queen victoria-第15部分

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otiation　upon　it。〃　On　this　point　there　can　be　little　doubt　that　Lord　Melbourne　was　right。　The　question　was　a　complicated　and　subtle　one；　and　it　had　never　arisen　before；　but　subsequent　constitutional　practice　has　determined　that　a　Queen　Regnant　must　accede　to　the　wishes　of　her　Prime　Minister　as　to　the　personnel　of　the　female　part　of　her　Household。　Lord　Melbourne's　wisdom；　however；　was　wasted。　The　Queen　would　not　be　soothed；　and　still　less　would　she　take　advice。　It　was　outrageous　of　the　Tories　to　want　to　deprive　her　of　her　Ladies；　and　that　night　she　made　up　her　mind　that；　whatever　Sir　Robert　might　say；　she　would　refuse　to　consent　to　the　removal　of　a　single　one　of　them。　Accordingly；　when；　next　morning；　Peel　appeared　again；　she　was　ready　for　action。　He　began　by　detailing　the　Cabinet　appointments；　and　then　he　added　〃Now；　ma'am；　about　the　Ladies…〃　when　the　Queen　sharply　interrupted　him。　〃I　cannot　give　up　any　of　my　Ladies；〃　she　said。　〃What；　ma'am！〃　said　Sir　Robert；　〃does　your　Majesty　mean　to　retain　them　all？〃　〃All；〃　said　the　Queen。　Sir　Robert's　face　worked　strangely；　he　could　not　conceal　his　agitation。　〃The　Mistress　of　the　Robes　and　the　Ladies　of　the　Bedchamber？〃　he　brought　out　at　last。　〃All；〃　replied　once　more　her　Majesty。　It　was　in　vain　that　Peel　pleaded　and　argued；　in　vain　that　he　spoke；　growing　every　moment　more　pompous　and　uneasy；　of　the　constitution；　and　Queens　Regnant；　and　the　public　interest；　in　vain　that　he　danced　his　pathetic　minuet。　She　was　adamant；　but　he；　too；　through　all　his　embarrassment；　showed　no　sign　of　yielding；　and　when　at　last　he　left　her　nothing　had　been　decidedthe　whole　formation　of　the　Government　was　hanging　in　the　wind。　A　frenzy　of　excitement　now　seized　upon　Victoria。　Sir　Robert；　she　believed　in　her　fury；　had　tried　to　outwit　her；　to　take　her　friends　from　her；　to　impose　his　will　upon　her　own；　but　that　was　not　all：　she　had　suddenly　perceived；　while　the　poor　man　was　moving　so　uneasily　before　her；　the　one　thing　that　she　was　desperately　longing　fora　loop…hole　of　escape。　She　seized　a　pen　and　dashed　off　a　note　to　Lord　Melbourne。

〃Sir　Robert　has　behaved　very　ill；〃　she　wrote；　〃he　insisted　on　my　giving　up　my　Ladies；　to　which　I　replied　that　I　never　would　consent；　and　I　never　saw　a　man　so　frightened。。。　I　was　calm　but　very　decided；　and　I　think　you　would　have　been　pleased　to　see　my　composure　and　great　firmness；　the　Queen　of　England　will　not　submit　to　such　trickery。　Keep　yourself　in　readiness；　for　you　may　soon　be　wanted。〃　Hardly　had　she　finished　when　the　Duke　of　Wellington　was　announced。　〃Well；　Ma'am；〃　he　said　as　he　entered；　〃I　am　very　sorry　to　find　there　is　a　difficulty。〃　〃Oh！〃　she　instantly　replied；　〃he　began　it；　not　me。〃　She　felt　that　only　one　thing　now　was　needed：　she　must　be　firm。　And　firm　she　was。　The　venerable　conqueror　of　Napoleon　was　outfaced　by　the　relentless　equanimity　of　a　girl　in　her　teens。　He　could　not　move　the　Queen　one　inch。　At　last；　she　even　ventured　to　rally　him。　〃Is　Sir　Robert　so　weak；〃　she　asked；　〃that　even　the　Ladies　must　be　of　his　opinion？〃　On　which　the　Duke　made　a　brief　and　humble　expostulation；　bowed　low；　and　departed。

