queen victoria-第34部分

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d　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　in　conversation　or　whatever　is　the　occupation　of　the　society　with　which　he　mixes。〃

A　minute　and　detailed　analysis　of　these　subheadings　followed；　filling　several　pages；　and　the　memorandum　ended　with　a　final　exhortation　to　the　gentlemen：　〃If　they　will　duly　appreciate　the　responsibility　of　their　position；　and　taking　the　points　above　laid　down　as　the　outline；　will　exercise　their　own　good　sense　in　acting　UPON　ALL　OCCASIONS　all　upon　these　principles；　thinking　no　point　of　detail　too　minute　to　be　important；　but　maintaining　one　steady　consistent　line　of　conduct　they　may　render　essential　service　to　the　young　Prince　and　justify　the　flattering　selection　made　by　the　royal　parents。〃　A　year　later　the　young　Prince　was　sent　to　Oxford；　where　the　greatest　care　was　taken　that　he　should　not　mix　with　the　undergraduates。　Yes；　everything　had　been　triedeverything。。。　with　one　single　exception。　The　experiment　had　never　been　made　of　letting　Bertie　enjoy　himself。　But　why　should　it　have　been？　〃Life　is　composed　of　duties。〃　What　possible　place　could　there　be　for　enjoyment　in　the　existence　of　a　Prince　of　Wales？

The　same　year　which　deprived　Albert　of　the　Princess　Royal　brought　him　another　and　a　still　more　serious　loss。　The　Baron　had　paid　his　last　visit　to　England。　For　twenty　years；　as　he　himself　said　in　a　letter　to　the　King　of　the　Belgians；　he　had　performed　〃the　laborious　and　exhausting　office　of　a　paternal　friend　and　trusted　adviser〃　to　the　Prince　and　the　Queen。　He　was　seventy；　he　was　tired；　physically　and　mentally；　it　was　time　to　go。　He　returned　to　his　home　in　Coburg；　exchanging；　once　for　all；　the　momentous　secrecies　of　European　statecraft　for　the　little…tattle　of　a　provincial　capital　and　the　gossip　of　family　life。　In　his　stiff　chair　by　the　fire　he　nodded　now　over　old　storiesnot　of　emperors　and　generalsbut　of　neighbours　and　relatives　and　the　domestic　adventures　of　long　agothe　burning　of　his　father's　libraryand　the　goat　that　ran　upstairs　to　his　sister's　room　and　ran　twice　round　the　table　and　then　ran　down　again。　Dyspepsia　and　depression　still　attacked　him；　but；　looking　back　over　his　life；　he　was　not　dissatisfied。　His　conscience　was　clear。　〃I　have　worked　as　long　as　I　had　strength　to　work；〃　he　said；　〃and　for　a　purpose　no　one　can　impugn。　The　consciousness　of　this　is　my　rewardthe　only　one　which　I　desired　to　earn。〃

Apparently；　indeed；　his　〃purpose〃　had　been　accomplished。　By　his　wisdom；　his　patience；　and　his　example　he　had　brought　about；　in　the　fullness　of　time；　the　miraculous　metamorphosis　of　which　he　had　dreamed。　The　Prince　was　his　creation。　An　indefatigable　toiler；　presiding；　for　the　highest　ends；　over　a　great　nationthat　was　his　achievement；　and　he　looked　upon　his　work　and　it　was　good。　But　had　the　Baron　no　misgivings？　Did　he　never　wonder　whether；　perhaps；　he　might　have　accomplished　not　too　little　but　too　much？　How　subtle　and　how　dangerous　are　the　snares　which　fate　lays　for　the　wariest　of　men！　Albert；　certainly；　seemed　to　be　everything　that　Stockmar　could　have　wishedvirtuous；　industrious；　persevering；　intelligent。　And　yetwhy　was　itall　was　not　well　with　him？　He　was　sick　at　heart。

