queen victoria- 第19部分

Nor　was　the　Prince　happier　in　his　social　surroundings。　A　shy　young　foreigner；　awkward　in　ladies'　company；　unexpansive　and　self…opinionated；　it　was　improbable　that；　in　any　circumstances；　he　would　have　been　a　society　success。　His　appearance；　too；　was　against　him。　Though　in　the　eyes　of　Victoria　he　was　the　mirror　of　manly　beauty；　her　subjects；　whose　eyes　were　of　a　less　Teutonic　cast；　did　not　agree　with　her。　To　themand　particularly　to　the　high…born　ladies　and　gentlemen　who　naturally　saw　him　mostwhat　was　immediately　and　distressingly　striking　in　Albert's　face　and　figure　and　whole　demeanour　was　his　un…English　look。　His　features　were　regular；　no　doubt；　but　there　was　something　smooth　and　smug　about　them；　he　was　tall；　but　he　was　clumsily　put　together；　and　he　walked　with　a　slight　slouch。　Really；　they　thought；　this　youth　was　more　like　some　kind　of　foreign　tenor　than　anything　else。　These　were　serious　disadvantages；　but　the　line　of　conduct　which　the　Prince　adopted　from　the　first　moment　of　his　arrival　was　far　from　calculated　to　dispel　them。　Owing　partly　to　a　natural　awkwardness；　partly　to　a　fear　of　undue　familiarity；　and　partly　to　a　desire　to　be　absolutely　correct；　his　manners　were　infused　with　an　extraordinary　stiffness　and　formality。　Whenever　he　appeared　in　company；　he　seemed　to　be　surrounded　by　a　thick　hedge　of　prickly　etiquette。　He　never　went　out　into　ordinary　society；　he　never　walked　in　the　streets　of　London；　he　was　invariably　accompanied　by　an　equerry　when　he　rode　or　drove。　He　wanted　to　be　irreproachable　and；　if　that　involved　friendlessness；　it　could　not　be　helped。　Besides；　he　had　no　very　high　opinion　of　the　English。　So　far　as　he　could　see；　they　cared　for　nothing　but　fox…hunting　and　Sunday　observances；　they　oscillated　between　an　undue　frivolity　and　an　undue　gloom；　if　you　spoke　to　them　of　friendly　joyousness　they　stared；　and　they　did　not　understand　either　the　Laws　of　Thought　or　the　wit　of　a　German　University。　Since　it　was　clear　that　with　such　people　he　could　have　very　little　in　common；　there　was　no　reason　whatever　for　relaxing　in　their　favour　the　rules　of　etiquette。　In　strict　privacy；　he　could　be　natural　and　charming；　Seymour　and　Anson　were　devoted　to　him；　and　he　returned　their　affection；　but　they　were　subordinatesthe　receivers　of　his　confidences　and　the　agents　of　his　will。　From　the　support　and　the　solace　of　true　companionship　he　was　utterly　cut　off。

A　friend；　indeed；　he　hador　rather；　a　mentor。　The　Baron；　established　once　more　in　the　royal　residence；　was　determined　to　work　with　as　wholehearted　a　detachment　for　the　Prince's　benefit　as；　more　than　twenty　years　before；　he　had　worked　for　his　uncle's。　The　situations　then　and　now；　similar　in　many　respects；　were　yet　full　of　differences。　Perhaps　in　either　case　the　difficulties　to　be　encountered　were　equally　great；　but　the　present　problem　was　the　more　complex　and　the　more　interesting。　The　young　doctor　who；　unknown　and　insignificant；　had　nothing　at　the　back　of　him　but　his　own　wits　and　the　friendship　of　an　unimportant　Prince；　had　been　replaced　by　the　accomplished　confidant　of　kings　and　ministers；　ripe　in　years；　in　reputation；　and　in　the　wisdom　of　a　vast　experience。　It　was　possible　for　him　to　treat　Albert　with　something　of　the　affectionate　authority　of　a　father；　but；　on　the　other　hand；　Albert　was　no　Leopold。　As　the　Baron　was　very　well　aware；　he　had　none　of　his　uncle's　rigidity　of　ambition；　none　of　his　overweening　impulse　to　be　personally　great。　He　was　virtuous　and　well…intentioned；　he　was　clever　and　well…informed；　but　he　took　no　interest　in　politics；　and　there　were　no　signs　that　he　possessed　any　commanding　force　of　character。　Left　to　himself；　he　would　almost　certainly　have　subsided　into　a　high…minded　nonentity；　an　aimless　dilettante　busy　over　culture；　a　palace　appendage　without　influence　or　power。　But　he　was　not　left　to　himself：　Stockmar　saw　to　that。　For　ever　at　his　pupil's　elbow；　the　hidden　Baron　pushed　him　forward；　with　tireless　pressure；　along　the　path　which　had　been　trod　by　Leopold　so　many　years　ago。　But；　this　time；　the　goal　at　the　end　of　it　was　something　more　than　the　mediocre　royalty　that　Leopold　had　reached。　The　prize　which　Stockmar；　with　all　the　energy　of　disinterested　devotion；　had　determined　should　be　Albert's　was　a　tremendous　prize　indeed。

