queen victoria-第43章

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all　too　visible。　At　such　moments　there　seemed　nothing　surprising　in　her　having　been　the　daughter　of　a　martinet。

But　these　storms；　unnerving　as　they　were　while　they　lasted；　were　quickly　over；　and　they　grew　more　and　more　exceptional。　With　the　return　of　happiness　a　gentle　benignity　flowed　from　the　aged　Queen。　Her　smile；　once　so　rare　a　visitant　to　those　saddened　features；　flitted　over　them　with　an　easy　alacrity；　the　blue　eyes　beamed；　the　whole　face；　starting　suddenly　from　its　pendulous　expressionlessness；　brightened　and　softened　and　cast　over　those　who　watched　it　an　unforgettable　charm。　For　in　her　last　years　there　was　a　fascination　in　Victoria's　amiability　which　had　been　lacking　even　from　the　vivid　impulse　of　her　youth。　Over　all　who　approached　heror　very　nearly　allshe　threw　a　peculiar　spell。　Her　grandchildren　adored　her；　her　ladies　waited　upon　her　with　a　reverential　love。　The　honour　of　serving　her　obliterated　a　thousand　inconveniencesthe　monotony　of　a　court　existence；　the　fatigue　of　standing；　the　necessity　for　a　superhuman　attentiveness　to　the　minutia：　of　time　and　space。　As　one　did　one's　wonderful　duty　one　could　forget　that　one's　legs　were　aching　from　the　infinitude　of　the　passages　at　Windsor；　or　that　one's　bare　arms　were　turning　blue　in　the　Balmoral　cold。

What；　above　all；　seemed　to　make　such　service　delightful　was　the　detailed　interest　which　the　Queen　took　in　the　circumstances　of　those　around　her。　Her　absorbing　passion　for　the　comfortable　commonplaces；　the　small　crises；　the　recurrent　sentimentalities；　of　domestic　life　constantly　demanded　wider　fields　for　its　activity；　the　sphere　of　her　own　family；　vast　as　it　was；　was　not　enough；　she　became　the　eager　confidante　of　the　household　affairs　of　her　ladies；　her　sympathies　reached　out　to　the　palace　domestics；　even　the　housemaids　and　scullionsso　it　appearedwere　the　objects　of　her　searching　inquiries；　and　of　her　heartfelt　solicitude　when　their　lovers　were　ordered　to　a　foreign　station；　or　their　aunts　suffered　from　an　attack　of　rheumatism　which　was　more　than　usually　acute。

Nevertheless　the　due　distinctions　of　rank　were　immaculately　preserved。　The　Queen's　mere　presence　was　enough　to　ensure　that；　but；　in　addition；　the　dominion　of　court　etiquette　was　paramount。　For　that　elaborate　code；　which　had　kept　Lord　Melbourne　stiff　upon　the　sofa　and　ranged　the　other　guests　in　silence　about　the　round　table　according　to　the　order　of　precedence；　was　as　punctiliously　enforced　as　ever。　Every　evening　after　dinner；　the　hearth…rug；　sacred　to　royalty；　loomed　before　the　profane　in　inaccessible　glory；　or；　on　one　or　two　terrific　occasions；　actually　lured　them　magnetically　forward　to　the　very　edge　of　the　abyss。　The　Queen；　at　the　fitting　moment；　moved　towards　her　guests；　one　after　the　other　they　were　led　up　to　her；　and；　while　dialogue　followed　dialogue　in　constraint　and　embarrassment；　the　rest　of　the　assembly　stood　still；　without　a　word。　Only　in　one　particular　was　the　severity　of　the　etiquette　allowed　to　lapse。　Throughout　the　greater　part　of　the　reign　the　rule　that　ministers　must　stand　during　their　audiences　with　the　Queen　had　been　absolute。　When　Lord　Derby；　the　Prime　Minister；　had　an　audience　of　Her　Majesty　after　a　serious　illness；　he　mentioned　it　afterwards；　as　a　proof　of　the　royal　favour；　that　the　Queen　had　remarked　〃How　sorry　she　was　she　could　not　ask　him　to　be　seated。〃　Subsequently；　Disraeli；　after　an　attack　of　gout　and　in　a　moment　of　extreme　expansion　on　the　part　of　Victoria；　had　been　offered　a　chair；　but　he　had　thought　it　wise　humbly　to　decline　the　privilege。　In　her　later　years；　however；　the　Queen　invariably　asked　Mr。　Gladstone　and　Lord　Salisbury　to　sit　down。