For　in　spite　of　everything　he　had　never　reached　to　happiness。　His　work；　for　which　at　last　he　came　to　crave　with　an　almost　morbid　appetite；　was　a　solace　and　not　a　cure；　the　dragon　of　his　dissatisfaction　devoured　with　dark　relish　that　ever…growing　tribute　of　laborious　days　and　nights；　but　it　was　hungry　still。　The　causes　of　his　melancholy　were　hidden；　mysterious；　unanalysable　perhapstoo　deeply　rooted　in　the　innermost　recesses　of　his　temperament　for　the　eye　of　reason　to　apprehend。　There　were　contradictions　in　his　nature；　which；　to　some　of　those　who　knew　him　best；　made　him　seem　an　inexplicable　enigma：　he　was　severe　and　gentle；　he　was　modest　and　scornful；　he　longed　for　affection　and　he　was　cold。　He　was　lonely；　not　merely　with　the　loneliness　of　exile　but　with　the　loneliness　of　conscious　and　unrecognised　superiority。　He　had　the　pride；　at　once　resigned　and　overweening；　of　a　doctrinaire。　And　yet　to　say　that　he　was　simply　a　doctrinaire　would　be　a　false　description；　for　the　pure　doctrinaire　rejoices　always　in　an　internal　contentment；　and　Albert　was　very　far　from　doing　that。　There　was　something　that　he　wanted　and　that　he　could　never　get。　What　was　it？　Some　absolute；　some　ineffable　sympathy？　Some　extraordinary；　some　sublime　success？　Possibly；　it　was　a　mixture　of　both。　To　dominate　and　to　be　understood！　To　conquer；　by　the　same　triumphant　influence；　the　submission　and　the　appreciation　of　menthat　would　be　worth　while　indeed！　But；　to　such　imaginations；　he　saw　too　clearly　how　faint　were　the　responses　of　his　actual　environment。　Who　was　there　who　appreciated　him；　really　and　truly？　Who　COULD　appreciate　him　in　England？　And；　if　the　gentle　virtue　of　an　inward　excellence　availed　so　little；　could　he　expect　more　from　the　hard　ways　of　skill　and　force？　The　terrible　land　of　his　exile　loomed　before　him　a　frigid；　an　impregnable　mass。　Doubtless　he　had　made　some　slight　impression：　it　was　true　that　he　had　gained　the　respect　of　his　fellow　workers；　that　his　probity；　his　industry；　his　exactitude；　had　been　recognised；　that　he　was　a　highly　influential；　an　extremely　important　man。　But　how　far；　how　very　far；　was　all　this　from　the　goal　of　his　ambitions！　How　feeble　and　futile　his　efforts　seemed　against　the　enormous　coagulation　of　dullness；　of　folly；　of　slackness；　of　ignorance；　of　confusion　that　confronted　him！　He　might　have　the　strength　or　the　ingenuity　to　make　some　small　change　for　the　better　here　or　thereto　rearrange　some　detail；　to　abolish　some　anomaly；　to　insist　upon　some　obvious　reform；　but　the　heart　of　the　appalling　organism　remained　untouched。　England　lumbered　on；　impervious　and　self…satisfied；　in　her　old　intolerable　course。　He　threw　himself　across　the　path　of　the　monster　with　rigid　purpose　and　set　teeth；　but　he　was　brushed　aside。　Yes！　even　Palmerston　was　still　unconqueredwas　still　there　to　afflict　him　with　his　jauntiness；　his　muddle…headedness；　his　utter　lack　of　principle。　It　was　too　much。　Neither　nature　nor　the　Baron　had　given　him　a　sanguine　spirit；　the　seeds　of　pessimism；　once　lodged　within　him；　flourished　in　a　propitious　soil。　He

　　　　　　　〃questioned　things；　and　did　not　find　　　　　　　　　One　that　would　answer　to　his　mind；　　　　　　　　　And　all　the　world　appeared　unkind。〃

He　believed　that　he　was　a　failure　and　he　began　to　despair。

Yet　Stockmar　had　told　him　that　he　must　〃never　relax；〃　and　he　never　would。　He　would　go　on；　working　to　the　utmost　and　striving　for　the　highest；　to　the　bitter　end。　His　industry　grew　almost　maniacal。　Earlier　and　earlier　was　the　green　lamp　lighted；　more　vast　grew　the　correspondence；　more　searching　the　examination　of　the　newspapers；　the　interminable　memoranda　more　punctilious；　analytical；　and　precise。　His　very　recreations　became　duties。　He　enjoyed　himself　by　time…table；　went　deer…stalking　with　meticulous　gusto；　and　made　puns　at　lunchit　was　the　right　thing　to　do。　The　mechanism　worked　with　astonishing　efficiency；　but　it　never　rested　and　it　was　never　oiled。　In　dry　exactitude　the　innumerable　cog…wheels　perpetually　revolved。　No；　whatever　happened；　the　Prince　would　not　relax；　he　had　absorbed　the　doctrines　of