queen victoria-第37节

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ooms　were　furnished　so　much　to　her　taste　that　she　declared　they　gave　her　quite　a　home　feelingthat；　if　her　little　dog　were　there；　she　should　really　imagine　herself　at　home。　Nothing　was　said；　but　three　days　later　her　little　dog　barked　a　welcome　to　her　as　she　entered　the　apartments。　The　Emperor　himself；　sparing　neither　trouble　nor　expense；　had　personally　arranged　the　charming　surprise。　Such　were　his　attentions。　She　returned　to　England　more　enchanted　than　ever。　〃Strange　indeed；〃　she　exclaimed；　〃are　the　dispensations　and　ways　of　Providence！〃

The　alliance　prospered；　and　the　war　drew　towards　a　conclusion。　Both　the　Queen　and　the　Prince；　it　is　true；　were　most　anxious　that　there　should　not　be　a　premature　peace。　When　Lord　Aberdeen　wished　to　open　negotiations　Albert　attacked　him　in　a　〃geharnischten〃　letter；　while　Victoria　rode　about　on　horseback　reviewing　the　troops。　At　last；　however；　Sebastopol　was　captured。　The　news　reached　Balmoral　late　at　night；　and　〃in　a　few　minutes　Albert　and　all　the　gentlemen　in　every　species　of　attire　sallied　forth；　followed　by　all　the　servants；　and　gradually　by　all　the　population　of　the　village…keepers；　gillies；　workmen〃up　to　the　top　of　the　cairn。〃　A　bonfire　was　lighted；　the　pipes　were　played；　and　guns　were　shot　off。　〃About　three…quarters　of　an　hour　after　Albert　came　down　and　said　the　scene　had　been　wild　and　exciting　beyond　everything。　The　people　had　been　drinking　healths　in　whisky　and　were　in　great　ecstasy。〃　The　〃great　ecstasy；〃　perhaps；　would　be　replaced　by　other　feelings　next　morning；　but　at　any　rate　the　war　was　overthough；　to　be　sure；　its　end　seemed　as　difficult　to　account　for　as　its　beginning。　The　dispensations　and　ways　of　Providence　continued　to　be　strange。

IV

An　unexpected　consequence　of　the　war　was　a　complete　change　in　the　relations　between　the　royal　pair　and　Palmerston。　The　Prince　and　the　Minister　drew　together　over　their　hostility　to　Russia；　and　thus　it　came　about　that　when　Victoria　found　it　necessary　to　summon　her　old　enemy　to　form　an　administration　she　did　so　without　reluctance。　The　premiership；　too；　had　a　sobering　effect　upon　Palmerston；　he　grew　less　impatient　and　dictatorial；　considered　with　attention　the　suggestions　of　the　Crown；　and　was；　besides；　genuinely　impressed　by　the　Prince's　ability　and　knowledge。　Friction；　no　doubt；　there　still　occasionally　was；　for；　while　the　Queen　and　the　Prince　devoted　themselves　to　foreign　politics　as　much　as　ever；　their　views；　when　the　war　was　over；　became　once　more　antagonistic　to　those　of　the　Prime　Minister。　This　was　especially　the　case　with　regard　to　Italy。　Albert；　theoretically　the　friend　of　constitutional　government；　distrusted　Cavour；　was　horrified　by　Garibaldi；　and　dreaded　the　danger　of　England　being　drawn　into　war　with　Austria。　Palmerston；　on　the　other　hand；　was　eager　for　Italian　independence；　but　he　was　no　longer　at　the　Foreign　Office；　and　the　brunt　of　the　royal　displeasure　had　now　to　be　borne　by　Lord　John　Russell。　In　a　few　years　the　situation　had　curiously　altered。　It　was　Lord　John　who　now　filled　the　subordinate　and　the　ungrateful　role；　but　the　Foreign　Secretary；　in　his　struggle　with　the　Crown；　was　supported；　instead　of　opposed；　by　the　Prime　Minister。　Nevertheless　the　struggle　was　fierce；　and　the　policy；　by　which　the　vigorous　sympathy　of　England　became　one　of　the　decisive　factors　in　the　final　achievement　of　Italian　unity；　was　only　carried　through　in　face　of　the　violent　opposition　of　the　Court。

