queen victoria-第48部分

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d　Mr。　Reeve；　when　he　retired　from　the　public　service；　did　not　receive　the　knighthood　which　custom　entitled　him　to　expect。　Perhaps　if　the　Queen　had　known　how　many　caustic　comments　upon　herself　Mr。　Reeve　had　quietly　suppressed　in　the　published　Memoirs；　she　would　have　been　almost　grateful　to　him；　but；　in　that　case；　what　would　she　have　said　of　Greville？　Imagination　boggles　at　the　thought。　As　for　more　modern　essays　upon　the　same　topic；　Her　Majesty；　it　is　to　be　feared；　would　have　characterised　them　as　〃not　discreet。〃

But　as　a　rule　the　leisure　hours　of　that　active　life　were　occupied　with　recreations　of　a　less　intangible　quality　than　the　study　of　literature　or　the　appreciation　of　art。　Victoria　was　a　woman　not　only　of　vast　property　but　of　innumerable　possessions。　She　had　inherited　an　immense　quantity　of　furniture；　of　ornaments；　of　china；　of　plate；　of　valuable　objects　of　every　kind；　her　purchases；　throughout　a　long　life；　made　a　formidable　addition　to　these　stores；　and　there　flowed　in　upon　her；　besides；　from　every　quarter　of　the　globe；　a　constant　stream　of　gifts。　Over　this　enormous　mass　she　exercised　an　unceasing　and　minute　supervision；　and　the　arrangement　and　the　contemplation　of　it；　in　all　its　details；　filled　her　with　an　intimate　satisfaction。　The　collecting　instinct　has　its　roots　in　the　very　depths　of　human　nature；　and；　in　the　case　of　Victoria；　it　seemed　to　owe　its　force　to　two　of　her　dominating　impulsesthe　intense　sense；　which　had　always　been　hers；　of　her　own　personality；　and　the　craving　which；　growing　with　the　years；　had　become　in　her　old　age　almost　an　obsession；　for　fixity；　for　solidity；　for　the　setting　up　of　palpable　barriers　against　the　outrages　of　change　and　time。　When　she　considered　the　multitudinous　objects　which　belonged　to　her；　or；　better　still；　when；　choosing　out　some　section　of　them　as　the　fancy　took　her；　she　actually　savoured　the　vivid　richness　of　their　individual　qualities；　she　saw　herself　deliciously　reflected　from　a　million　facets；　felt　herself　magnified　miraculously　over　a　boundless　area；　and　was　well　pleased。　That　was　just　as　it　should　be；　but　then　came　the　dismaying　thoughteverything　slips　away；　crumbles；　vanishes；　Sevres　dinner…services　get　broken；　even　golden　basins　go　unaccountably　astray；　even　one's　self；　with　all　the　recollections　and　experiences　that　make　up　one's　being；　fluctuates；　perishes；　dissolves。。。　But　no！　It　could　not；　should　not　be　so！　There　should　be　no　changes　and　no　losses！　Nothing　should　ever　moveneither　the　past　nor　the　presentand　she　herself　least　of　all！　And　so　the　tenacious　woman；　hoarding　her　valuables；　decreed　their　immortality　with　all　the　resolution　of　her　soul。　She　would　not　lose　one　memory　or　one　pin。

