queen victoria-第36节

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y　the　whole　nationthe　friend　of　the　Sovereign。。。　The　Crown　never　possessedand　I　fear　never　WILLso　DEVOTED；　loyal；　and　faithful　a　subject；　so　staunch　a　supporter！　To　US　his　loss　is　IRREPARABLE。。。　To　Albert　he　showed　the　greatest　kindness　and　the　utmost　confidence。。。　Not　an　eye　will　be　dry　in　the　whole　country。〃　These　were　serious　thoughts；　but　they　were　soon　succeeded　by　others　hardly　less　movingby　events　as　impossible　to　forgetby　Mr。　MacLeod's　sermon　on　Nicodemusby　the　gift　of　a　red　flannel　petticoat　to　Mrs。　P。　Farquharson；　and　another　to　old　Kitty　Kear。

But；　without　doubt；　most　memorable；　most　delightful　of　all　were　the　expeditionsthe　rare；　exciting　expeditions　up　distant　mountains；　across　broad　rivers；　through　strange　country；　and　lasting　several　days。　With　only　two　gilliesGrant　and　Brownfor　servants；　and　with　assumed　names。　It　was　more　like　something　in　a　story　than　real　life。　〃We　had　decided　to　call　ourselves　LORD　AND　LADY　CHURCHILL　AND　AND　PARTYLady　Churchill　passing　as　MISS　SPENCER　and　General　Grey　as　DR。　GREY！　Brown　once　forgot　this　and　called　me　'Your　Majesty'　as　I　was　getting　into　the　carriage；　and　Grant　on　the　box　once　called　Albert　'Your　Royal　Highness；'　which　set　us　off　laughing；　but　no　one　observed　it。〃　Strong；　vigorous；　enthusiastic；　bringing；　so　it　seemed；　good　fortune　with　herthe　Highlanders　declared　she　had　〃a　lucky　foot〃she　relished　everythingthe　scrambles　and　the　views　and　the　contretemps　and　the　rough　inns　with　their　coarse　fare　and　Brown　and　Grant　waiting　at　table。　She　could　have　gone　on　for　ever　and　ever；　absolutely　happy　with　Albert　beside　her　and　Brown　at　her　pony's　head。　But　the　time　came　for　turning　homewards；　alas！　the　time　came　for　going　back　to　England。　She　could　hardly　bear　it；　she　sat　disconsolate　in　her　room　and　watched　the　snow　falling。　The　last　day！　Oh！　If　only　she　could　be　snowed　up！

III

The　Crimean　War　brought　new　experiences；　and　most　of　them　were　pleasant　ones。　It　was　pleasant　to　be　patriotic　and　pugnacious；　to　look　out　appropriate　prayers　to　be　read　in　the　churches；　to　have　news　of　glorious　victories；　and　to　know　oneself；　more　proudly　than　ever；　the　representative　of　England。　With　that　spontaneity　of　feeling　which　was　so　peculiarly　her　own；　Victoria　poured　out　her　emotion；　her　admiration；　her　pity；　her　love；　upon　her　〃dear　soldiers。〃　When　she　gave　them　their　medals　her　exultation　knew　no　bounds。　〃Noble　fellows！〃　she　wrote　to　the　King　of　the　Belgians；　〃I　own　I　feel　as　if　these　were　MY　OWN　CHILDREN；　my　heart　beats　for　THEM　as　for　my　NEAREST　and　DEAREST。　They　were　so　touched；　so　pleased；　many；　I　hear；　criedand　they　won't　hear　of　giving　up　their　medals　to　have　their　names　engraved　upon　them　for　fear　they　should　not　receive　the　IDENTICAL　ONE　put　into　THEIR　HANDS　BY　ME；　which　is　quite　touching。　Several　came　by　in　a　sadly　mutilated　state。〃　She　and　they　were　at　one。　They　felt　that　she　had　done　them　a　splendid　honour；　and　she；　with　perfect　genuineness；　shared　their　feeling。　Albert's　attitude　towards　such　things　was　different；　there　was　an　austerity　in　him　which　quite　prohibited　the　expansions　of　emotion。　When　General　Williams　returned　from　the　heroic　defence　of　Kars　and　was　presented　at　Court；　the　quick；　stiff；　distant　bow　with　which　the　Prince　received　him　struck　like　ice　upon　the　beholders。　He　was　a　stranger　still。