Had　she　won？　Time　would　show；　and　in　the　meantime　she　scribbled　down　another　letter。　〃Lord　Melbourne　must　not　think　the　Queen　rash　in　her　conduct。。。　The　Queen　felt　this　was　an　attempt　to　see　whether　she　could　be　led　and　managed　like　a　child。〃＇*＇　The　Tories　were　not　only　wicked　but　ridiculous。　Peel；　having；　as　she　understood；　expressed　a　wish　to　remove　only　those　members　of　the　Household　who　were　in　Parliament；　now　objected　to　her　Ladies。　〃I　should　like　to　know；〃　she　exclaimed　in　triumphant　scorn；　〃if　they　mean　to　give　the　Ladies　seats　in　Parliament？〃

＇*＇　The　exclamation　〃They　wished　to　treat　me　like　a　girl；　but　I　will　show　them　that　I　am　Queen　of　England！〃　often　quoted　as　the　Queen's；　is　apocryphal。　It　is　merely　part　of　Greville's　summary　of　the　two　letters　to　Melbourne。　It　may　be　noted　that　the　phrase　〃the　Queen　of　England　will　not　submit　to　such　trickery〃　is　omitted　in　〃Girlhood；〃　and　in　general　there　are　numerous　verbal　discrepancies　between　the　versions　of　the　journal　and　the　letters　in　the　two　books。

The　end　of　the　crisis　was　now　fast　approaching。　Sir　Robert　returned；　and　told　her　that　if　she　insisted　upon　retaining　all　her　Ladies　he　could　not　form　a　Government。　She　replied　that　she　would　send　him　her　final　decision　in　writing。　Next　morning　the　late　Whig　Cabinet　met。　Lord　Melbourne　read　to　them　the　Queen's　letters；　and　the　group　of　elderly　politicians　were　overcome　by　an　extraordinary　wave　of　enthusiasm。　They　knew　very　well　that；　to　say　the　least；　it　was　highly　doubtful　whether　the　Queen　had　acted　in　strict　accordance　with　the　constitution；　that　in　doing　what　she　had　done　she　had　brushed　aside　Lord　Melbourne's　advice；　that；　in　reality；　there　was　no　public　reason　whatever　why　they　should　go　back　upon　their　decision　to　resign。　But　such　considerations　vanished　before　the　passionate　urgency　of　Victoria。　The　intensity　of　her　determination　swept　them　headlong　down　the　stream　of　her　desire。　They　unanimously　felt　that　〃it　was　impossible　to　abandon　such　a　Queen　and　such　a　woman。〃　Forgetting　that　they　were　no　longer　her　Majesty's　Ministers；　they　took　the　unprecedented　course　of　advising　the　Queen　by　letter　to　put　an　end　to　her　negotiation　with　Sir　Robert　Peel。　She　did　so；　all　was　over；　she　had　triumphed。　That　evening　there　was　a　ball　at　the　Palace。　Everyone　was　present。　〃Peel　and　the　Duke　of　Wellington　came　by　looking　very　much　put　out。〃　She　was　perfectly　happy；　Lord　M。　was　Prime　Minister　once　more；　and　he　was　by　her　side。

VIII

Happiness　had　returned　with　Lord　M。；　but　it　was　happiness　in　the　midst　of　agitation。　The　domestic　imbroglio　continued　unabated；　until　at　last　the　Duke；　rejected　as　a　Minister；　was　called　in　once　again　in　his　old　capacity　as　moral　physician　to　the　family。　Something　was　accomplished　when；　at　last；　he　induced　Sir　John　Conroy　to　resign　his　place　about　the　Duchess　of　Kent　and　leave　the　Palace　for　ever；　something　more　when　he　persuaded　the　Queen　to　write　an　affectionate　letter　to　her　mother。　The　way　seemed　open　for　a　reconciliation；　but　the　Duchess　was　stormy　still。　She　didn't　believe　that　Victoria　had　written　that　letter；　it　was　not　in　her　handwriting；　and　she　sent　for　the　Duke　to　tell　him　so。　The　Duke；　assuring　her　that　the　letter　was　genuine；　begged　her　to　forget　the　past。　But　that　was　not　so　easy。　〃What　am　I　to　do　if　Lord　Melbourne　comes　up　to　me？〃　〃Do；　ma'am？　Why；　receive　him　with　civility。〃　Well；　she　would　make　an　effort。。。　〃But　what　am　I　to　do　if　Victoria　asks　me　to　shake　hands　with　Lehzen？〃　〃Do；　ma'am？　Why；　take　her　in　your　arms　and　kiss　her。〃　〃What！〃　The　Duchess　bristled　in　every　feather；　and　then　she　burst　into　a　hearty　laugh。　〃No；　ma'am；　no；〃　said　the　Duke；　laughing　too。　〃I　don't　mean　you　are　to　take　Lehzen　in　your　arms　and　kiss　her；　but　the　Queen。〃　The　Duke　might　perhaps　have　succeeded；　had　not　all　attempts　at　conciliation　been　rendered　hopeless　by　a　tragical　event。　Lady　Flora；　it　was　discovered；　had　been　suffering　from　a　terrible　internal　malady；　which　now　grew　rapidly　worse。　There　could　be　little　doubt　that　she　was　dying。　The　Queen's　unpopularity　reached　an　extraordinary　height。　More　than　once　she　was　publicly　insulted。　〃Mrs。　Melbourne；〃　was　shouted　at　her　when　she　appeared　at　her　balcony；　and；　at　Ascot；　she　was　hissed　by　the　Duchess　of　Montrose　and　Lady　Sarah　Ingestre　as　she　passed。　Lady　Flora　died。　The　whole　scandal　burst　out　again　with　redoubled　vehemence；　while；　in　the　Palace；　the　two　parties　were　henceforth　divided　by　an　impassable；　a　Stygian；　gulf。

