queen victoria-第25节

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s　〃the　boy　Jones。〃　This　enigmatical　personage；　whose　escapades　dominated　the　newspapers　for　several　ensuing　months；　and　whose　motives　and　character　remained　to　the　end　ambiguous；　was　an　undersized　lad　of　17；　the　son　of　a　tailor；　who　had　apparently　gained　admittance　to　the　Palace　by　climbing　over　the　garden　wall　and　walking　in　through　an　open　window。　Two　years　before　he　had　paid　a　similar　visit　in　the　guise　of　a　chimney…sweep。　He　now　declared　that　he　had　spent　three　days　in　the　Palace；　hiding　under　various　beds；　that　he　had　〃helped　himself　to　soup　and　other　eatables；〃　and　that　he　had　〃sat　upon　the　throne；　seen　the　Queen；　and　heard　the　Princess　Royal　squall。〃　Every　detail　of　the　strange　affair　was　eagerly　canvassed。　The　Times　reported　that　the　boy　Jones　had　〃from　his　infancy　been　fond　of　reading；〃　but　that　〃his　countenance　is　exceedingly　sullen。〃　It　added：　〃The　sofa　under　which　the　boy　Jones　was　discovered；　we　understand；　is　one　of　the　most　costly　and　magnificent　material　and　workmanship；　and　ordered　expressly　for　the　accommodation　of　the　royal　and　illustrious　visitors　who　call　to　pay　their　respects　to　Her　Majesty。〃　The　culprit　was　sent　for　three　months　to　the　〃House　of　Correction。〃　When　he　emerged；　he　immediately　returned　to　Buckingham　Palace。　He　was　discovered；　and　sent　back　to　the　〃House　of　Correction〃　for　another　three　months；　after　which　he　was　offered　L4　a　week　by　a　music　hall　to　appear　upon　the　stage。　He　refused　this　offer；　and　shortly　afterwards　was　found　by　the　police　loitering　round　Buckingham　Palace。　The　authorities　acted　vigorously；　and；　without　any　trial　or　process　of　law；　shipped　the　boy　Jones　off　to　sea。　A　year　later　his　ship　put　into　Portsmouth　to　refit；　and　he　at　once　disembarked　and　walked　to　London。　He　was　re…arrested　before　he　reached　the　Palace；　and　sent　back　to　his　ship；　the　Warspite。　On　this　occasion　it　was　noticed　that　he　had　〃much　improved　in　personal　appearance　and　grown　quite　corpulent；〃　and　so　the　boy　Jones　passed　out　of　history；　though　we　catch　one　last　glimpse　of　him　in　1844　falling　overboard　in　the　night　between　Tunis　and　Algiers。　He　was　fished　up　again；　but　it　was　conjecturedas　one　of　the　Warspite's　officers　explained　in　a　letter　to　The　Timesthat　his　fall　had　not　been　accidental；　but　that　he　had　deliberately　jumped　into　the　Mediterranean　in　order　to　〃see　the　life…buoy　light　burning。〃　Of　a　boy　with　such　a　record；　what　else　could　be　supposed？

But　discomfort　and　alarm　were　not　the　only　results　of　the　mismanagement　of　the　household；　the　waste；　extravagance；　and　peculation　that　also　flowed　from　it　were　immeasurable。　There　were　preposterous　perquisites　and　malpractices　of　every　kind。　It　was；　for　instance；　an　ancient　and　immutable　rule　that　a　candle　that　had　once　been　lighted　should　never　be　lighted　again；　what　happened　to　the　old　candles；　nobody　knew。　Again；　the　Prince；　examining　the　accounts；　was　puzzled　by　a　weekly　expenditure　of　thirty…five　shillings　on　〃Red　Room　Wine。〃　He　enquired　into　the　matter；　and　after　great　difficulty　discovered　that　in　the　time　of　George　III　a　room　in　Windsor　Castle　with　red　hangings　had　once　been　used　as　a　guard…room；　and　that　five　shillings　a　day　had　been　allowed　to　provide　wine　for　the　officers。　The　guard　had　long　since　been　moved　elsewhere；　but　the　payment　for　wine　in　the　Red　Room　continued；　the　money　being　received　by　a　half…pay　officer　who　held　the　sinecure　position　of　under…butler。

After　much　laborious　investigation；　and　a　stiff　struggle　with　the　multitude　of　vested　interests　which　had　been　brought　into　being　by　long　years　of　neglect；　the　Prince　succeeded　in　effecting　a　complete　reform。　The　various　conflicting　authorities　were　induced　to　resign　their　powers　into　the　hands　of　a　single　official；　the　Master　of　the　Household；　who　became　responsible　for　the　entire　management　of　the　royal　palaces。　Great　economies　were　made；　and　the　whole　crowd　of　venerable　abuses　was　swept　away。　Among　others；　the　unlucky　half…pay　officer　of　the　Red　Room　was；　much　to　his　surprise；　given　the　choice　of　relinquishing　his　weekly　emolument　or　of　performing　the　duties　of　an　under…butler。　Even　the　irregularities　among　the　footmen；　etc。；　were　greatly　diminished。　There　were　outcries　and　complaints；　the　Prince　was　accused　of　meddling；　of　injustice；　and　of　saving　candle…ends；　but　he　held　on　his　course；　and　before　long　the　admirable　administration　of　the　royal　household　was　recognised　as　a　convincing　proof　of　his　perseverance　and　capacity。