But　he　had　other　things　to　occupy　him；　more　important；　surely；　than　the　personal　impressions　of　military　officers　and　people　who　went　to　Court。　He　was　at　workceaselessly　at　workon　the　tremendous　task　of　carrying　through　the　war　to　a　successful　conclusion。　State　papers；　despatches；　memoranda；　poured　from　him　in　an　overwhelming　stream。　Between　1853　and　1857　fifty　folio　volumes　were　filled　with　the　comments　of　his　pen　upon　the　Eastern　question。　Nothing　would　induce　him　to　stop。　Weary　ministers　staggered　under　the　load　of　his　advice；　but　his　advice　continued；　piling　itself　up　over　their　writing…tables；　and　flowing　out　upon　them　from　red　box　after　red　box。　Nor　was　it　advice　to　be　ignored。　The　talent　for　administration　which　had　reorganised　the　royal　palaces　and　planned　the　Great　Exhibition　asserted　itself　no　less　in　the　confused　complexities　of　war。　Again　and　again　the　Prince's　suggestions；　rejected　or　unheeded　at　first；　were　adopted　under　the　stress　of　circumstances　and　found　to　be　full　of　value。　The　enrolment　of　a　foreign　legion；　the　establishment　of　a　depot　for　troops　at　Malta；　the　institution　of　periodical　reports　and　tabulated　returns　as　to　the　condition　of　the　army　at　Sebastopolsuch　were　the　contrivances　and　the　achievements　of　his　indefatigable　brain。　He　went　further：　in　a　lengthy　minute　he　laid　down　the　lines　for　a　radical　reform　in　the　entire　administration　of　the　army。　This　was　premature；　but　his　proposal　that　〃a　camp　of　evolution〃　should　be　created；　in　which　troops　should　be　concentrated　and　drilled；　proved　to　be　the　germ　of　Aldershot。