She　gave　orders　that　nothing　should　be　thrown　awayand　nothing　was。　There；　in　drawer　after　drawer；　in　wardrobe　after　wardrobe；　reposed　the　dresses　of　seventy　years。　But　not　only　the　dresses　the　furs　and　the　mantles　and　subsidiary　frills　and　the　muffs　and　the　parasols　and　the　bonnetsall　were　ranged　in　chronological　order；　dated　and　complete。　A　great　cupboard　was　devoted　to　the　dolls；　in　the　china　room　at　Windsor　a　special　table　held　the　mugs　of　her　childhood；　and　her　children's　mugs　as　well。　Mementoes　of　the　past　surrounded　her　in　serried　accumulations。　In　every　room　the　tables　were　powdered　thick　with　the　photographs　of　relatives；　their　portraits；　revealing　them　at　all　ages；　covered　the　walls；　their　figures；　in　solid　marble；　rose　up　from　pedestals；　or　gleamed　from　brackets　in　the　form　of　gold　and　silver　statuettes。　The　dead；　in　every　shapein　miniatures；　in　porcelain；　in　enormous　life…size　oil…paintingswere　perpetually　about　her。　John　Brown　stood　upon　her　writing…table　in　solid　gold。　Her　favourite　horses　and　dogs；　endowed　with　a　new　durability；　crowded　round　her　footsteps。　Sharp；　in　silver　gilt；　dominated　the　dinner　table；　Boy　and　Boz　lay　together　among　unfading　flowers；　in　bronze。　And　it　was　not　enough　that　each　particle　of　the　past　should　be　given　the　stability　of　metal　or　of　marble：　the　whole　collection；　in　its　arrangement；　no　less　than　its　entity；　should　be　immutably　fixed。　There　might　be　additions；　but　there　might　never　be　alterations。　No　chintz　might　change；　no　carpet；　no　curtain；　be　replaced　by　another；　or；　if　long　use　at　last　made　it　necessary；　the　stuffs　and　the　patterns　must　be　so　identically　reproduced　that　the　keenest　eye　might　not　detect　the　difference。　No　new　picture　could　be　hung　upon　the　walls　at　Windsor；　for　those　already　there　had　been　put　in　their　places　by　Albert；　whose　decisions　were　eternal。　So；　indeed；　were　Victoria's。　To　ensure　that　they　should　be　the　aid　of　the　camera　was　called　in。　Every　single　article　in　the　Queen's　possession　was　photographed　from　several　points　of　view。　These　photographs　were　submitted　to　Her　Majesty；　and　when；　after　careful　inspection；　she　had　approved　of　them；　they　were　placed　in　a　series　of　albums；　richly　bound。　Then；　opposite　each　photograph；　an　entry　was　made；　indicating　the　number　of　the　article；　the　number　of　the　room　in　which　it　was　kept；　its　exact　position　in　the　room　and　all　its　principal　characteristics。　The　fate　of　every　object　which　had　undergone　this　process　was　henceforth　irrevocably　sealed。　The　whole　multitude；　once　and　for　all；　took　up　its　steadfast　station。　And　Victoria；　with　a　gigantic　volume　or　two　of　the　endless　catalogue　always　beside　her；　to　look　through；　to　ponder　upon；　to　expatiate　over；　could　feel；　with　a　double　contentment；　that　the　transitoriness　of　this　world　had　been　arrested　by　the　amplitude　of　her　might。

Thus　the　collection；　ever　multiplying；　ever　encroaching　upon　new　fields　of　consciousness；　ever　rooting　itself　more　firmly　in　the　depths　of　instinct；　became　one　of　the　dominating　influences　of　that　strange　existence。　It　was　a　collection　not　merely　of　things　and　of　thoughts；　but　of　states　of　mind　and　ways　of　living　as　well。　The　celebration　of　anniversaries　grew　to　be　an　important　branch　of　itof　birthdays　and　marriage　days　and　death　days；　each　of　which　demanded　its　appropriate　feeling；　which；　in　its　turn；　must　be　itself　expressed　in　an　appropriate　outward　form。　And　the　form；　of　coursethe　ceremony　of　rejoicing　or　lamentationwas　stereotyped　with　the　rest：　it　was　part　of　the　collection。　On　a　certain　day；　for　instance；　flowers　must　be　strewn　on　John　Brown's　monument　at　Balmoral；　and　the　date　of　the　yearly　departure　for　Scotland　was　fixed　by　that　fact。　Inevitably　it　was　around　the　central　circumstance　of　deathdeath；　the　final　witness　to　human　mutabilitythat　these　commemorative　cravings　clustered　most　thickly。　Might　not　even　death　itself　be　humbled；　if　one　could　recall　enoughif　one　asserted；　with　a　sufficiently　passionate　and　reiterated　emphasis；　the　eternity　of　love？　Accordingly；　every　bed　in　which　Victoria　slept　had　attached　to　it；　at　the　back；　on　the　right…hand　side；　above　the　pillow；　a　photograph　of　the　head　and　shoulders　of　Albert　as　he　lay　dead；　surmounted　by　a　wreath　of　immortelles。　At　Balmoral；　where　memories　came　crowding　so　closely；　the　solid　signs　of　memory　appeared　in　surprising　profusion。　Obelisks；　pyramids；　tombs；　statues；　cairns；　and　seats　of　inscribed　granite；　proclaimed　Victoria's　dedication　to　the　dead。　There；　twice　a　year；　on　the　days　that　followed　her　arrival；　a　solemn　pilgrimage　of　inspection　and　meditation　was　performed。　There；　on　August　26Albert's　birthdayat　the　foot　of　the　bronze　statue　of　him　in　Highland　dress；　the　Queen；　her　family；　her　Court；　her　servants；　and　her　tenantry；　met　together　and　in　silence　drank　to　the　memory　of　the　dead。　In　England　the　tokens　of　remembrance　pullulated　hardly　less。　Not　a　day　passed　without　some　addition　to　the　multifold　assemblagea　gold　statuette　of　Ross；　the　pipera　life…sized　marble　group　of　Victoria　and　Albert；　in　medieval　costume；　inscribed　upon　the　base　with　the　words：　〃Allured　to　brighter　worlds　and　led　the　way…〃　a　granite　slab　in　the　shrubbery　at　Osborne；　informing　the　visitor　of　〃Waldmann：　the　very　favourite　little　dachshund　of　Queen　Victoria；　who　brought　him　from　Baden；　April　1872；　died；　July　11；　1881。〃