The　beginning　of　the　undertaking　proved　to　be　the　most　arduous　part　of　it。　Albert　was　easily　dispirited：　what　was　the　use　of　struggling　to　perform　in　a　role　which　bored　him　and　which；　it　was　quite　clear；　nobody　but　the　dear　good　Baron　had　any　desire　that　he　should　take　up？　It　was　simpler；　and　it　saved　a　great　deal　of　trouble；　to　let　things　slide。　But　Stockmar　would　not　have　it。　Incessantly；　he　harped　upon　two　stringsAlbert's　sense　of　duty　and　his　personal　pride。　Had　the　Prince　forgotten　the　noble　aims　to　which　his　life　was　to　be　devoted？　And　was　he　going　to　allow　himself；　his　wife；　his　family；　his　whole　existence；　to　be　governed　by　Baroness　Lehzen？　The　latter　consideration　was　a　potent　one。　Albert　had　never　been　accustomed　to　giving　way；　and　now；　more　than　ever　before；　it　would　be　humiliating　to　do　so。　Not　only　was　he　constantly　exasperated　by　the　position　of　the　Baroness　in　the　royal　household；　there　was　another　and　a　still　more　serious　cause　of　complaint。　He　was；　he　knew　very　well；　his　wife's　intellectual　superior；　and　yet　he　found；　to　his　intense　annoyance；　that　there　were　parts　of　her　mind　over　which　he　exercised　no　influence。　When；　urged　on　by　the　Baron；　he　attempted　to　discuss　politics　with　Victoria；　she　eluded　the　subject；　drifted　into　generalities；　and　then　began　to　talk　of　something　else。　She　was　treating　him　as　she　had　once　treated　their　uncle　Leopold。　When　at　last　he　protested；　she　replied　that　her　conduct　was　merely　the　result　of　indolence；　that　when　she　was　with　him　she　could　not　bear　to　bother　her　head　with　anything　so　dull　as　politics。　The　excuse　was　worse　than　the　fault：　was　he　the　wife　and　she　the　husband？　It　almost　seemed　so。　But　the　Baron　declared　that　the　root　of　the　mischief　was　Lehzen：　that　it　was　she　who　encouraged　the　Queen　to　have　secrets；　who　did　worseundermined　the　natural　ingenuousness　of　Victoria；　and　induced　her　to　give；　unconsciously　no　doubt；　false　reasons　to　explain　away　her　conduct。

Minor　disagreements　made　matters　worse。　The　royal　couple　differed　in　their　tastes。　Albert；　brought　up　in　a　regime　of　Spartan　simplicity　and　early　hours；　found　the　great　Court　functions　intolerably　wearisome；　and　was　invariably　observed　to　be　nodding　on　the　sofa　at　half…past　ten；　while　the　Queen's　favourite　form　of　enjoyment　was　to　dance　through　the　night；　and　then；　going　out　into　the　portico　of　the　Palace；　watch　the　sun　rise　behind　St。　Paul's　and　the　towers　of　Westminster。　She　loved　London　and　he　detested　it。　It　was　only　in　Windsor　that　he　felt　he　could　really　breathe；　but　Windsor　too　had　its　terrors：　though　during　the　day　there　he　could　paint　and　walk　and　play　on　the　piano；　after　dinner　black　tedium　descended　like　a　pall。　He　would　have　liked　to　summon　distinguished　scientific　and　literary　men　to　his　presence；　and　after　ascertaining　their　views　upon　various　points　of　art　and　learning；　to　set　forth　his　own；　but　unfortunately　Victoria　〃had　no　fancy　to　encourage　such　people；〃　knowing　that　she　was　unequal　to　taking　a　part　in　their　conversation；　she　insisted　that　the　evening　routine　should　remain　unaltered；　the　regulation　interchange　of　platitudes　with　official　persons　was　followed　as　usual　by　the　round　table　and　the　books　of　engravings；　while　the　Prince；　with　one　of　his　attendants；　played　game　after　game　of　double　chess。

