queen victoria-第14部分

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nimosity　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！　Yet　I　trust　ferventIy　that　He　who　has　so　wonderfully　protected　me　through　such　manifold　difficulties　will　not　now　desert　me！　I　should　have　liked　to　have　expressed　to　Lord　M。　my　anxiety；　but　the　tears　were　nearer　than　words　throughout　the　time　I　saw　him；　and　I　felt　I　should　have　choked；　had　I　attempted　to　say　anything。〃　Lord　Melbourne　realised　clearly　enough　how　undesirable　was　such　a　state　of　mind　in　a　constitutional　sovereign　who　might　be　called　upon　at　any　moment　to　receive　as　her　Ministers　the　leaders　of　the　opposite　party；　he　did　what　he　could　to　cool　her　ardour；　but　in　vain。

With　considerable　lack　of　foresight；　too；　he　had　himself　helped　to　bring　about　this　unfortunate　condition　of　affairs。　From　the　moment　of　her　accession；　he　had　surrounded　the　Queen　with　ladies　of　his　own　party；　the　Mistress　of　the　Robes　and　all　the　Ladies　of　the　Bedchamber　were　Whigs。　In　the　ordinary　course；　the　Queen　never　saw　a　Tory：　eventually　she　took　pains　never　to　see　one　in　any　circumstances。　She　disliked　the　whole　tribe；　and　she　did　not　conceal　the　fact。　She　particularly　disliked　Sir　Robert　Peel；　who　would　almost　certainly　be　the　next　Prime　Minister。　His　manners　were　detestable；　and　he　wanted　to　turn　out　Lord　M。　His　supporters；　without　exception；　were　equally　bad；　and　as　for　Sir　James　Graham；　she　could　not　bear　the　sight　of　him；　he　was　exactly　like　Sir　John　Conroy。

The　affair　of　Lady　Flora　intensified　these　party　rumours　still　further。　The　Hastings　were　Tories；　and　Lord　Melbourne　and　the　Court　were　attacked　by　the　Tory　press　in　unmeasured　language。　The　Queen's　sectarian　zeal　proportionately　increased。　But　the　dreaded　hour　was　now　fast　approaching。　Early　in　May　the　Ministers　were　visibly　tottering；　on　a　vital　point　of　policy　they　could　only　secure　a　majority　of　five　in　the　House　of　Commons；　they　determined　to　resign。　When　Victoria　heard　the　news　she　burst　into　tears。　Was　it　possible；　then；　that　all　was　over？　Was　she；　indeed；　about　to　see　Lord　M。　for　the　last　time？　Lord　M。　came；　and　it　is　a　curious　fact　that；　even　in　this　crowning　moment　of　misery　and　agitation；　the　precise　girl　noted；　to　the　minute；　the　exact　time　of　the　arrival　and　the　departure　of　her　beloved　Minister。　The　conversation　was　touching　and　prolonged；　but　it　could　only　end　in　one　waythe　Queen　must　send　for　the　Duke　of　Wellington。　When；　next　morning；　the　Duke　came；　he　advised　her　Majesty　to　send　for　Sir　Robert　Peel。　She　was　in　〃a　state　of　dreadful　grief；〃　but　she　swallowed　down　her　tears；　and　braced　herself；　with　royal　resolution；　for　the　odious；　odious　interview。

Peel　was　by　nature　reserved；　proud；　and　shy。　His　manners　were　not　perfect；　and　he　knew　it；　he　was　easily　embarrassed；　and；　at　such　moments；　he　grew　even　more　stiff　and　formal　than　before；　while　his　feet　mechanically　performed　upon　the　carpet　a　dancing…master's　measure。　Anxious　as　he　now　was　to　win　the　Queen's　good　graces；　his　very　anxiety　to　do　so　made　the　attainment　of　his　object　the　more　difficult。　He　entirely　failed　to　make　any　headway　whatever　with　the　haughty　hostile　girl　before　him。　She　coldly　noted　that　he　appeared　to　be　unhappy　and　〃put　out；〃　and；　while　he　stood　in　painful　fixity；　with　an　occasional　uneasy　pointing　of　the　toe；　her　heart　sank　within　her　at　the　sight　of　that　manner；　〃Oh！　how　different；　how　dreadfully　different；　to　the　frank；　open；　natural；　and　most　kind　warm　manner　of　Lord　Melbourne。〃　Nevertheless；　the　audience　passed　without　disaster。　Only　at　one　point　had　there　been　some　slight　hint　of　a　disagreement。　Peel　had　decided　that　a　change　would　be　necessary　in　the　composition　of　the　royal　Household：　the　Queen　must　no　longer　be　entirely　surrounded　by　the　wives　and　sisters　of　his　opponents；　some；　at　any　rate；　of　the　Ladies　of　the　Bedchamber　should　be　friendly　to　his　Government。　When　this　matter　was　touched　upon；　the　Queen　had　intimated　that　she　wished　her　Household　to　remain　unchanged；　to　which　Sir　Robert　had　replied　that　the　question　could　be　settled　later；　and　shortly　afterwards　withdrew　to　arrange　the　details　of　his　Cabinet。　While　he　was　present；　Victoria　had　remained；　as　she　herself　said；　〃very　much　collected；　civil　and　high；　and　betrayed　no　agitation；〃　but　as　soon　as　she　was　alone　she　completely　broke　down。　Then　she　pulled　herself　together　to　write　to　Lord　Melbourne　an　account　of　all　that　had　happened；　and　of　her　own　wretchedness。　〃She　feels；〃　she　said；　〃Lord　Melbourne　will　understand　it；　amongst　enemies　to　those　she　most　relied　on　and　most　esteemed；　but　what　is　worst　of　all　is　the　being　deprived　of　seeing　Lord　Melbourne　as　she　used　to　do。〃

Lord　Melbourne　replied　with　a　very　wise　letter。　He　attempted　to　calm　the　Queen　and　to　induce　her　to　accept　the　new　position　gracefully；　and　he　had　nothing　but　good　words　for　the　Tory　leaders。　As　for　the　question　of　the　Ladies　of　the　Household；　the　Queen；　he　said；　should　strongly　urge　what　she　desired；　as　it　was　a　matter　which　concerned　her　personally；　〃but；〃　he　added；　〃if　Sir　Robert　is　unable　to　concede　it；　it　will　not　do　to　refuse　and　to　put　off　the　negotiation　upon　it。〃　On　this　point　there　can　be　little　doubt　that　Lord　Melbourne　was　right。　The　questi