queen victoria-第42章

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dstone　would　now　require　some　rest。　He　remembered　with　regret　how；　at　a　similar　audience　in　1874；　she　had　expressed　her　trust　in　him　as　a　supporter　of　the　throne；　but　he　noted　the　change　without　surprise。　〃Her　mind　and　opinions；〃　he　wrote　in　his　diary　afterwards；　〃have　since　that　day　been　seriously　warped。〃

Such　was　Mr。　Gladstone's　view；；　but　the　majority　of　the　nation　by　no　means　agreed　with　him；　and；　in　the　General　Election　of　1886；　they　showed　decisively　that　Victoria's　politics　were　identical　with　theirs　by　casting　forth　the　contrivers　of　Home　Rulethat　abomination　of　desolationinto　outer　darkness；　and　placing　Lord　Salisbury　in　power。　Victoria's　satisfaction　was　profound。　A　flood　of　new　unwonted　hopefulness　swept　over　her；　stimulating　her　vital　spirits　with　a　surprising　force。　Her　habit　of　life　was　suddenly　altered；　abandoning　the　long　seclusion　which　Disraeli's　persuasions　had　only　momentarily　interrupted；　she　threw　herself　vigorously　into　a　multitude　of　public　activities。　She　appeared　at　drawing…rooms；　at　concerts；　at　reviews；　she　laid　foundation…stones；　she　went　to　Liverpool　to　open　an　international　exhibition；　driving　through　the　streets　in　her　open　carriage　in　heavy　rain　amid　vast　applauding　crowds。　Delighted　by　the　welcome　which　met　her　everywhere；　she　warmed　to　her　work。　She　visited　Edinburgh；　where　the　ovation　of　Liverpool　was　repeated　and　surpassed。　In　London；　she　opened　in　high　state　the　Colonial　and　Indian　Exhibition　at　South　Kensington。　On　this　occasion　the　ceremonial　was　particularly　magnificent；　a　blare　of　trumpets　announced　the　approach　of　Her　Majesty；　the　〃Natiohal　Anthem〃　followed；　and　the　Queen；　seated　on　a　gorgeous　throne　of　hammered　gold；　replied　with　her　own　lips　to　the　address　that　was　presented　to　her。　Then　she　rose；　and；　advancing　upon　the　platform　with　regal　port；　acknowledged　the　acclamations　of　the　great　assembly　by　a　succession　of　curtseys；　of　elaborate　and　commanding　grace。

Next　year　was　the　fiftieth　of　her　reign；　and　in　June　the　splendid　anniversary　was　celebrated　in　solemn　pomp。　Victoria；　surrounded　by　the　highest　dignitaries　of　her　realm；　escorted　by　a　glittering　galaxy　of　kings　and　princes；　drove　through　the　crowded　enthusiasm　of　the　capital　to　render　thanks　to　God　in　Westminster　Abbey。　In　that　triumphant　hour　the　last　remaining　traces　of　past　antipathies　and　past　disagreements　were　altogether　swept　away。　The　Queen　was　hailed　at　once　as　the　mother　of　her　people　and　as　the　embodied　symbol　of　their　imperial　greatness；　and　she　responded　to　the　double　sentiment　with　all　the　ardour　of　her　spirit。　England　and　the　people　of　England；　she　knew　it；　she　felt　it；　were；　in　some　wonderful　and　yet　quite　simple　manner；　hers。　Exultation；　affection；　gratitude；　a　profound　sense　of　obligation；　an　unbounded　pridesuch　were　her　emotions；　and；　colouring　and　intensifying　the　rest；　there　was　something　else。　At　last；　after　so　long；　happinessfragmentary；　perhaps；　and　charged　with　gravity；　but　true　and　unmistakable　none　the　lesshad　returned　to　her。　The　unaccustomed　feeling　filled　and　warmed　her　consciousness。　When；　at　Buckingham　Palace　again；　the　long　ceremony　over；　she　was　asked　how　she　was；　〃I　am　very　tired；　but　very　happy；〃　she　said。

III

And　so；　after　the　toils　and　tempests　of　the　day；　a　long　evening　followedmild；　serene；　and　lighted　with　a　golden　glory。　For　an　unexampled　atmosphere　of　success　and　adoration　invested　the　last　period　of　Victoria's　life。　Her　triumph　was　the　summary；　the　crown；　of　a　greater　triumphthe　culminating　prosperity　of　a　nation。　The　solid　splendour　of　the　decade　between　Victoria's　two　jubilees　can　hardly　be　paralleled　in　the　annals　of　England。　The　sage　counsels　of　Lord　Salisbury　seemed　to　bring　with　them　not　only　wealth　and　power；　but　security；　and　the　country　settled　down；　with　calm　assurance；　to　the　enjoyment　of　an　established　grandeur。　Andit　was　only　naturalVictoria　settled　down　too。　For　she　was　a　part　of　the　establishmentan　essential　part　as　it　seemeda　fixturea　magnificent；　immovable　sideboard　in　the　huge　saloon　of　state。　Without　her　the　heaped…up　banquet　of　1890　would　have　lost　its　distinctive　qualitythe　comfortable　order　of　the　substantial　unambiguous　dishes；　with　their　background　of　weighty　glamour；　half　out　of　sight。