Towards　the　other　European　storm…centre；　also；　the　Prince's　attitude　continued　to　be　very　different　to　that　of　Palmerston。　Albert's　great　wish　was　for　a　united　Germany　under　the　leadership　of　a　constitutional　and　virtuous　Prussia；　Palmerston　did　not　think　that　there　was　much　to　be　said　for　the　scheme；　but　he　took　no　particular　interest　in　German　politics；　and　was　ready　enough　to　agree　to　a　proposal　which　was　warmly　supported　by　both　the　Prince　and　the　Queenthat　the　royal　Houses　of　England　and　Prussia　should　be　united　by　the　marriage　of　the　Princess　Royal　with　the　Prussian　Crown　Prince。　Accordingly；　when　the　Princess　was　not　yet　fifteen；　the　Prince；　a　young　man　of　twenty…four；　came　over　on　a　visit　to　Balmoral；　and　the　betrothal　took　place。　Two　years　later；　in　1857；　the　marriage　was　celebrated。　At　the　last　moment；　however；　it　seemed　that　there　might　be　a　hitch。　It　was　pointed　out　in　Prussia　that　it　was　customary　for　Princes　of　the　blood　royal　to　be　married　in　Berlin；　and　it　was　suggested　that　there　was　no　reason　why　the　present　case　should　be　treated　as　an　exception。　When　this　reached　the　ears　of　Victoria；　she　was　speechless　with　indignation。　In　a　note；　emphatic　even　for　Her　Majesty；　she　instructed　the　Foreign　Secretary　to　tell　the　Prussian　Ambassador　〃not　to　ENTERTAIN　the　POSSIBILITY　of　such　a　question。。。　The　Queen　NEVER　could　consent　to　it；　both　for　public　and　for　private　reasons；　and　the　assumption　of　its　being　TOO　MUCH　for　a　Prince　Royal　of　Prussia　to　come　over　to　marry　the　Princess　Royal　of　Great　Britain　in　England　is　too　ABSURD　to　say　the　least。　。　。　Whatever　may　be　the　usual　practice　of　Prussian　princes；　it　is　not　EVERY　day　that　one　marries　the　eldest　daughter　of　the　Queen　of　England。　The　question　must　therefore　be　considered　as　settled　and　closed。〃　It　was；　and　the　wedding　took　place　in　St。　James's　Chapel。　There　were　great　festivitiesilluminations；　state　concerts；　immense　crowds；　and　general　rejoicings。　At　Windsor　a　magnificent　banquet　was　given　to　the　bride　and　bridegroom　in　the　Waterloo　room；　at　which；　Victoria　noted　in　her　diary；　〃everybody　was　most　friendly　and　kind　about　Vicky　and　full　of　the　universal　enthusiasm；　of　which　the　Duke　of　Buccleuch　gave　us　most　pleasing　instances；　he　having　been　in　the　very　thick　of　the　crowd　and　among　the　lowest　of　the　low。〃　Her　feelings　during　several　days　had　been　growing　more　and　more　emotional；　and　when　the　time　came　for　the　young　couple　to　depart　she　very　nearly　broke　downbut　not　quite。　〃Poor　dear　child！〃　she　wrote　afterwards。　〃I　clasped　her　in　my　arms　and　blessed　her；　and　knew　not　what　to　say。　I　kissed　good　Fritz　and　pressed　his　hand　again　and　again。　He　was　unable　to　speak　and　the　tears　were　in　his　eyes。　I　embraced　them　both　again　at　the　carriage　door；　and　Albert　got　into　the　carriage；　an　open　one；　with　them　and　Bertie。。。　The　band　struck　up。　I　wished　good…bye　to　the　good　Perponchers。　General　Schreckenstein　was　much　affected。　I　pressed　his　hand；　and　the　good　Dean's；　and　then　went　quickly　upstairs。〃

