queen victoria-第42部分

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he　bearings　had　to　be　most　assiduously　oiled。　Nor　was　Disraeli　in　any　doubt　as　to　the　nature　of　the　lubricant。　〃You　have　heard　me　called　a　flatterer；〃　he　said　to　Matthew　Arnold；　〃and　it　is　true。　Everyone　likes　flattery；　and　when　you　come　to　royalty　you　should　lay　it　on　with　a　trowel。〃　He　practiced　what　he　preached。　His　adulation　was　incessant；　and　he　applied　it　in　the　very　thickest　slabs。　〃There　is　no　honor　and　no　reward；〃　he　declared；　〃that　with　him　can　ever　equal　the　possession　of　your　Majesty's　kind　thoughts。　All　his　own　thoughts　and　feelings　and　duties　and　affections　are　now　concentrated　in　your　Majesty；　and　he　desires　nothing　more　for　his　remaining　years　than　to　serve　your　Majesty；　or；　if　that　service　ceases；　to　live　still　on　its　memory　as　a　period　of　his　existence　most　interesting　and　fascinating。〃　〃In　life；〃　he　told　her；　〃one　must　have　for　one's　thoughts　a　sacred　depository；　and　Lord　Beaconsfield　ever　presumes　to　seek　that　in　his　Sovereign　Mistress。〃　She　was　not　only　his　own　solitary　support；　she　was　the　one　prop　of　the　State。　〃If　your　Majesty　is　ill；〃　he　wrote　during　a　grave　political　crisis；　〃he　is　sure　he　will　himself　break　down。　All；　really；　depends　upon　your　Majesty。〃　〃He　lives　only　for　Her；〃　he　asseverated；　〃and　works　only　for　Her；　and　without　Her　all　is　lost。〃　When　her　birthday　came　he　produced　an　elaborate　confection　of　hyperbolic　compliment。　〃To…day　Lord　Beaconsfield　ought　fitly；　perhaps；　to　congratulate　a　powerful　Sovereign　on　her　imperial　sway；　the　vastness　of　her　Empire；　and　the　success　and　strength　of　her　fleets　and　armies。　But　he　cannot；　his　mind　is　in　another　mood。　He　can　only　think　of　the　strangeness　of　his　destiny　that　it　has　come　to　pass　that　he　should　be　the　servant　of　one　so　great；　and　whose　infinite　kindness；　the　brightness　of　whose　intelligence　and　the　firmness　of　whose　will；　have　enabled　him　to　undertake　labours　to　which　he　otherwise　would　be　quite　unequal；　and　supported　him　in　all　things　by　a　condescending　sympathy；　which　in　the　hour　of　difficulty　alike　charms　and　inspires。　Upon　the　Sovereign　of　many　lands　and　many　hearts　may　an　omnipotent　Providence　shed　every　blessing　that　the　wise　can　desire　and　the　virtuous　deserve！〃　In　those　expert　hands　the　trowel　seemed　to　assume　the　qualities　of　some　lofty　masonic　symbolto　be　the　ornate　and　glittering　vehicle　of　verities　unrealised　by　the　profane。

Such　tributes　were　delightful；　but　they　remained　in　the　nebulous　region　of　words；　and　Disraeli　had　determined　to　give　his　blandishments　a　more　significant　solidity。　He　deliberately　encouraged　those　high　views　of　her　own　position　which　had　always　been　native　to　Victoria's　mind　and　had　been　reinforced　by　the　principles　of　Albert　and　the　doctrines　of　Stockmar。　He　professed　to　a　belief　in　a　theory　of　the　Constitution　which　gave　the　Sovereign　a　leading　place　in　the　councils　of　government；　but　his　pronouncements　upon　the　subject　were　indistinct；　and　when　he　emphatically　declared　that　there　ought　to　be　〃a　real　Throne；〃　it　was　probably　with　the　mental　addition　that　that　throne　would　be　a　very　unreal　one　indeed　whose　occupant　was　unamenable　to　his　cajoleries。　But　the　vagueness　of　his　language　was　in　itself　an　added　stimulant　to　Victoria。　Skilfully　confusing　the　woman　and　the　Queen；　he　threw；　with　a　grandiose　gesture；　the　government　of　England　at　her　feet；　as　if　in　doing　so　he　were　performing　an　act　of　personal　homage。　