queen victoria-第50部分

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w　importance　began　to　attach　to　the　Crown。　The　need　for　a　symbola　symbol　of　England's　might；　of　England's　worth；　of　England's　extraordinary　and　mysterious　destinybecame　felt　more　urgently　than　ever　before。　The　Crown　was　that　symbol：　and　the　Crown　rested　upon　the　head　of　Victoria。　Thus　it　happened　that　while　by　the　end　of　the　reign　the　power　of　the　sovereign　had　appreciably　diminished；　the　prestige　of　the　sovereign　had　enormously　grown。

Yet　this　prestige　was　not　merely　the　outcome　of　public　changes；　it　was　an　intensely　personal　matter；　too。　Victoria　was　the　Queen　of　England；　the　Empress　of　India；　the　quintessential　pivot　round　which　the　whole　magnificent　machine　was　revolvingbut　how　much　more　besides！　For　one　thing；　she　was　of　a　great　agean　almost　indispensable　qualification　for　popularity　in　England。　She　had　given　proof　of　one　of　the　most　admired　characteristics　of　the　racepersistent　vitality。　She　had　reigned　for　sixty　years；　and　she　was　not　out。　And　then；　she　was　a　character。　The　outlines　of　her　nature　were　firmly　drawn；　and；　even　through　the　mists　which　envelop　royalty；　clearly　visible。　In　the　popular　imagination　her　familiar　figure　filled；　with　satisfying　ease；　a　distinct　and　memorable　place。　It　was；　besides；　the　kind　of　figure　which　naturally　called　forth　the　admiring　sympathy　of　the　great　majority　of　the　nation。　Goodness　they　prized　above　every　other　human　quality；　and　Victoria；　who　had　said　that　she　would　be　good　at　the　age　of　twelve；　had　kept　her　word。　Duty；　conscience；　moralityyes！　in　the　light　of　those　high　beacons　the　Queen　had　always　lived。　She　had　passed　her　days　in　work　and　not　in　pleasurein　public　responsibilities　and　family　cares。　The　standard　of　solid　virtue　which　had　been　set　up　so　long　ago　amid　the　domestic　happiness　of　Osborne　had　never　been　lowered　for　an　instant。　For　more　than　half　a　century　no　divorced　lady　had　approached　the　precincts　of　the　Court。　Victoria；　indeed；　in　her　enthusiasm　for　wifely　fidelity；　had　laid　down　a　still　stricter　ordinance：　she　frowned　severely　upon　any　widow　who　married　again。　Considering　that　she　herself　was　the　offspring　of　a　widow's　second　marriage；　this　prohibition　might　be　regarded　as　an　eccentricity；　but；　no　doubt；　it　was　an　eccentricity　on　the　right　side。　The　middle　classes；　firm　in　the　triple　brass　of　their　respectability；　rejoiced　with　a　special　joy　over　the　most　respectable　of　Queens。　They　almost　claimed　her；　indeed；　as　one　of　themselves；　but　this　would　have　been　an　exaggeration。　For；　though　many　of　her　characteristics　were　most　often　found　among　the　middle　classes；　in　other　respectsin　her　manners；　for　instanceVictoria　was　decidedly　aristocratic。　And；　in　one　important　particular；　she　was　neither　aristocratic　nor　middle…class：　her　attitude　toward　herself　was　simply　regal。

