queen victoria-第15节

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　finally　take　fire；　particularly　as　I　see　with　regret　that　upon　this　one　subject　we　cannot　agree。　I　shall；　therefore；　limit　myself　to　my　expressions　of　very　sincere　wishes　for　the　welfare　and　prosperity　of　Belgium。〃　After　that；　it　was　clear　that　there　was　no　more　to　be　said。　Henceforward　there　is　audible　in　the　King's　letters　a　curiously　elegiac　note。　〃My　dearest　Victoria；　your　DELIGHTFUL　little　letter　has　just　arrived　and　went　like　AN　ARROW　TO　MY　HEART。　Yes；　my　beloved　Victoria！　I　DO　LOVE　YOU　TENDERLY。。。　I　love　you　FOR　YOURSELF；　and　I　love　in　you　the　dear　child　whose　welfare　I　tenderly　watched。〃　He　had　gone　through　much；　yet；　if　life　had　its　disappointments；　it　had　its　satisfactions　too。　〃I　have　all　the　honours　that　can　be　given；　and　I　am；　politically　speaking；　very　solidly　established。〃　But　there　were　other　things　besides　politics；　there　were　romantic　yearnings　in　his　heart。　〃The　only　longing　I　still　have　is　for　the　Orient；　where　I　perhaps　shall　once　end　my　life；　rising　in　the　west　and　setting　in　the　east。〃　As　for　his　devotion　to　his　niece；　that　could　never　end。　〃I　never　press　my　services　on　you；　nor　my　councils；　though　I　may　say　with　some　truth　that　from　the　extraordinary　fate　which　the　higher　powers　had　ordained　for　me；　my　experience；　both　political　and　of　private　life；　is　great。　I　am　ALWAYS　READY　to　be　useful　to　you　when　and　where　and　it　may　be；　and　I　repeat　it；　ALL　I　WANT　IN　RETURN　IS　SOME　LITTLE　SINCERE　AFFECTION　FROM　YOU。〃

VI

The　correspondence　with　King　Leopold　was　significant　of　much　that　still　lay　partly　hidden　in　the　character　of　Victoria。　Her　attitude　towards　her　uncle　had　never　wavered　for　a　moment。　To　all　his　advances　she　had　presented　an　absolutely　unyielding　front。　The　foreign　policy　of　England　was　not　his　province；　it　was　hers　and　her　Ministers'；　his　insinuations；　his　entreaties；　his　strugglesall　were　quite　useless；　and　he　must　understand　that　this　was　so。　The　rigidity　of　her　position　was　the　more　striking　owing　to　the　respectfulness　and　the　affection　with　which　it　was　accompanied。　From　start　to　finish　the　unmoved　Queen　remained　the　devoted　niece。　Leopold　himself　must　have　envied　such　perfect　correctitude；　but　what　may　be　admirable　in　an　elderly　statesman　is　alarming　in　a　maiden　of　nineteen。　And　privileged　observers　were　not　without　their　fears。　The　strange　mixture　of　ingenuous　light…heartedness　and　fixed　determination；　of　frankness　and　reticence；　of　childishness　and　pride；　seemed　to　augur　a　future　that　was　perplexed　and　full　of　dangers。　As　time　passed　the　less　pleasant　qualities　in　this　curious　composition　revealed　themselves　more　often　and　more　seriously。　There　were　signs　of　an　imperious；　a　peremptory　temper；　an　egotism　that　was　strong　and　hard。　It　was　noticed　that　the　palace　etiquette；　far　from　relaxing；　grew　ever　more　and　more　inflexible。　By　some；　this　was　attributed　to　Lehzen's　influence；　but；　if　that　was　so；　Lehzen　had　a　willing　pupil；　for　the　slightest　infringements　of　the　freezing　rules　of　regularity　and　deference　were　invariably　and　immediately　visited　by　the　sharp　and　haughty　glances　of　the　Queen。　Yet　Her　Majesty's　eyes；　crushing　as　they　could　be；　were　less　crushing　than　her　mouth。　The　self…will　depicted　in　those　small　projecting　teeth　and　that　small　receding　chin　was　of　a　more　dismaying　kind　than　that　which　a　powerful　jaw　betokens；　it　was　a　selfwill　imperturbable；　impenetrable；　unintelligent；　a　self…will　dangerously　akin　to　obstinacy。　And　the　obstinacy　of　monarchs　is　not　as　that　of　other　men。