In　his　first　audience　after　returning　to　power；　he　assured　her　that　〃whatever　she　wished　should　be　done。〃　When　the　intricate　Public　Worship　Regulation　Bill　was　being　discussed　by　the　Cabinet；　he　told　the　Faery　that　his　〃only　object〃　was　〃to　further　your　Majesty's　wishes　in　this　matter。〃　When　he　brought　off　his　great　coup　over　the　Suez　Canal；　he　used　expressions　which　implied　that　the　only　gainer　by　the　transaction　was　Victoria。　〃It　is　just　settled；〃　he　wrote　in　triumph；　〃you　have　it；　Madam。。。　Four　millions　sterling！　and　almost　immediately。　There　was　only　one　firm　that　could　do　itRothschilds。　They　behaved　admirably；　advanced　the　money　at　a　low　rate；　and　the　entire　interest　of　the　Khedive　is　now　yours；　Madam。〃　Nor　did　he　limit　himself　to　highly…spiced　insinuations。　Writing　with　all　the　authority　of　his　office；　he　advised　the　Queen　that　she　had　the　constitutional　right　to　dismiss　a　Ministry　which　was　supported　by　a　large　majority　in　the　House　of　Commons；　he　even　urged　her　to　do　so；　if；　in　her　opinion；　〃your　Majesty's　Government　have　from　wilfulness；　or　even　from　weakness；　deceived　your　Majesty。〃　To　the　horror　of　Mr。　Gladstone；　he　not　only　kept　the　Queen　informed　as　to　the　general　course　of　business　in　the　Cabinet；　but　revealed　to　her　the　part　taken　in　its　discussions　by　individual　members　of　it。　Lord　Derby；　the　son　of　the　late　Prime　Minister　and　Disraeli's　Foreign　Secretary；　viewed　these　developments　with　grave　mistrust。　〃Is　there　not；〃　he　ventured　to　write　to　his　Chief；　〃just　a　risk　of　encouraging　her　in　too　large　ideas　of　her　personal　power；　and　too　great　indifference　to　what　the　public　expects？　I　only　ask；　it　is　for　you　to　judge。〃

As　for　Victoria；　she　accepted　everythingcompliments；　flatteries；　Elizabethan　prerogativeswithout　a　single　qualm。　After　the　long　gloom　of　her　bereavement；　after　the　chill　of　the　Gladstonian　discipline；　she　expanded　to　the　rays　of　Disraeli's　devotion　like　a　flower　in　the　sun。　The　change　in　her　situation　was　indeed　miraculous。　No　longer　was　she　obliged　to　puzzle　for　hours　over　the　complicated　details　of　business；　for　now　she　had　only　to　ask　Mr。　Disraeli　for　an　explanation；　and　he　would　give　it　her　in　the　most　concise；　in　the　most　amusing；　way。　No　longer　was　she　worried　by　alarming　novelties；　no　longer　was　she　put　out　at　finding　herself　treated；　by　a　reverential　gentleman　in　high　collars；　as　if　she　were　some　embodied　precedent；　with　a　recondite　knowledge　of　Greek。　And　her　deliverer　was　surely　the　most　fascinating　of　men。　The　strain　of　charlatanism；　which　had　unconsciously　captivated　her　in　Napoleon　III；　exercised　the　same　enchanting　effect　in　the　case　of　Disraeli。　Like　a　dram…drinker；　whose　ordinary　life　is　passed　in　dull　sobriety；　her　unsophisticated　intelligence　gulped　down　his　rococo　allurements　with　peculiar　zest。　She　became　intoxicated；　entranced。　Believing　all　that　he　told　her　of　herself；　she　completely　regained　the　self…confidence　which　had　been　slipping　away　from　her　throughout　the　dark　period　that　followed　Albert's　death。　She　swelled　with　a　new　elation；　while　he；　conjuring　up　before　her　wonderful　Oriental　visions；　dazzled　her　eyes　with　an　imperial　grandeur　of　which　she　had　only　dimly　dreamed。　Under　the　compelling　influence；　her　very　demeanour　altered。　Her　short；　stout　figure；　with　its　folds　of　black　velvet；　its　muslin　streamers；　its　heavy　pearls　at　the　heavy　neck；　assumed　an　almost　menacing　air。　