Nevertheless；　Lord　M。　was　back；　and　every　trouble　faded　under　the　enchantment　of　his　presence　and　his　conversation。　He；　on　his　side；　had　gone　through　much；　and　his　distresses　were　intensified　by　a　consciousness　of　his　own　shortcomings。　He　realised　clearly　enough　that；　if　he　had　intervened　at　the　right　moment；　the　Hastings　scandal　might　have　been　averted；　and；　in　the　bedchamber　crisis；　he　knew　that　he　had　allowed　his　judgment　to　be　overruled　and　his　conduct　to　be　swayed　by　private　feelings　and　the　impetuosity　of　Victoria。　But　he　was　not　one　to　suffer　too　acutely　from　the　pangs　of　conscience。　In　spite　of　the　dullness　and　the　formality　of　the　Court；　his　relationship　with　the　Queen　had　come　to　be　the　dominating　interest　in　his　life；　to　have　been　deprived　of　it　would　have　been　heartrending；　that　dread　eventuality　had　beensomehowavoided；　he　was　installed　once　more；　in　a　kind　of　triumph；　let　him　enjoy　the　fleeting　hours　to　the　full！　And　so；　cherished　by　the　favour　of　a　sovereign　and　warmed　by　the　adoration　of　a　girl；　the　autumn　rose；　in　those　autumn　months　of　1839；　came　to　a　wondrous　blooming。　The　petals　expanded；　beautifully；　for　the　last　time。　For　the　last　time　in　this　unlookedfor；　this　incongruous；　this　almost　incredible　intercourse；　the　old　epicure　tasted　the　exquisiteness　of　romance。　To　watch；　to　teach；　to　restrain；　to　encourage　the　royal　young　creature　beside　himthat　was　much；　to　feel　with　such　a　constant　intimacy　the　impact　of　her　quick　affection；　her　radiant　vitalitythat　was　more；　most　of　all；　perhaps；　was　it　good　to　linger　vaguely　in　humorous　contemplation；　in　idle　apostrophe；　to　talk　disconnectedly；　to　make　a　little　joke　about　an　apple　or　a　furbelow；　to　dream。　The　springs　of　his　sensibility；　hidden　deep　within　him；　were　overflowing。　Often；　as　he　bent　over　her　hand　and　kissed　it；　he　found　himself　in　tears。

Upon　Victoria；　with　all　her　impermeability；　it　was　inevitable　that　such　a　companionship　should　have　produced；　eventually；　an　effect。　She　was　no　longer　the　simple　schoolgirl　of　two　years　since。　The　change　was　visible　even　in　her　public　demeanour。　Her　expression；　once　〃ingenuous　and　serene；〃　now　appeared　to　a　shrewd　observer　to　be　〃bold　and　discontented。〃　She　had　learnt　something　of　the　pleasures　of　power　and　the　pains　of　it；　but　that　was　not　all。　Lord　Melbourne　with　his　gentle　instruction　had　sought　to　lead　her　into　the　paths　of　wisdom　and　moderation；　but　the　whole　unconscious　movement　of　his　character　had　swayed　her　in　a　very　different　direction。　The　hard　clear　pebble；　subjected　for　so　long　and　so　constantly　to　that　encircling　and　insidious　fluidity；　had　suffered　a　curious　corrosion；　it　seemed　to　be　actually　growing　a　little　soft　and　a　little　clouded。　Humanity　and　fallibility　are　infectious　things