queen victoria-第18部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


tscher；　Coburger；　Gothaner　zu　sein。〃　And　now　he　must　part　from　Coburg　for　ever！　Sobered　and　sad；　he　sought　relief　in　his　brother　Ernest's　company；　the　two　young　men　would　shut　themselves　up　together；　and；　sitting　down　at　the　pianoforte；　would　escape　from　the　present　and　the　future　in　the　sweet　familiar　gaiety　of　a　Haydn　duet。

They　returned　to　Germany；　and　while　Albert；　for　a　few　farewell　months；　enjoyed；　for　the　last　time；　the　happiness　of　home；　Victoria；　for　the　last　time；　resumed　her　old　life　in　London　and　Windsor。　She　corresponded　daily　with　her　future　husband　in　a　mingled　flow　of　German　and　English；　but　the　accustomed　routine　reasserted　itself；　the　business　and　the　pleasures　of　the　day　would　brook　no　interruption；　Lord　M。　was　once　more　constantly　beside　her；　and　the　Tories　were　as　intolerable　as　ever。　Indeed；　they　were　more　so。　For　now；　in　these　final　moments；　the　old　feud　burst　out　with　redoubled　fury。　The　impetuous　sovereign　found；　to　her　chagrin；　that　there　might　be　disadvantages　in　being　the　declared　enemy　of　one　of　the　great　parties　in　the　State。　On　two　occasions；　the　Tories　directly　thwarted　her　in　a　matter　on　which　she　had　set　her　heart。　She　wished　her　husband's　rank　to　be　axed　by　statute；　and　their　opposition　prevented　it。　She　wished　her　husband　to　receive　a　settlement　from　the　nation　of　L50；000　a　year；　and；　again　owing　to　the　Tories；　he　was　only　allowed　L30；000。　It　was　too　bad。　When　the　question　was　discussed　in　Parliament；　it　had　been　pointed　out　that　the　bulk　of　the　population　was　suffering　from　great　poverty；　and　that　L30；000　was　the　whole　revenue　of　Coburg；　but　her　uncle　Leopold　had　been　given　L50；000；　and　it　would　be　monstrous　to　give　Albert　less。　Sir　Robert　Peelit　might　have　been　expectedhad　had　the　effrontery　to　speak　and　vote　for　the　smaller　sum。　She　was　very　angry；　and　determined　to　revenge　herself　by　omitting　to　invite　a　single　Tory　to　her　wedding。　She　would　make　an　exception　in　favour　of　old　Lord　Liverpool；　but　even　the　Duke　of　Wellington　she　refused　to　ask。　When　it　was　represented　to　her　that　it　would　amount　to　a　national　scandal　if　the　Duke　were　absent　from　her　wedding；　she　was　angrier　than　ever。　〃What！　That　old　rebel！　I　won't　have　him：〃　she　was　reported　to　have　said。　Eventually　she　was　induced　to　send　him　an　invitation；　but　she　made　no　attempt　to　conceal　the　bitterness　of　her　feelings；　and　the　Duke　himself　was　only　too　well　aware　of　all　that　had　passed。

Nor　was　it　only　against　the　Tories　that　her　irritation　rose。　As　the　time　for　her　wedding　approached；　her　temper　grew　steadily　sharper　and　more　arbitrary。　Queen　Adelaide　annoyed　her。　King　Leopold；　too；　was　〃ungracious〃　in　his　correspondence；　〃Dear　Uncle；〃　she　told　Albert；　〃is　given　to　believe　that　he　must　rule　the　roost　everywhere。　〃However；〃　she　added　with　asperity；　〃that　is　not　a　necessity。〃　Even　Albert　himself　was　not　impeccable。　Engulfed　in　Coburgs；　he　failed　to　appreciate　the　complexity　of　English　affairs。　There　were　difficulties　about　his　household。　He　had　a　notion　that　he　ought　not　to　be　surrounded　by　violent　Whigs；　very　likely；　but　he　would　not　understand　that　the　only　alternatives　to　violent　Whigs　were　violent　Tories；　and　it　would　be　preposterous　if　his　Lords　and　Gentlemen　were　to　be　found　voting　against　the　Queen's。　He　wanted　to　appoint　his　own　Private　Secretary。　But　how　could　he　choose　the　right　person？　Lord　M。　was　obviously　best　qualified　to　make　the　appointment；　and　Lord　M。　had　decided　that　the　Prince　should　take　over　his　own　Private　SecretaryGeorge　Anson；　a　staunch　Whig。　Albert　protested；　but　it　was　useless；　Victoria　simply　announced　that　Anson　was　appointed；　and　instructed　Lehzen　to　send　the　Prince　an　explanation　of　the　details　of　the　case。