Her　own　existence　came　to　harmonise　more　and　more　with　what　was　around　her。　Gradually；　imperceptibly；　Albert　receded。　It　was　not　that　he　was　forgottenthat　would　have　been　impossiblebut　that　the　void　created　by　his　absence　grew　less　agonising；　and　even；　at　last；　less　obvious。　At　last　Victoria　found　it　possible　to　regret　the　bad　weather　without　immediately　reflecting　that　her　〃dear　Albert　always　said　we　could　not　alter　it；　but　must　leave　it　as　it　was；〃　she　could　even　enjoy　a　good　breakfast　without　considering　how　〃dear　Albert〃　would　have　liked　the　buttered　eggs。　And；　as　that　figure　slowly　faded；　its　place　was　taken；　inevitably；　by　Victoria's　own。　Her　being；　revolving　for　so　many　years　round　an　external　object；　now　changed　its　motion　and　found　its　centre　in　itself。　It　had　to　be　so：　her　domestic　position；　the　pressure　of　her　public　work；　her　indomitable　sense　of　duty；　made　anything　else　impossible。　Her　egotism　proclaimed　its　rights。　Her　age　increased　still　further　the　surrounding　deference；　and　her　force　of　character；　emerging　at　length　in　all　its　plenitude；　imposed　absolutely　upon　its　environment　by　the　conscious　effort　of　an　imperious　will。

Little　by　little　it　was　noticed　that　the　outward　vestiges　of　Albert's　posthumous　domination　grew　less　complete。　At　Court　the　stringency　of　mourning　was　relaxed。　As　the　Queen　drove　through　the　Park　in　her　open　carriage　with　her　Highlanders　behind　her；　nursery…maids　canvassed　eagerly　the　growing　patch　of　violet　velvet　in　the　bonnet　with　its　jet　appurtenances　on　the　small　bowing　head。

It　was　in　her　family　that　Victoria's　ascendancy　reached　its　highest　point。　All　her　offspring　were　married；　the　number　of　her　descendants　rapidly　increased；　there　were　many　marriages　in　the　third　generation；　and　no　fewer　than　thirty…seven　of　her　great…grandchildren　were　living　at　the　time　of　her　death。　A　picture　of　the　period　displays　the　royal　family　collected　together　in　one　of　the　great　rooms　at　Windsora　crowded　company　of　more　than　fifty　persons；　with　the　imperial　matriarch　in　their　midst。　Over　them　all　she　ruled　with　a　most　potent　sway。　The　small　concerns　of　the　youngest　aroused　her　passionate　interest；　and　the　oldest　she　treated　as　if　they　were　children　still。　The　Prince　of　Wales；　in　particular；　stood　in　tremendous　awe　of　his　mother。　She　had　steadily　refused　to　allow　him　the　slightest　participation　in　the　business　of　government；　and　he　had　occupied　himself　in　other　ways。　Nor　could　it　be　denied　that　he　enjoyed　himselfout　of　her　sight；　but；　in　that　redoubtable　presence；　his　abounding　manhood　suffered　a　miserable　eclipse。　Once；　at　Osborne；　when；　owing　to　no　fault　of　his；　he　was　too　late　for　a　dinner　party；　he　was　observed　standing　behind　a　pillar　and　wiping　the　sweat　from　his　forehead；　trying　to　nerve　himself　to　go　up　to　the　Queen。　When　at　last　he　did　so；　she　gave　him　a　stiff　nod；　whereupon　he　vanished　immediately　behind　another　pillar；　and　remained　there　until　the　party　broke　up。　At　the　time　of　this　incident　the　Prince　of　Wales　was　over　fifty　years　of　age。