Such　qualities　were　obvious　and　important；　but；　in　the　impact　of　a　personality；　it　is　something　deeper；　something　fundamental　and　common　to　all　its　qualities；　that　really　tells。　In　Victoria；　it　is　easy　to　discern　the　nature　of　this　underlying　element：　it　was　a　peculiar　sincerity。　Her　truthfulness；　her　single…mindedness；　the　vividness　of　her　emotions　and　her　unrestrained　expression　of　them；　were　the　varied　forms　which　this　central　characteristic　assumed。　It　was　her　sincerity　which　gave　her　at　once　her　impressiveness；　her　charm；　and　her　absurdity。　She　moved　through　life　with　the　imposing　certitude　of　one　to　whom　concealment　was　impossibleeither　towards　her　surroundings　or　towards　herself。　There　she　was；　all　of　herthe　Queen　of　England；　complete　and　obvious；　the　world　might　take　her　or　leave　her；　she　had　nothing　more　to　show；　or　to　explain；　or　to　modify；　and；　with　her　peerless　carriage；　she　swept　along　her　path。　And　not　only　was　concealment　out　of　the　question；　reticence；　reserve；　even　dignity　itself；　as　it　sometimes　seemed；　might　be　very　well　dispensed　with。　As　Lady　Lyttelton　said：　〃There　is　a　transparency　in　her　truth　that　is　very　strikingnot　a　shade　of　exaggeration　in　describing　feelings　or　facts；　like　very　few　other　people　I　ever　knew。　Many　may　be　as　true；　but　I　think　it　goes　often　along　with　some　reserve。　She　talks　all　out；　just　as　it　is；　no　more　and　no　less。〃　She　talked　all　out；　and　she　wrote　all　out；　too。　Her　letters；　in　the　surprising　jet　of　their　expression；　remind　one　of　a　turned…on　tap。　What　is　within　pours　forth　in　an　immediate；　spontaneous　rush。　Her　utterly　unliterary　style　has　at　least　the　merit　of　being　a　vehicle　exactly　suited　to　her　thoughts　and　feelings；　and　even　the　platitude　of　her　phraseology　carries　with　it　a　curiously　personal　flavour。　Undoubtedly　it　was　through　her　writings　that　she　touched　the　heart　of　the　public。　Not　only　in　her　〃Highland　Journals〃　where　the　mild　chronicle　of　her　private　proceedings　was　laid　bare　without　a　trace　either　of　affectation　or　of　embarrassment；　but　also　in　those　remarkable　messages　to　the　nation　which；　from　time　to　time；　she　published　in　the　newspapers；　her　people　found　her　very　close　to　them　indeed。　They　felt　instinctively　Victoria's　irresistible　sincerity；　and　they　responded。　And　in　truth　it　was　an　endearing　trait。

The　personality　and　the　position；　toothe　wonderful　combination　of　themthat；　perhaps；　was　what　was　finally　fascinating　in　the　case。　The　little　old　lady；　with　her　white　hair　and　her　plain　mourning　clothes；　in　her　wheeled　chair　or　her　donkey…carriageone　saw　her　so；　and　thenclose　behindwith　their　immediate　suggestion　of　singularity；　of　mystery；　and　of　powerthe　Indian　servants。　That　was　the　familiar　vision；　and　it　was　admirable；　but；　at　chosen　moments；　it　was　right　that　the　widow　of　Windsor　should　step　forth　apparent　Queen。　The　last　and　the　most　glorious　of　such　occasions　was　the　Jubilee　of　1897。　Then；　as　the　splendid　procession　passed　along；　escorting　Victoria　through　the　thronged　re…echoing　streets　of　London　on　her　progress　of　thanksgiving　to　St。　Paul's　Cathedral；　the　greatness　of　her　realm　and　the　adoration　of　her　subjects　blazed　out　together。　The　tears　welled　to　her　eyes；　and；　while　the　multitude　roared　round　her；　〃How　kind　they　are　to　me！　How　kind　they　are！〃　she　repeated　over　and　over　again。　That　night　her　message　flew　over　the　Empire：　〃From　my　heart　I　thank　my　beloved　people。　May　God　bless　them！〃　The　long　journey　was　nearly　done。　But　the　traveller；　who　had　come　so　far；　and　through　such　strange　experiences；　moved　on　with　the　old　unfaltering　step。　The　girl；　the　wife；　the　aged　woman；　were　the　same：　vitality；　conscientiousness；　pride；　and　simplicity　were　hers　to　the　latest　hour。