Then；　again；　he　had　written　anxiously　upon　the　necessity　of　maintaining　unspotted　the　moral　purity　of　the　Court。　Lord　M's　pupil　considered　that　dear　Albert　was　strait…laced；　and；　in　a　brisk　Anglo…German　missive；　set　forth　her　own　views。　〃I　like　Lady　A。　very　much；〃　she　told　him；　〃only　she　is　a　little　strict　awl　particular；　and　too　severe　towards　others；　which　is　not　right；　for　I　think　one　ought　always　to　be　indulgent　towards　other　people；　as　I　always　think；　if　we　had　not　been　well　taken　care　of；　we　might　also　have　gone　astray。　That　is　always　my　feeling。　Yet　it　is　always　right　to　show　that　one　does　not　like　to　see　what　is　obviously　wrong；　but　it　is　very　dangerous　to　be　too　severe；　and　I　am　certain　that　as　a　rule　such　people　always　greatly　regret　that　in　their　youth　they　have　not　been　so　careful　as　they　ought　to　have　been。　I　have　explained　this　so　badly　and　written　it　so　badly；　that　I　fear　you　will　hardly　be　able　to　make　it　out。〃

On　one　other　matter　she　was　insistent。　Since　the　affair　of　Lady　Flora　Hastings；　a　sad　fate　had　overtaken　Sir　James　Clark。　His　flourishing　practice　had　quite　collapsed；　nobody　would　go　to　him　any　more。　But　the　Queen　remained　faithful。　She　would　show　the　world　how　little　she　cared　for　their　disapproval；　and　she　desired　Albert　to　make　〃poor　Clark〃　his　physician　in　ordinary。　He　did　as　he　was　told；　but；　as　it　turned　out；　the　appointment　was　not　a　happy　one。

The　wedding…day　was　fixed；　and　it　was　time　for　Albert　to　tear　himself　away　from　his　family　and　the　scenes　of　his　childhood。　With　an　aching　heart；　he　had　revisited　his　beloved　hauntsthe　woods　and　the　valleys　where　he　had　spent　so　many　happy　hours　shooting　rabbits　and　collecting　botanical　specimens；　in　deep　depression；　he　had　sat　through　the　farewell　banquets　in　the　Palace　and　listened　to　the　Freischutz　performed　by　the　State　band。　It　was　time　to　go。　The　streets　were　packed　as　he　drove　through　them；　for　a　short　space　his　eyes　were　gladdened　by　a　sea　of　friendly　German　faces；　and　his　ears　by　a　gathering　volume　of　good　guttural　sounds。　He　stopped　to　bid　a　last　adieu　to　his　grandmother。　It　was　a　heartrending　moment。　〃Albert！　Albert！〃　she　shrieked；　and　fell　fainting　into　the　arms　of　her　attendants　as　his　carriage　drove　away。　He　was　whirled　rapidly　to　his　destiny。　At　Calais　a　steamboat　awaited　him；　and；　together　with　his　father　and　his　brother；　he　stepped；　dejected；　on　board。　A　little　later；　he　was　more　dejected　still。　The　crossing　was　a　very　rough　one；　the　Duke　went　hurriedly　below；　while　the　two　Princes；　we　are　told；　lay　on　either　side　of　the　cabin　staircase　〃in　an　almost　helpless　state。〃　At　Dover　a　large　crowd　was　collected　on　the　pier；　and　〃it　was　by　no　common　effort　that　Prince　Albert；　who　had　continued　to　suffer　up　to　the　last　moment；　got　up　to　bow　to　the　people。〃　His　sense　of　duty　triumphed。　It　was　a　curious　omen：　his　whole　life　in　England　was　foreshadowed　as　he　landed　on　English　ground。