At　the　same　time　his　activity　was　increasing　enormously　in　a　more　important　sphere。　He　had　become　the　Queen's　Private　Secretary；　her　confidential　adviser；　her　second　self。　He　was　now　always　present　at　her　interviews　with　Ministers。　He　took；　like　the　Queen；　a　special　interest　in　foreign　policy；　but　there　was　no　public　question　in　which　his　influence　was　not　felt。　A　double　process　was　at　work；　while　Victoria　fell　more　and　more　absolutely　under　his　intellectual　predominance；　he；　simultaneously；　grew　more　and　more　completely　absorbed　by　the　machinery　of　high　politicsthe　incessant　and　multifarious　business　of　a　great　State。　Nobody　any　more　could　call　him　a　dilettante；　he　was　a　worker；　a　public　personage；　a　man　of　affairs。　Stockmar　noted　the　change　with　exultation。　〃The　Prince；〃　he　wrote；　〃has　improved　very　much　lately。　He　has　evidently　a　head　for　politics。　He　has　become；　too；　far　more　independent。　His　mental　activity　is　constantly　on　the　increase；　and　he　gives　the　greater　part　of　his　time　to　business；　without　complaining。〃

〃The　relations　between　husband　and　wife；〃　added　the　Baron；　〃are　all　one　could　desire。〃

Long　before　Peel's　ministry　came　to　an　end；　there　had　been　a　complete　change　in　Victoria's　attitude　towards　him。　His　appreciation　of　the　Prince　had　softened　her　heart；　the　sincerity　and　warmth　of　his　nature；　which；　in　private　intercourse　with　those　whom　he　wished　to　please；　had　the　power　of　gradually　dissipating　the　awkwardness　of　his　manners；　did　the　rest。　She　came　in　time　to　regard　him　with　intense　feelings　of　respect　and　attachment。　She　spoke　of　〃our　worthy　Peel；〃　for　whom；　she　said；　she　had　〃an　EXTREME　admiration〃　and　who　had　shown　himself　〃a　man　of　unbounded　LOYALTY；　COURAGE　patriotism；　and　HIGH…MINDEDNESS；　and　his　conduct　towards　me　has　been　CHIVALROUS　almost；　I　might　say。〃　She　dreaded　his　removal　from　office　almost　as　frantically　as　she　had　once　dreaded　that　of　Lord　M。　It　would　be；　she　declared；　a　GREAT　CALAMITY。　Six　years　before；　what　would　she　have　said；　if　a　prophet　had　told　her　that　the　day　would　come　when　she　would　be　horrified　by　the　triumph　of　the　Whigs？　Yet　there　was　no　escaping　it；　she　had　to　face　the　return　of　her　old　friends。　In　the　ministerial　crises　of　1845　and　1846；　the　Prince　played　a　dominating　part。　Everybody　recognised　that　he　was　the　real　centre　of　the　negotiationsthe　actual　controller　of　the　forces　and　the　functions　of　the　Crown。　The　process　by　which　this　result　was　reached　had　been　so　gradual　as　to　be　almost　imperceptible；　but　it　may　be　said　with　certainty　that；　by　the　close　of　Peel's　administration；　Albert　had　become；　in　effect；　the　King　of　England。



VI

With　the　final　emergence　of　the　Prince　came　the　final　extinction　of　Lord　Melbourne。　A　year　after　his　loss　of　office；　he　had　been　struck　down　by　a　paralytic　seizure；　he　had　apparently　recovered；　but　his　old　elasticity　had　gone　for　ever。　Moody；　restless；　and　unhappy；　he　wandered　like　a　ghost　about　the　town；　bursting　into　soliloquies　in　public　places；　or　asking　odd　questions；　suddenly；　a　propos　de　bottes。　〃I'll　be　hanged　if　I　do　it　for　you；　my　Lord；〃　he　was　heard　to　say　in　the　hall　at　Brooks's；　standing　by　himself；　and　addressing　the　air　after　much　thought。　〃Don't　you　consider；〃　he　abruptly　asked　a　fellow…guest　at　Lady　Holland's；　leaning　across　the　dinner…table　in　a　pause　of　the　conversation；　〃that　it　was　a　most　damnable　act　of　Henri　Quatre　to　change　his　religion　with　a　view　to　securing　the　Crown？〃　He　sat　at　home；　brooding　for　hours　in　miserable　solitude。　He　turned　over　his　bookshis　classics　and　his　Testamentsbut　they　brought　him　no　comfort　at　all。　He　longed　for　the　return　of　the　past；　for　the　impossible；　for　he　knew　not　what；　for　the　devilries　of　Caro；　for　the　happy　platitudes　of　Windsor。　His　friends　had　left　him；　and　no　wonder；　he　said　in　bitternessthe　fire　was　out。　He　secretly　hoped　for　a　return　to　power；　scanning　the　newspapers　with　solicitude；　and　occasionally　making　a　speech　in　the　House　of　Lords。　His　correspondence　with　the　Queen　continued；　and　he　appeared　from　time　to　time　at　Court；　but　he　was　a　mere　simulacrum　of　his　former　self；　〃the　dream；〃　wrote　Victoria；　〃is　past。〃　As　for　his　political　views；　they　could　no　longer　be　tolerated。　The　Prince　was　an　ardent　Free　Trader；　and　so；　of　course；　was　the　Queen；　and　when；　dining　at　Windsor　at　the　time　of　the　repeal　of　the　Corn　Laws；　Lord　Melbourne　suddenly　exclaimed；　〃Ma'am；　it's　a　damned　dishonest　act！〃　everyone　was　extremely　embarrassed。　Her　Majesty　laughed　and　tried　to　change　the　conversation；　but　without　avail；　Lord　Melbourne　returned　to　the　charge　again　and　again　with〃I　say；　Ma'am；　it's　damned　dishonest！〃until　the　Queen　said　〃Lord　Melbourne；　I　must　beg　you　not　to　say　anything　more　on　this　subject　now；〃　and　then　he　held　his　tongue。　She　was　kind　to　him；　writing　him　long　letters；　and　always　remembering　his　birthday；　but　it　was　kindne