queen victoria-第16部分

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　actually　growing　a　little　soft　and　a　little　clouded。　Humanity　and　fallibility　are　infectious　things；　was　it　possible　that　Lehzen's　prim　pupil　had　caught　them？　That　she　was　beginning　to　listen　to　siren　voices？　That　the　secret　impulses　of　self…expression；　of　self…indulgence　even；　were　mastering　her　life？　For　a　moment　the　child　of　a　new　age　looked　back；　and　wavered　towards　the　eighteenth　century。　It　was　the　most　critical　moment　of　her　career。　Had　those　influences　lasted；　the　development　of　her　character；　the　history　of　her　life；　would　have　been　completely　changed。

And　why　should　they　not　last？　She；　for　one；　was　very　anxious　that　they　should。　Let　them　last　for　ever！　She　was　surrounded　by　Whigs；　she　was　free　to　do　whatever　she　wanted；　she　had　Lord　M。；　she　could　not　believe　that　she　could　ever　be　happier。　Any　change　would　be　for　the　worse；　and　the　worst　change　of　all。。。　no；　she　would　not　hear　of　it；　it　would　be　quite　intolerable；　it　would　upset　everything；　if　she　were　to　marry。　And　yet　everyone　seemed　to　want　her　tothe　general　public；　the　Ministers；　her　Saxe…Coburg　relationsit　was　always　the　same　story。　Of　course；　she　knew　very　well　that　there　were　excellent　reasons　for　it。　For　one　thing；　if　she　remained　childless；　and　were　to　die；　her　uncle　Cumberland；　who　was　now　the　King　of　Hanover；　would　succeed　to　the　Throne　of　England。　That；　no　doubt；　would　be　a　most　unpleasant　event；　and　she　entirely　sympathised　with　everybody　who　wished　to　avoid　it。　But　there　was　no　hurry；　naturally；　she　would　marry　in　the　endbut　not　just　yetnot　for　three　or　four　years。　What　was　tiresome　was　that　her　uncle　Leopold　had　apparently　determined；　not　only　that　she　ought　to　marry；　but　that　her　cousin　Albert　ought　to　be　her　husband。　That　was　very　like　her　uncle　Leopold；　who　wanted　to　have　a　finger　in　every　pie；　and　it　was　true　that　long　ago；　in　far…off　days；　before　her　accession　even；　she　had　written　to　him　in　a　way　which　might　well　have　encouraged　him　in　such　a　notion。　She　had　told　him　then　that　Albert　possessed　〃every　quality　that　could　be　desired　to　render　her　perfectly　happy；〃　and　had　begged　her　〃dearest　uncle　to　take　care　of　the　health　of　one；　now　so　dear　to　me；　and　to　take　him　under　your　special　protection；〃　adding；　〃I　hope　and　trust　all　will　go　on　prosperously　and　well　on　this　subject　of　so　much　importance　to　me。〃　But　that　had　been　years　ago；　when　she　was　a　mere　child；　perhaps；　indeed；　to　judge　from　the　language；　the　letter　had　been　dictated　by　Lehzen；　at　any　rate；　her　feelings；　and　all　the　circumstances；　had　now　entirely　changed。　Albert　hardly　interested　her　at　all。

