　else。　To　bully　the　Queen；　to　order　her　about；　to　reprimand　herwho　could　dream　of　venturing　upon　such　audacities？　And　yet；　when　she　received　such　treatment　from　John　Brown；　she　positively　seemed　to　enjoy　it。　The　eccentricity　appeared　to　be　extraordinary；　but；　after　all；　it　is　no　uncommon　thing　for　an　autocratic　dowager　to　allow　some　trusted　indispensable　servant　to　adopt　towards　her　an　attitude　of　authority　which　is　jealously　forbidden　to　relatives　or　friends：　the　power　of　a　dependent　still　remains；　by　a　psychological　sleight…of…hand；　one's　own　power；　even　when　it　is　exercised　over　oneself。　When　Victoria　meekly　obeyed　the　abrupt　commands　of　her　henchman　to　get　off　her　pony　or　put　on　her　shawl；　was　she　not　displaying；　and　in　the　highest　degree；　the　force　of　her　volition？　People　might　wonder；　she　could　not　help　that；　this　was　the　manner　in　which　it　pleased　her　to　act；　and　there　was　an　end　of　it。　To　have　submitted　her　judgment　to　a　son　or　a　Minister　might　have　seemed　wiser　or　more　natural；　but　if　she　had　done　so；　she　instinctively　felt；　she　would　indeed　have　lost　her　independence。　And　yet　upon　somebody　she　longed　to　depend。　Her　days　were　heavy　with　the　long