Sometimes　the　solemnity　of　the　evening　was　diversified　by　a　concert；　an　opera；　or　even　a　play。　One　of　the　most　marked　indications　of　Victoria's　enfranchisement　from　the　thraldom　of　widowhood　had　been　her　resumptionafter　an　interval　of　thirty　yearsof　the　custom　of　commanding　dramatic　companies　from　London　to　perform　before　the　Court　at　Windsor。　On　such　occasions　her　spirits　rose　high。　She　loved　acting；　she　loved　a　good　plot；　above　all；　she　loved　a　farce。　Engrossed　by　everything　that　passed　upon　the　stage　she　would　follow；　with　childlike　innocence；　the　unwinding　of　the　story；　or　she　would　assume　an　air　of　knowing　superiority　and　exclaim　in　triumph；　〃There！　You　didn't　expect　that；　did　you？〃　when　the　denouement　came。　Her　sense　of　humour　was　of　a　vigorous　though　primitive　kind。　She　had　been　one　of　the　very　few　persons　who　had　always　been　able　to　appreciate　the　Prince　Consort's　jokes；　and；　when　those　were　cracked　no　more；　she　could　still　roar　with　laughter；　in　the　privacy　of　her　household；　over　some　small　piece　of　funsome　oddity　of　an　ambassador；　or　some　ignorant　Minister's　faux　pas。　When　the　jest　grew　subtle　she　was　less　pleased；　but；　if　it　approached　the　confines　of　the　indecorous；　the　danger　was　serious。　To　take　a　liberty　called　down　at　once　Her　Majesty's　most　crushing　disapprobation；　and　to　say　something　improper　was　to　take　the　greatest　liberty　of　all。　Then　the　royal　lips　sank　down　at　the　corners；　the　royal　eyes　stared　in　astonished　protrusion；　and　in　fact；　the　royal　countenance　became　inauspicious　in　the　highest　degree。　The　transgressor　shuddered　into　silence；　while　the　awful　〃We　are　not　amused〃　annihilated　the　dinner　table。　Afterwards；　in　her　private　entourage；　the　Queen　would　observe　that　the　person　in　question　was；　she　very　much　feared；　〃not　discreet〃；　it　was　a　verdict　from　which　there　was　no　appeal。

In　general；　her　aesthetic　tastes　had　remained　unchanged　since　the　days　of　Mendelssohn；　Landseer；　and　Lablache。　She　still　delighted　in　the　roulades　of　Italian　opera；　she　still　demanded　a　high　standard　in　the　execution　of　a　pianoforte　duet。　Her　views　on　painting　were　decided；　Sir　Edwin；　she　declared；　was　perfect；　she　was　much　impressed　by　Lord　Leighton's　manners；　and　she　profoundly　distrusted　Mr。　Watts。　From　time　to　time　she　ordered　engraved　portraits　to　be　taken　of　members　of　the　royal　family；　on　these　occasions　she　would　have　the　first　proofs　submitted　to　her；　and；　having　inspected　them　with　minute　particularity；　she　would　point　out　their　mistakes　to　the　artists；　indicating　at　the　same　time　how　they　might　be　corrected。　The　artists　invariably　discovered　that　Her　Majesty's　suggestions　were　of　the　highest　value。　In　literature　her　interests　were　more　restricted。　She　was　devoted　to　Lord　Tennyson；　and；　as　the　Prince　Consort　had　admired　George　Eliot；　she　perused　〃Middlemarch：〃　she　was　disappointed。　There　is　reason　to　believe；　however；　that　the　romances　of　another　female　writer；　whose　popularity　among　the　humbler　classes　of　Her　Majesty's　subjects　was　at　one　time　enormous；　secured；　no　less；　the　approval　of　Her　Majesty。　Otherwise　she　did　not　read　very　much。

Once；　however；　the　Queen's　attention　was　drawn　to　a　publication　which　it　was　impossible　for　her　to　ignore。　〃The　Greville　Memoirs；〃　filled　with　a　mass　of　historical　information　of　extraordinary　importance；　but　filled　also　with　descriptions；　which　were　by　no　means　flattering；　of　George　IV；　William　IV；　and　other　royal　persons；　was　brought　out　by　Mr。　Reeve。　Victoria　read　the　book；　and　was　appalled。　It　was；　she　declared；　a　〃dreadful　and　really　scandalous　book；〃　and　she　could　not　say　〃how　HORRIFIED　and　INDIGNANT〃　she　was　at　Greville's　〃indiscretion；　indelicacy；　ingratitude　towards　friends；　betrayal　of　confidence　and　shameful　disloyalty　towards　his　Sovereign。〃　She　wrote　to　Disraeli　to　tell　him　that　in　her　opinion　it　was　〃VERY　IMPORTANT　that　the　book　should　be　severely　censured　and　discredited。〃　〃The　tone　in　which　he　speaks　of　royalty；〃　she　added；　〃is　unlike　anything　one　sees　in　history　even；　and　is　most　reprehensible。〃　Her　anger　was　directed　with　almost　equal　vehemence　against　Mr。　Reeve　for　his　having　published　〃such　an　abominable　book；〃　and　she　charged　Sir　Arthur　Helps　to　convey　to　him　her　deep　displeasure。　Mr。　Reeve；　however；　was　impenitent。　When　Sir　Arthur　told　him　that；　in　the　Queen's　opinion；　〃the　book　degraded　royalty；〃　he　replied：　〃Not　at　all；　it　elevates　it　by　the　contrast　it　offers　between　the　present　and　the　defunct　state　of　affairs。〃　But　this　adroit　defence　failed　to　make　any　impression　upon　Victoria；　and　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　childre