In　later　life　the　Queen　declared　that　she　had　never　for　a　moment　dreamt　of　marrying　anyone　but　her　cousin；　her　letters　and　diaries　tell　a　very　different　story。　On　August　26；　1837；　she　wrote　in　her　journal：　〃To…day　is　my　dearest　cousin　Albert's　18th　birthday；　and　I　pray　Heaven　to　pour　its　choicest　blessings　on　his　beloved　head！〃　In　the　subsequent　years；　however；　the　date　passes　unnoticed。　It　had　been　arranged　that　Stockmar　should　accompany　the　Prince　to　Italy；　and　the　faithful　Baron　left　her　side　for　that　purpose。　He　wrote　to　her　more　than　once　with　sympathetic　descriptions　of　his　young　companion；　but　her　mind　was　by　this　time　made　up。　She　liked　and　admired　Albert　very　much；　but　she　did　not　want　to　marry　him。　〃At　present；〃　she　told　Lord　Melbourne　in　April；　1839；　〃my　feeling　is　quite　against　ever　marrying。〃　When　her　cousin's　Italian　tour　came　to　an　end；　she　began　to　grow　nervous；　she　knew　that；　according　to　a　long…standing　engagement；　his　next　journey　would　be　to　England。　He　would　probably　arrive　in　the　autumn；　and　by　July　her　uneasiness　was　intense。　She　determined　to　write　to　her　uncle；　in　order　to　make　her　position　clear。　It　must　be　understood　she　said；　that　〃there　is　no　no　engagement　between　us。〃　If　she　should　like　Albert；　she　could　〃make　no　final　promise　this　year；　for；　at　the　very　earliest；　any　such　event　could　not　take　place　till　two　or　three　years　hence。〃　She　had；　she　said；　〃a　great　repugnance〃　to　change　her　present　position；　and；　if　she　should　not　like　him；　she　was　〃very　anxious　that　it　should　be　understood　that　she　would　not　be　guilty　of　any　breach　of　promise；　for　she　never　gave　any。〃　To　Lord　Melbourne　she　was　more　explicit。　She　told　him　that　she　〃had　no　great　wish　to　see　Albert；　as　the　whole　subject　was　an　odious　one；〃　she　hated　to　have　to　decide　about　it；　and　she　repeated　once　again　that　seeing　Albert　would　be　〃a　disagreeable　thing。〃　But　there　was　no　escaping　the　horrid　business；　the　visit　must　be　made；　and　she　must　see　him。　The　summer　slipped　by　and　was　over；　it　was　the　autumn　already；　on　the　evening　of　October　10　Albert；　accompanied　by　his　brother　Ernest；　arrived　at　Windsor。

Albert　arrived；　and　the　whole　structure　of　her　existence　crumbled　into　nothingness　like　a　house　of　cards。　He　was　beautifulshe　gaspedshe　knew　no　more。　Then；　in　a　flash；　a　thousand　mysteries　were　revealed　to　her；　the　past；　the　present；　rushed　upon　her　with　a　new　significance；　the　delusions　of　years　were　abolished；　and　an　extraordinary；　an　irresistible　certitude　leapt　into　being　in　the　light　of　those　blue　eyes；　the　smile　of　that　lovely　mouth。　The　succeeding　hours　passed　in　a　rapture。　She　was　able　to　observe　a　few　more　detailsthe　〃exquisite　nose；〃　the　〃delicate　moustachios　and　slight　but　very　slight　whiskers；〃　the　〃beautiful　figure；　broad　in　the　shoulders　and　a　fine　waist。〃　She　rode　with　him；　danced　with　him；　talked　with　him；　and　it　was　all　perfection。　She　had　no　shadow　of　a　doubt。　He　had　come　on　a　Thursday　evening；　and　on　the　following　Sunday　morning　she　told　Lord　Melbourne　that　she　had　〃a　good　deal　changed　her　opinion　as　to　marrying。〃　Next　morning；　she　told　him　that　she　had　made　up　her　mind　to　marry　Albert。　The　morning　after　that；　she　sent　for　her　cousin。　She　received　him　alone；　and　〃after　a　few　minutes　I　said　to　him　that　I　thought　he　must　be　aware　why　I　wished　them　to　come　hereand　that　it　would　make　me　too　happy　if　be　would　consent　to　what　I　wished　（to　marry　me。）〃　Then　〃we　embraced　each　other；　and　he　was　so　kind；　so　affectionate。〃　She　said　that　she　was　quite　unworthy　of　him；　while　he　murmured　that　he　would　be　very　happy　〃Das　Leben　mit　dir　zu　zubringen。〃　They　parted；　and　she　felt　〃the　happiest　of　human　beings；〃　when　Lord　M。　came　in。　At　first　she　beat　about　the　bush；　and　talked　of　the　weather；　and　indifferent　subjects。　Somehow　or　other　she　felt　a　little　nervous　with　her　old　friend。　At　last；　summoning　up　her　courage；　she　said；　〃I　have　got　well　through　this　with　Albert。〃　〃Oh！　you　have；〃　said　Lord　M。