CHAPTER　X。　THE　END

The　evening　had　been　golden；　but；　after　all；　the　day　was　to　close　in　cloud　and　tempest。　Imperial　needs；　imperial　ambitions；　involved　the　country　in　the　South　African　War。　There　were　checks；　reverses；　bloody　disasters；　for　a　moment　the　nation　was　shaken；　and　the　public　distresses　were　felt　with　intimate　solicitude　by　the　Queen。　But　her　spirit　was　high；　and　neither　her　courage　nor　her　confidence　wavered　for　a　moment。　Throwing　her　self　heart　and　soul　into　the　struggle；　she　laboured　with　redoubled　vigour；　interested　herself　in　every　detail　of　the　hostilities；　and　sought　by　every　means　in　her　power　to　render　service　to　the　national　cause。　In　April　1900；　when　she　was　in　her　eighty…first　year；　she　made　the　extraordinary　decision　to　abandon　her　annual　visit　to　the　South　of　France；　and　to　go　instead　to　Ireland；　which　had　provided　a　particularly　large　number　of　recruits　to　the　armies　in　the　field。　She　stayed　for　three　weeks　in　Dublin；　driving　through　the　streets；　in　spite　of　the　warnings　of　her　advisers；　without　an　armed　escort；　and　the　visit　was　a　complete　success。　But；　in　the　course　of　it；　she　began；　for　the　first　time；　to　show　signs　of　the　fatigue　of　age。

For　the　long　strain　and　the　unceasing　anxiety；　brought　by　the　war；　made　themselves　felt　at　last。　Endowed　by　nature　with　a　robust　constitution；　Victoria；　though　in　periods　of　depression　she　had　sometimes　supposed　herself　an　invalid；　had　in　reality　throughout　her　life　enjoyed　remarkably　good　health。　In　her　old　age；　she　had　suffered　from　a　rheumatic　stiffness　of　the　joints；　which　had　necessitated　the　use　of　a　stick；　and；　eventually；　a　wheeled　chair；　but　no　other　ailments　attacked　her；　until；　in　1898；　her　eyesight　began　to　be　affected　by　incipient　cataract。　After　that；　she　found　reading　more　and　more　difficult；　though　she　could　still　sign　her　name；　and　even；　with　some　difflculty；　write　letters。　In　the　summer　of　1900；　however；　more　serious　symptoms　appeared。　Her　memory；　in　whose　strength　and　precision　she　had　so　long　prided　herself；　now　sometimes　deserted　her；　there　was　a　tendency　towards　aphasia；　and；　while　no　specific　disease　declared　itself；　by　the　autumn　there　were　unmistakable　signs　of　a　general　physical　decay。　Yet；　even　in　these　last　months；　the　strain　of　iron　held　firm。　The　daily　work　continued；　nay；　it　actually　increased；　for　the　Queen；　with　an　astonishing　pertinacity；　insisted　upon　communicating　personally　with　an　ever…growing　multitude　of　men　and　women　who　had　suffered　through　the　war。

By　the　end　of　the　year　the　last　remains　of　her　ebbing　strength　had　almost　deserted　her；　and　through　the　early　days　of　the　opening　century　it　was　clear　that　her　dwindling　forces　were　only　kept　together　by　an　effort　of　will。　On　January　14；　she　had　at　Osborne　an　hour's　interview　with　Lord　Roberts；　who　had　returned　victorious　from　South　Africa　a　few　days　before。　She　inquired　with　acute　anxiety　into　all　the　details　of　the　war；　she　appeared　to　sustain　the　exertion　successfully；　but；　when　the　audience　was　over；　there　was　a　collapse。　On　the　following　day　her　medical　attendants　recognised　that　her　state　was　hopeless；　and　yet；　for　two　days　more；　the　indomitable　spirit　fought　on；　for　two　days　more　she　discharged　the　duties　of　a　Queen　of　England。　But　after　that　there　was　an　end　of　working；　and　then；　and　not　till　then；　did　the　last　optimism　of　those　about　her　break　down。　The　brain　was　failing；　and　life　was　gently　slipping　away。　Her　family　gathered　round　her；　for　a　little　more　she　lingered；　speechless　and　apparently　insensible；　and；　on　January　22；　1901；　she　died。

When；　two　days　previously；　the　news　of　the　approaching　end　had　been　made　public；　astonished　grief　had　swept　over　the　country。　It　appeared　as　if　some　monstrous　reversal　of　the　course　of　nature　was　about　to　take　place。　The　vast　majority　of　her　subjects　had　never　known