In　her　countenance；　from　which　the　charm　of　youth　had　long　since　vanished；　and　which　had　not　yet　been　softened　by　age；　the　traces　of　grief；　of　disappointment；　and　of　displeasure　were　still　visible；　but　they　were　overlaid　by　looks　of　arrogance　and　sharp　lines　of　peremptory　hauteur。　Only；　when　Mr。　Disraeli　appeared；　the　expression　changed　in　an　instant；　and　the　forbidding　visage　became　charged　with　smiles。　For　him　she　would　do　anything。　Yielding　to　his　encouragements；　she　began　to　emerge　from　her　seclusion；　she　appeared　in　London　in　semi…state；　at　hospitals　and　concerts；　she　opened　Parliament；　she　reviewed　troops　and　distributed　medals　at　Aldershot。　But　such　public　signs　of　favour　were　trivial　in　comparison　with　her　private　attentions。　During　his　flours　of　audience；　she　could　hardly　restrain　her　excitement　and　delight。　〃I　can　only　describe　my　reception；〃　he　wrote　to　a　friend　on　one　occasion；　〃by　telling　you　that　I　really　thought　she　was　going　to　embrace　me。　She　was　wreathed　with　smiles；　and；　as　she　tattled；　glided　about　the　room　like　a　bird。〃　In　his　absence；　she　talked　of　him　perpetually；　and　there　was　a　note　of　unusual　vehemence　in　her　solicitude　for　his　health。　〃John　Manners；〃　Disraeli　told　Lady　Bradford；　〃who　has　just　come　from　Osborne；　says　that　the　Faery　only　talked　of　one　subject；　and　that　was　her　Primo。　According　to　him；　it　was　her　gracious　opinion　that　the　Government　should　make　my　health　a　Cabinet　question。　Dear　John　seemed　quite　surprised　at　what　she　said；　but　you　are　used　to　these　ebullitions。〃　She　often　sent　him　presents；　an　illustrated　album　arrived　for　him　regularly　from　Windsor　on　Christmas　Day。　But　her　most　valued　gifts　were　the　bunches　of　spring　flowers　which；　gathered　by　herself　and　her　ladies　in　the　woods　at　Osborne；　marked　in　an　especial　manner　the　warmth　and　tenderness　of　her　sentiments。　Among　these　it　was；　he　declared；　the　primroses　that　he　loved　the　best。　They　were；　he　said；　〃the　ambassadors　of　Spring；　the　gems　and　jewels　of　Nature。〃　He　liked　them；　he　assured　her；　〃so　much　better　for　their　being　wild；　they　seem　an　offering　from　the　Fauns　and　Dryads　of　Osborne。〃　〃They　show；〃　he　told　her；　〃that　your　Majesty's　sceptre　has　touched　the　enchanted　Isle。〃　He　sat　at　dinner　with　heaped…up　bowls　of　them　on　every　side；　and　told　his　guests　that　〃they　were　all　sent　to　me　this　morning　by　the　Queen　from　Osborne；　as　she　knows　it　is　my　favorite　flower。〃

As　time　went　on；　and　as　it　became　clearer　and　clearer　that　the　Faery's　thraldom　was　complete；　his　protestations　grew　steadily　more　highlycoloured　and　more　unabashed。　At　last　he　ventured　to　import　into　his　blandishments　a　strain　of　adoration　that　was　almost　avowedly　romantic。　In　phrases　of　baroque　convolution；　he　conveyed　the　message　of　his　heart。　The　pressure　of　business；　he　wrote；　had　〃so　absorbed　and　exhausted　him；　that　towards　the　hour　of　post　he　has　not　had　clearness　of　mind；　and　vigour　of　pen；　adequate　to　convey　his　thoughts　and　facts　to　the　most　loved　and　illustrious　being；　who　deigns　to　consider　them。〃　She　sent　him　some　primroses；　and　he　replied　that　he　could　〃truly　say　they　are　'more　precious　than　rubies；'　coming；　as　they　do；　and　at　such　a　moment；　from　a　Sovereign　whom　he　adores。〃　She　sent　him　snowdrops；　and　his　sentiment　overflowed　into　poetry。　〃Yesterday　eve；〃　he　wrote；　〃there　appeared；　in　Whitehall　Gardens；　a　delicate…looking　case；　with　a　royal　superscription；　which；　when　he　opened；　he　thought；　at　first；　that　your　Majesty　had　graciously　bestowed　upon　him　the　stars　of　your　Majesty's　principal　orders。　And；　indeed；　he　was　so　impres