CHAPTER　IV。　MARRIAGE

I

It　was　decidedly　a　family　match。　Prince　Francis　Charles　Augustus　Albert　Emmanuel　of　Saxe…CoburgGothafor　such　was　his　full　titlehad　been　born　just　three　months　after　his　cousin　Victoria；　and　the　same　midwife　had　assisted　at　the　two　births。　The　children's　grandmother；　the　Dowager　Duchess　of　Coburg；　had　from　the　first　looked　forward　to　their　marriage；　as　they　grew　up；　the　Duke；　the　Duchess　of　Kent；　and　King　Leopold　came　equally　to　desire　it。　The　Prince；　ever　since　the　time　when；　as　a　child　of　three；　his　nurse　had　told　him　that　some　day　〃the　little　English　May　flower〃　would　be　his　wife；　had　never　thought　of　marrying　anyone　else。　When　eventually　Baron　Stockmar　himself　signified　his　assent；　the　affair　seemed　as　good　as　settled。

The　Duke　had　one　other　childPrince　Ernest；　Albert's　senior　by　one　year；　and　heir　to　the　principality。　The　Duchess　was　a　sprightly　and　beautiful　woman；　with　fair　hair　and　blue　eyes；　Albert　was　very　like　her　and　was　her　declared　favourite。　But　in　his　fifth　year　he　was　parted　from　her　for　ever。　The　ducal　court　was　not　noted　for　the　strictness　of　its　morals；　the　Duke　was　a　man　of　gallantry；　and　it　was　rumoured　that　the　Duchess　followed　her　husband's　example。　There　were　scandals：　one　of　the　Court　Chamberlains；　a　charming　and　cultivated　man　of　Jewish　extraction；　was　talked　of；　at　last　there　was　a　separation；　followed　by　a　divorce。　The　Duchess　retired　to　Paris；　and　died　unhappily　in　1831。　Her　memory　was　always　very　dear　to　Albert。

He　grew　up　a　pretty；　clever；　and　high…spirited　boy。　Usually　well…behaved；　he　was；　however；　sometimes　violent。　He　had　a　will　of　his　own；　and　asserted　it；　his　elder　brother　was　less　passionate；　less　purposeful；　and；　in　their　wrangles；　it　was　Albert　who　came　out　top。　The　two　boys；　living　for　the　most　part　in　one　or　other　of　the　Duke's　country　houses；　among　pretty　hills　and　woods　and　streams；　had　been　at　a　very　early　ageAlbert　was　less　than　fourseparated　from　their　nurses　and　put　under　a　tutor；　in　whose　charge　they　remained　until　they　went　to　the　University。　They　were　brought　up　in　a　simple　and　unostentatious　manner；　for　the　Duke　was　poor　and　the　duchy　very　small　and　very　insignificant。　Before　long　it　became　evident　that　Albert　was　a　model　lad。　Intelligent　and　painstaking；　he　had　been　touched　by　the　moral　earnestness　of　his　generation；　at　the　age　of　eleven　he　surprised　his　father　by　telling　him　that　he　hoped　to　make　himself　〃a　good　and　useful　man。〃　And　yet　he　was　not　over…serious；　though；　perhaps；　he　had　little　humour；　he　was　full　of　funof　practical　jokes　and　mimicry。　He　was　no　milksop；　he　rode；　and　shot；　and　fenced；　above　all　did　he　delight　in　being　out　of　doors；　and　never　was　he　happier　than　in　his　long　rambles　with　his　brother　through　the　wild　country　round　his　beloved　Rosenaustalking　the　deer；　admiring　the　scenery；　and　returning　laden　with　specimens　for　his　natural　history　collection。　He　was；　besides；　passionately　fond　of　music。　In　one　particular　it　was　observed　that　he　did　not　take　after　his　father：　owing　either　to　his　peculiar　upbringing　or　to　a　more　fundamental　idiosyncrasy　he　had　a　marked　distaste　for　the　opposite　sex。　At　the　age　of　five；　at　a　children's　dance；　he　screamed　with　disgust　and　anger　when　a　little　girl　was　led　up　to　him　for　a　partner；　and　though；　later　on；　he　grew　more　successful　in　disguising　such　feelings；　the　feelings　remained。

The　brothers　were　very　popular　in　Coburg；　and；　when　the　time　came　for　them　to　be　confirmed；　the　preliminary　examination　which；　according　to　ancient　custom；　was　held　in　public　in　the　〃Giants'　Hall〃　of　the　Castle；　was　attended　by　an　enthusiastic　crowd　of　functionaries；　clergy；　delegates　from　the　villages　of　the　duchy；　and　miscellaneous　onlookers。　There　were　also　present；　besides　the　Duke　and　the　Dowager　Duche