Meanwhile　Victoria　had　made　a　new　friend：　she　had　suddenly　been　captivated　by　Napoleon　III。　Her　dislike　of　him　had　been　strong　at　first。　She　considered　that　he　was　a　disreputable　adventurer　who　had　usurped　the　throne　of　poor　old　Louis　Philippe；　and　besides　he　was　hand…in…glove　with　Lord　Palmerston。　For　a　long　time；　although　he　was　her　ally；　she　was　unwilling　to　meet　him；　but　at　last　a　visit　of　the　Emperor　and　Empress　to　England　was　arranged。　Directly　he　appeared　at　Windsor　her　heart　began　to　soften。　She　found　that　she　was　charmed　by　his　quiet　manners；　his　low；　soft　voice；　and　by　the　soothing　simplicity　of　his　conversation。　The　good…will　of　England　was　essential　to　the　Emperor's　position　in　Europe；　and　he　had　determined　to　fascinate　the　Queen。　He　succeeded。　There　was　something　deep　within　her　which　responded　immediately　and　vehemently　to　natures　that　offered　a　romantic　contrast　with　her　own。　Her　adoration　of　Lord　Melbourne　was　intimately　interwoven　with　her　half…unconscious　appreciation　of　the　exciting　unlikeness　between　herself　and　that　sophisticated；　subtle；　aristocratical　old　man。　Very　different　was　the　quality　of　her　unlikeness　to　Napoleon；　but　its　quantity　was　at　least　as　great。　From　behind　the　vast　solidity　of　her　respectability；　her　conventionality；　her　established　happiness；　she　peered　out　with　a　strange　delicious　pleasure　at　that　unfamiliar；　darkly…glittering　foreign　object；　moving　so　meteorically　before　her；　an　ambiguous　creature　of　wilfulness　and　Destiny。　And；　to　her　surprise；　where　she　had　dreaded　antagonisms；　she　discovered　only　sympathies。　He　was；　she　said；　〃so　quiet；　so　simple；　naif　even；　so　pleased　to　be　informed　about　things　he　does　not　know；　so　gentle；　so　full　of　tact；　dignity；　and　modesty；　so　full　of　kind　attention　towards　us；　never　saying　a　word；　or　doing　a　thing；　which　could　put　me　out。。。　There　is　something　fascinating；　melancholy；　and　engaging　which　draws　you　to　him；　in　spite　of　any　prevention　you　may　have　against　him；　and　certainly　without　the　assistance　of　any　outward　appearance；　though　I　like　his　face。〃　She　observed　that　he　rode　〃extremely　well；　and　looks　well　on　horseback；　as　he　sits　high。〃　And　he　danced　〃with　great　dignity　and　spirit。〃　Above　all；　he　listened　to　Albert；　listened　with　the　most　respectful　attention；　showed；　in　fact；　how　pleased　he　was　〃to　be　informed　about　things　he　did　not　know；〃　and　afterwards　was　heard　to　declare　that　he　had　never　met　the　Prince's　equal。　On　one　occasion；　indeedbut　only　on　onehe　had　seemed　to　grow　slightly　restive。　In　a　diplomatic　conversation；　〃I　expatiated　a　little　on　the　Holstein　question；〃　wrote　the　Prince　in　a　memorandum；　〃which　appeared　to　bore　the　Emperor　as　'tres　compliquee。'〃

Victoria；　too；　became　much　attached　to　the　Empress；　whose　looks　and　graces　she　admired　without　a　touch　of　jealousy。　Eugenie；　indeed；　in　the　plenitude　of　her　beauty；　exquisitely　dressed　in　wonderful　Parisian　crinolines　which　set　off　to　perfection　her　tall　and　willowy　figure；　might　well　have　caused　some　heart…burning　in　the　breast　of　her　hostess；　who；　very　short；　rather　stout；　quite　plain；　in　garish　middle…class　garments；　could　hardly　be　expected　to　feel　at　her　best　in　such　company。　But　Victoria　had　no　misgivings。　To　her　it　mattered　nothing　that　her　face　turned　red　in　the　heat　and　that　her　purple　pork…pie　hat　was　of　last　year's　fashion；　while　Eugenie；　cool　and　modish；　floated　in　an　infinitude　of　flounces　by　her　side。　She　was　Queen　of　England；　and　was　not　that　enough？　It　certainly　seemed　to　be；　true　majesty　was　hers；　and　she　knew　it。　More　than　once；　when　the　two　were　together　in　public；　it　was　the　woman　to　whom；　as　it　seemed；　nature　and　art　had　given　so　little；　who；　by　the　sheer　force　of　an　inherent　grandeur；　completely　threw　her　adorned　and　beautiful　companion　into　the　shade。

There　were　tears　when　the　moment　came　for　parting；　and　Victoria　felt　〃quite　wehmuthig；〃　as　her　guests　went　away　from　Windsor。　But　before　long　she　and　Albert　paid　a　return　visit　to　France；　where　everything　was　very　delightful；　and　she　drove　incognito　through　the　streets　of　Paris　in　a　〃common　bonnet；〃　and　saw　a　play　in　the　theatre　at　St。　Cloud；　and；　one　evening；　at　a　great　party　given　by　the　Emperor　in　her　honour　at　the　Chateau　of　Versailles；　talked　a　little　to　a　distinguished…looking　Prussian　gentleman；　whose　name　was　Bismarck。　Her　rooms　were　furnished　so　much　to　her　taste　that　she　declared　they　gave　her　quite　a　home　feelingthat；　i