It　was　inevitable　that　the　Queen's　domestic　activities　should　occasionally　trench　upon　the　domain　of　high　diplomacy；　and　this　was　especially　the　case　when　the　interests　of　her　eldest　daughter；　the　Crown　Princess　of　Prussia；　were　at　stake。　The　Crown　Prince　held　liberal　opinions；　he　was　much　influenced　by　his　wife；　and　both　were　detested　by　Bismarck；　who　declared　with　scurrilous　emphasis　that　the　Englishwoman　and　her　mother　were　a　menace　to　the　Prussian　State。　The　feud　was　still　further　intensified　when；　on　the　death　of　the　old　Emperor　（1888）；　the　Crown　Prince　succeeded　to　the　throne。　A　family　entanglement　brought　on　a　violent　crisis。　One　of　the　daughters　of　the　new　Empress　had　become　betrothed　to　Prince　Alexander　of　Battenberg；　who　had　lately　been　ejected　from　the　throne　of　Bulgaria　owing　to　the　hostility　of　the　Tsar。　Victoria；　as　well　as　the　Empress；　highly　approved　of　the　match。　Of　the　two　brothers　of　Prince　Alexander；　the　elder　had　married　another　of　her　grand…daughters；　and　the　younger　was　the　husband　of　her　daughter；　the　Princess　Beatrice；　she　was　devoted　to　the　handsome　young　man；　and　she　was　delighted　by　the　prospect　of　the　third　brotheron　the　whole　the　handsomest；　she　thought；　of　the　threealso　becoming　a　member　of　her　family。　Unfortunately；　however；　Bismarck　was　opposed　to　the　scheme。　He　perceived　that　the　marriage　would　endanger　the　friendship　between　Germany　and　Russia；　which　was　vital　to　his　foreign　policy；　and　he　announced　that　it　must　not　take　place。　A　fierce　struggle　between　the　Empress　and　the　Chancellor　followed。　Victoria；　whose　hatred　of　her　daughter's　enemy　was　unbounded；　came　over　to　Charlottenburg　to　join　in　the　fray。　Bismarck；　over　his　pipe　and　lager；　snorted　out　his　alarm。　The　Queen　of　England's　object；　he　said；　was　clearly　politicalshe　wished　to　estrange　Germany　and　Russiaand　very　likely　she　would　have　her　way。　〃In　family　matters；〃　he　added；　〃she　is　not　used　to　contradiction；〃　she　would　〃bring　the　parson　with　her　in　her　travelling　bag　and　the　bridegroom　in　her　trunk；　and　the　marriage　would　come　off　on　the　spot。〃　But　the　man　of　blood　and　iron　was　not　to　be　thwarted　so　easily；　and　he　asked　for　a　private　interview　with　the　Queen。　The　details　of　their　conversation　are　unknown；　but　it　is　certain　that　in　the　course　of　it　Victoria　was　forced　to　realise　the　meaning　of　resistance　to　that　formidable　personage；　and　that　she　promised　to　use　all　her　influence　to　prevent　the　marriage。　The　engagement　was　broken　off；　and　in　the　following　year　Prince　Alexander　of　Battenberg　united　himself　to　Fraulein　Loisinger；　an　actress　at　the　court　theatre　of　Darmstad。

But　such　painful　incidents　were　rare。　Victoria　was　growing　very　old；　with　no　Albert　to　guide　her；　with　no　Beaconsfield　to　enflame　her；　she　was　willing　enough　to　abandon　the　dangerous　questions　of　diplomacy　to　the　wisdom　of　Lord　Salisbury；　and　to　concentrate　her　energies　upon　objects　which　touched　her　more　nearly　and　over　which　she　could　exercise　an　undisputed　control。　Her　homeher　courtthe　monuments　at　Balmoralthe　livestock　at　Windsorthe　organisation　of　her　engagementsthe　supervision　of　the　multitudinous　details　of　her　daily　routinesuch　matters　played　now　an　even　greater　part　in　her　existence　than　before。　Her　life　passed　in　an　extraordinary　exactitude。　Every　moment　of　her　day　was　mapped　out　beforehand；　the　succession　of　her　engagements　was　immutably　fixed；　the　dates　of　her　journeysto　Osborne；　to　Balmoral；　to　the　South　of　France；　to　Windsor；　to　Londonwere　hardly　altered　from　year　to　year。　She　demanded　from　those　who　surrounded　her　a　rigid　precision　in　details；　and　she　was　preternaturally　quick　in　detecting　the　slightest　deviation　from　the　rules　which　she　had　laid　down。　Such　was　the　irresistible　potency　of　her　personality；　that　anything　but　the　most　implicit　obedience　to　her　wishes　was　felt　to　be　impossible；　but　sometimes　somebody　was　unpunctual；　and　unpunctuality　was　one　of　the　most　heinous　of　sins。　Then　her　displeasureher　dreadful　displeasurebecame　all　too　visible。　At　such　moments　there　seemed　nothing　surprising　in　her　having　been　the　daughter　of