At　Frogmore；　the　great　mausoleum；　perpetually　enriched；　was　visited　almost　daily　by　the　Queen　when　the　Court　was　at　Windsor。　But　there　was　another；　a　more　secret　and　a　hardly　less　holy　shrine。　The　suite　of　rooms　which　Albert　had　occupied　in　the　Castle　was　kept　for　ever　shut　away　from　the　eyes　of　any　save　the　most　privileged。　Within　those　precincts　everything　remained　as　it　had　been　at　the　Prince's　death；　but　the　mysterious　preoccupation　of　Victoria　had　commanded　that　her　husband's　clothing　should　be　laid　afresh；　each　evening；　upon　the　bed；　and　that；　each　evening；　the　water　should　be　set　ready　in　the　basin；　as　if　he　were　still　alive；　and　this　incredible　rite　was　performed　with　scrupulous　regularity　for　nearly　forty　years。

Such　was　the　inner　worship；　and　still　the　flesh　obeyed　the　spirit；　still　the　daily　hours　of　labour　proclaimed　Victoria's　consecration　to　duty　and　to　the　ideal　of　the　dead。　Yet；　with　the　years；　the　sense　of　self…sacrifice　faded；　the　natural　energies　of　that　ardent　being　discharged　themselves　with　satisfaction　into　the　channel　of　public　work；　the　love　of　business　which；　from　her　girlhood；　had　been　strong　within　her；　reasserted　itself　in　all　its　vigour；　and；　in　her　old　age；　to　have　been　cut　off　from　her　papers　and　her　boxes　would　have　been；　not　a　relief；　but　an　agony　to　Victoria。　Thus；　though　toiling　Ministers　might　sigh　and　suffer；　the　whole　process　of　government　continued；　till　the　very　end；　to　pass　before　her。　Nor　was　that　all；　ancient　precedent　had　made　the　validity　of　an　enormous　number　of　official　transactions　dependent　upon　the　application　of　the　royal　sign…manual；　and　a　great　proportion　of　the　Queen's　working　hours　was　spent　in　this　mechanical　task。　Nor　did　she　show　any　desire　to　diminish　it。　On　the　contrary；　she　voluntarily　resumed　the　duty　of　signing　commissions　in　the　army；　from　which　she　had　been　set　free　by　Act　of　Parliament；　and　from　which；　during　the　years　of　middle　life；　she　had　abstained。　In　no　case　would　she　countenance　the　proposal　that　she　should　use　a　stamp。　But；　at　last；　when　the　increasing　pressure　of　business　made　the　delays　of　the　antiquated　system　intolerable；　she　consented　that；　for　certain　classes　of　documents；　her　oral　sanction　should　be　sufficient。　Each　paper　was　read　aloud　to　her；　and　she　said　at　the　end　〃Approved。〃　Oft