It　was　only　natural　that　in　so　peculiar　a　situation；　in　which　the　elements　of　power；　passion；　and　pride　were　so　strangely　apportioned；　there　should　have　been　occasionally　something　more　than　mere　irritationa　struggle　of　angry　wills。　Victoria；　no　more　than　Albert；　was　in　the　habit　of　playing　second　fiddle。　Her　arbitrary　temper　flashed　out。　Her　vitality；　her　obstinacy；　her　overweening　sense　of　her　own　position；　might　well　have　beaten　down　before　them　his　superiorities　and　his　rights。　But　she　fought　at　a　disadvantage；　she　was；　in　very　truth；　no　longer　her　own　mistress；　a　profound　preoccupation　dominated　her；　seizing　upon　her　inmost　purposes　for　its　own　extraordinary　ends。　She　was　madly　in　love。　The　details　of　those　curious　battles　are　unknown　to　us；　but　Prince　Ernest；　who　remained　in　England　with　his　brother　for　some　months；　noted　them　with　a　friendly　and　startled　eye。　One　story；　indeed；　survives；　ill…authenticated　and　perhaps　mythical；　yet　summing　up；　as　such　stories　often　do；　the　central　facts　of　the　case。　When；　in　wrath；　the　Prince　one　day　had　locked　himself　into　his　room；　Victoria；　no　less　furious；　knocked　on　the　door　to　be　admitted。　〃Who　is　there？〃　he　asked。　〃The　Queen　of　England〃　was　the　answer。　He　did　not　move；　and　again　there　was　a　hail　of　knocks。　The　question　and　the　answer　were　repeated　many　times；　but　at　last　there　was　a　pause；　and　then　a　gentler　knocking。　〃Who　is　there？〃　came　once　more　the　relentless　question。　But　this　time　the　reply　was　different。　〃Your　wife；　Albert。〃　And　the　door　was　immediately　opened。

Very　gradually　the　Prince's　position　changed。　He　began　to　find　the　study　of　politics　less　uninteresting　than　he　had　supposed；　he　read　Blackstone；　and　took　lessons　in　English　Law；　he　was　occasionally　present　when　the　Queen　interviewed　her　Ministers；　and　at　Lord　Melbourne's　suggestion　he　was　shown　all　the　despatches　relating　to　Foreign　Affairs。　Sometimes　he　would　commit　his　views　to　paper；　and　read　them　aloud　to　the　Prime　Minister；　who；　infinitely　kind　and　courteous；　listened　with　attention；　but　seldom　made　any　reply。　An　important　step　was　taken　when；　before　the　birth　of　the　Princess　Royal；　the　Prince；　without　any　opposition　in　Parliament；　was　appointed　Regent　in　case　of　the　death　of　the　Queen。　Stockmar；　owing　to　whose　intervention　with　the　Tories　this　happy　result　had　been　brought　about；　now　felt　himself　at　liberty　to　take　a　holiday　with　his　family　in　Coburg；　but　his　solicitude；　poured　out　in　innumerable　letters；　still　watched　over　his　pupil　from　afar。　〃Dear　Prince；〃　he　wrote；　〃I　am　satisfied　with　the　news　you　have　sent　me。　Mistakes；　misunderstandings；　obstructions；　which　come　in　vexatious　opposition　to　one's　views；　are　always　to　be　taken　for　just　what　they　arenamely；　natural　phenomena　of　life；　which　represent　one　of　i