Within　two　years　of　her　accession；　the　storm…clouds　which；　from　the　first；　had　been　dimly　visible　on　the　horizon；　gathered　and　burst。　Victoria's　relations　with　her　mother　had　not　improved。　The　Duchess　of　Kent；　still　surrounded　by　all　the　galling　appearances　of　filial　consideration；　remained　in　Buckingham　Palace　a　discarded　figure；　powerless　and　inconsolable。　Sir　John　Conroy；　banished　from　the　presence　of　the　Queen；　still　presided　over　the　Duchess's　household；　and　the　hostilities　of　Kensington　continued　unabated　in　the　new　surroundings。　Lady　Flora　Hastings　still　cracked　her　malicious　jokes；　the　animosity　of　the　Baroness　was　still　unappeased。　One　day；　Lady　Flora　found　the　joke　was　turned　against　her。　Early　in　1839；　travelling　in　the　suite　of　the　Duchess；　she　had　returned　from　Scotland　in　the　same　carriage　with　Sir　John。　A　change　in　her　figure　became　the　subject　of　an　unseemly　jest；　tongues　wagged；　and　the　jest　grew　serious。　It　was　whispered　that　Lady　Flora　was　with　child。　The　state　of　her　health　seemed　to　confirm　the　suspicion；　she　consulted　Sir　James　Clark；　the　royal　physician；　and；　after　the　consultation；　Sir　James　let　his　tongue　wag；　too。　On　this；　the　scandal　flared　up　sky…high。　Everyone　was　talking；　the　Baroness　was　not　surprised；　the　Duchess　rallied　tumultuously　to　the　support　of　her　lady；　the　Queen　was　informed。　At　last　the　extraordinary　expedient　of　a　medical　examination　was　resorted　to；　during　which　Sir　James；　according　to　Lady　Flora；　behaved　with　brutal　rudeness；　while　a　second　doctor　was　extremely　polite。　Finally；　both　physicians　signed　a　certificate　entirely　exculpating　the　lady。　But　this　was　by　no　means　the　end　of　the　business。　The　Hastings　family；　socially　a　very　powerful　one；　threw　itself　into　the　fray　with　all　the　fury　of　outraged　pride　and　injured　innocence；　Lord　Hastings　insisted　upon　an　audience　of　the　Queen；　wrote　to　the　papers；　and　demanded　the　dismissal　of　Sir　James　Clark。　The　Queen　expressed　her　regret　to　Lady　Flora；　but　Sir　James　Clark　was　not　dismissed。　The　tide　of　opinion　turned　violently　against　the　Queen　and　her　advisers；　high　society　was　disgusted　by　all　this　washing　of　dirty　linen　in　Buckingham　Palace；　the　public　at　large　was　indignant　at　the　ill…treatment　of　Lady　Flora。　By　the　end　of　March；　the　popularity；　so　radiant　and　so　abundant；　with　which　the　young　Sovereign　had　begun　her　reign；　had　entirely　disappeared。

There　can　be　no　doubt　that　a　great　lack　of　discretion　had　been　shown　by　the　Court。　Ill…natured　tittle…tattle；　which　should　have　been　instantly　nipped　in　the　bud；　had　been　allowed　to　assume　disgraceful　proportions；　and　the　Throne　itself　had　become　involved　in　the　personal　malignities　of　the　palace。　A　particularly　awkward　question　had　been　raised　by　the　position　of　Sir　James　Clark。　The　Duke　of　Wellington；　upon　whom　it　was　customary　to　fall　back；　in　cases　of　great　difficulty　in　high　places；　had　been　consulted　upon　this　question；　and　he　had　given　it　as　his　opinion　that；　as　it　would　be　impossible　to　remove　Sir　James　without　a　public　enquiry；　Sir　James　must　certainly　stay　where　he　was。　Probably　the　Duke　was　right；　but　the　fact　that　the　peccant　doctor　continued　in　the　Queen's　service　made　the　Hastings　family　irreconcilable　and　produced　an　unpleasant　impression　of　unrepentant　error　upon　the　public　mind。　As　for　Victoria；　she　was　very　young　and　quite　inexperienced；　and　she　can　hardly　be　blamed　for　having　failed　to　control　an　extremely　difficult　situation。　That　was　clearly　Lord　Melbourne's　task；　he　was　a　man　of　the　world；　and；　with　vigilance　and　circumspection；　he　might　have　quietly　put　out　the　ugly　flames　while　they　were　still　smouldering。　He　did　not　do　so；　he　was　lazy　and　easy…going；　the　Baroness　was　persistent；　and　he　let　things　slide。　But　doubtless　his　position　was　not　an　easy　one；　passions　ran　high　in　the　palace；　and　Victoria　was　not　only　very　young；　she　was　very　headstrong；　too。　Did　he　possess　the　magic　bridle　which　would　curb　that　fiery　steed？　He　could　not　be　certain。　And　then；　suddenly；　another　violent　crisis　revealed　more　unmistakably　than　ever　the　nature　of　the　mind　with　which　he　had　to　deal。

VII

The　Queen　had　for　long　been　haunted　by　a　terror　that　the　day　might　come　when　she　would　be　obliged　to　part　with　her　Minister。　Ever　since　the　passage　of　the　Reform　Bill；　the　power　of　the　Whig　Government　had　steadily　declined。　The　General　Election　of　1837　had　left　them　with　a　very　small　majority　in　the　House　of　Commons；　since　then；　they　had　been　in　constant　difflcultiesabroad；　at　home；　in　Ireland；　the　Radical　group　had　grown　hostile；　it　became　highly　doubtful　how　much　longer　they　could　survive。　The　Queen　watched　the　development　of　events　in　great　anxiety。　She　was　a　Whig　by　birth；　by　upbringing；　by　every　association；　public　and　private；　and；　even　if　those　ties　had　never　existed；　the　mere　fact　that　Lord　M。　was　the　head　of　the　Whigs　would　have　amply　sufficed　to　determine　her　politics。　The　fall　of　the　Whigs　would　mean　a　sad　upset　for　Lord　M。　But　it　would　have　a　still　more　terrible　consequence：　Lord　M。　would　have　to　leave　her；　and　the　daily；　the　hourly；　presence　of　Lord　M。　had　become　an　integral　part　of　her　life。　Six　months　after　her　accession　she　had　noted　in　her　diary　〃I　shall　be　very　sorry　to　lose　him　even　for　one　night；〃　and　this　feeling　of　personal　dependence　on　her　Minister　steadily　increased。　In　these　circumstances　it　was　natural　that　she　should　have　become　a　Whig　partisan。　Of　the　wider　significance　of　political　questions　she　knew　nothing；　all　she　saw　was　that　her　friends　were　in　office　and　about　her；　and　that　it　would　be　dreadful　if　they　ceased　to　be　so。　〃I　cannot　say；〃　she　wrote　when　a　critical　division　was　impending；　〃（though　I　feel　confident　of　our　success）　how　low；　how　sad　I　feel；　when　I　think　of　the　possibility　of　this　excellent　and　truly　kind　man　not　remaining　my　Minister！