Albert；　as　well　as　General　Schreckenstein；　was　much　affected。　He　was　losing　his　favourite　child；　whose　opening　intelligence　had　already　begun　to　display　a　marked　resemblance　to　his　ownan　adoring　pupil；　who；　in　a　few　years；　might　have　become　an　almost　adequate　companion。　An　ironic　fate　had　determined　that　the　daughter　who　was　taken　from　him　should　be　sympathetic；　clever；　interested　in　the　arts　and　sciences；　and　endowed　with　a　strong　taste　for　memoranda；　while　not　a　single　one　of　these　qualities　could　be　discovered　in　the　son　who　remained。　For　certainly　the　Prince　of　Wales　did　not　take　after　his　father。　Victoria's　prayer　had　been　unanswered；　and　with　each　succeeding　year　it　became　more　obvious　that　Bertie　was　a　true　scion　of　the　House　of　Brunswick。　But　these　evidences　of　innate　characteristics　only　served　to　redouble　the　efforts　of　his　parents；　it　still　might　not　be　too　late　to　incline　the　young　branch；　by　ceaseless　pressure　and　careful　fastenings；　to　grow　in　the　proper　direction。　Everything　was　tried。　The　boy　was　sent　on　a　continental　tour　with　a　picked　body　of　tutors；　but　the　results　were　unsatisfactory。　At　his　father's　request　he　kept　a　diary　which；　on　his　return；　was　inspected　by　the　Prince。　It　was　found　to　be　distressingly　meagre：　what　a　multitude　of　highly　interesting　reflections　might　have　been　arranged　under　the　heading：　〃The　First　Prince　of　Wales　visiting　the　Pope！〃　But　there　was　not　a　single　one。　〃Le　jeune　prince　plaisit　a　tout　le　monde；〃　old　Metternich　reported　to　Guizot；　〃mais　avait　l'air　embarrasse　et　tres　triste。〃　On　his　seventeenth　birthday　a　memorandum　was　drawn　up　over　the　names　of　the　Queen　and　the　Prince　informing　their　eldest　son　that　he　was　now　entering　upon　the　period　of　manhood；　and　directing　him　henceforward　to　perform　the　duties　of　a　Christian　gentleman。　〃Life　is　composed　of　duties；〃　said　the　memorandum；　〃and　in　the　due；　punctual　and　cheerful　performance　of　them　the　true　Christian；　true　soldier；　and　true　gentleman　is　recognised。。。　A　new　sphere　of　life　will　open　for　you　in　which　you　will　have　to　be　taught　what　to　do　and　what　not　to　do；　a　subject　requiring　study　more　important　than　any　in　which　you　have　hitherto　been　engaged。〃　On　receipt　of　the　memorandum　Bertie　burst　into　tears。　At　the　same　time　another　memorandum　was　drawn　up；　headed　〃confidential：　for　the　guidance　of　the　gentlemen　appointed　to　attend　on　the　Prince　of　Wales。〃　This　long　and　elaborate　document　laid　down　〃certain　principles〃　by　which　the　〃conduct　and　demeanour〃　of　the　gentlemen　were　to　be　regulated　〃and　which　it　is　thought　may　conduce　to　the　benefit　of　the　Prince　of　Wales。〃　〃The　qualities　which　distinguish　a　gentleman　in　society；〃　continued　this　remarkable　paper；　〃are：

　　（1）　His　appearance；　his　deportment　and　dress。　　　（2）　The　character　of　his　relations　with；　and　treatment　of；　others。　　　（3）　His　desire　and　power　to　acquit　himself　creditably