Meanwhile　Victoria；　in　growing　agitation；　was　a　prey　to　temper　and　to　nerves。　She　grew　feverish；　and　at　last　Sir　James　Clark　pronounced　that　she　was　going　to　have　the　measles。　But；　once　again；　Sir　James's　diagnosis　was　incorrect。　It　was　not　the　measles　that　were　attacking　her；　but　a　very　different　malady；　she　was　suddenly　prostrated　by　alarm；　regret；　and　doubt。　For　two　years　she　had　been　her　own　mistressthe　two　happiest　years；　by　far；　of　her　life。　And　now　it　was　all　to　end！　She　was　to　come　under　an　alien　dominationshe　would　have　to　promise　that　she　would　honour　and　obey。。。　someone；　who　might；　after　all；　thwart　her；　oppose　herand　how　dreadful　that　would　be！　Why　had　she　embarked　on　this　hazardous　experiment？　Why　had　she　not　been　contented　with　Lord　M。？　No　doubt；　she　loved　Albert；　but　she　loved　power　too。　At　any　rate；　one　thing　was　certain：　she　might　be　Albert's　wife；　but　she　would　always　be　Queen　of　England。　He　reappeared；　in　an　exquisite　uniform；　and　her　hesitations　melted　in　his　presence　like　mist　before　the　sun。　On　February　10；　1840；　the　marriage　took　place。　The　wedded　pair　drove　down　to　Windsor；　but　they　were　not；　of　course；　entirely　alone。　They　were　accompanied　by　their　suites；　and；　in　particular；　by　two　personsthe　Baron　Stockmar　and　the　Baroness　Lehzen。

III

Albert　had　foreseen　that　his　married　life　would　not　be　all　plain　sailing；　but　he　had　by　no　means　realised　the　gravity　and　the　complication　of　the　difficulties　which　he　would　have　to　face。　Politically；　he　was　a　cipher。　Lord　Melbourne　was　not　only　Prime　Minister；　he　was　in　effect　the　Private　Secretary　of　the　Queen；　and　thus　controlled　the　whole　of　the　political　existence　of　the　sovereign。　A　queen's　husband　was　an　entity　unknown　to　the　British　Constitution。　In　State　affairs　there　seemed　to　be　no　place　for　him；　nor　was　Victoria　herself　at　all　unwilling　that　this　should　be　so。　〃The　English；〃　she　had　told　the　Prince　when；　during　their　engagement；　a　proposal　had　been　made　to　give　him　a　peerage；　〃are　very　jealous　of　any　foreigner　interfering　in　the　government　of　this　country；　and　have　already　in　some　of　the　papers　expressed　a　hope　that　you　would　not　interfere。　Now；　though　I　know　you　never　would；　still；　if　you　were　a　Peer；　they　would　all　say；　the　Prince　meant　to　play　a　political　part。　I　know　you　never　would！〃　In　reality；　she　was　not　quite　so　certain；　but　she　wished　Albert　to　understand　her　views。　He　would；　she　hoped；　make　a　perfect　husband；　but；　as　for　governing　the　country；　he　would　see　that　she　and　Lord　M。　between　them　could　manage　that　very　well；　without　his　help。

But　it　was　not　only　in　politics　that　the　Prince　discovered　that　the　part　cut　out　for　him　was　a　negligible　one。　Even　as　a　husband；　he　found；　his　functions　were　to　be　of　an　extremely　limited　kind。　Over　the　whole　of　Victoria's　private　life　the　Baroness　reigned　supreme；　and　she　had　not　the　slightest　intention　of　allowing　that　supremacy　to　be　diminished　by　one　iota。　Since　the　accession；　her　power　had　greatly　increased。　Besides　the　undefined　and　enormous　influence　which　she　exercised　through　her　management　of　the　Queen's　private　correspondence；　she　was　now　the　superintendent　of　the　royal　establishment　and　controlled　the　important　office　of　Privy　Purse。　Albert　very　soon　perceived　that　he　was　not　master　in　his　own　house。　Every　detail　of　his　own　and　his　wife's　existence　was　supervised　by　a　third　person：　nothing　could　be　done　until　the　consent　of　Lehzen　had　first　been　obtained。　And　Victoria；　who　adored　Lehzen　with　unabated　intensity；　saw　nothing　in　all　this　that　was　wrong。

Nor　was　the　Prince　happier　in　his　social　surroundings。　A　shy　young　foreigner；　awkward　in　ladies'　company；　unexpansive　and　self…opinionated；　it　was　improbable　that