government in France； suddenly grew more extreme than it ever had been since 1848。 It also became for the first time almost respectable。 Chartism had been entirely an affair of the lower classes； but now Members of Parliament； learned professors； and ladies of title openly avowed the most subversive views。 The monarchy was attacked both in theory and in practice。 And it was attacked at a vital point： it was declared to be too expensive。 What benefits； it was asked； did the nation reap to counterbalance the enormous sums which were expended upon the Sovereign？ Victoria's retirement gave an unpleasant handle to the argument。 It was pointed out that the ceremonial functions of the Crown had virtually lapsed； and the awkward question remained whether any of the other functions which it did continue to perform were really worth L385；000 per annum。 The royal balance…sheet was curiously examined。 An anonymous pamphlet entitled 〃What does she do with it？〃 appeared； setting forth the financial position with malicious clarity。 The Queen； it stated； was granted by the Civil List L60；000 a year for her private use； but the rest of her vast annuity was given； as the Act declared； to enable her 〃to defray the expenses of her royal household and to support the honour and dignity of the Crown。〃 Now it was obvious that； since the death of the Prince； the expenditure for both these purposes must have been very considerably diminished； and it was difficult to resist the conclusion that a large sum of money was diverted annually from the uses for which it had been designed by Parliament； to swell the private fortune of Victoria。 The precise amount of that private fortune it was impossible to discover； but there was reason to suppose that it was gigantic； perhaps it reached a total of five million pounds。 The pamphlet protested against such a state of affairs； and its protests were repeated vigorously in newspapers and at public meetings。 Though it is certain that the estimate of Victoria's riches was much exaggerated； it is equally certain that she was an exceedingly wealthy woman。 She probably saved L20；000 a year from the Civil List； the revenues of the Duchy of Lancaster were steadily increasing； she had inherited a considerable property from the Prince Consort； and she had been left； in 1852； an estate of half a million by Mr。 John Neild； an eccentric miser。 In these circumstances it was not surprising that when； in 1871； Parliament was asked to vote a dowry of L30；000 to the Princess Louise on her marriage with the eldest son of the Duke of Argyle； together with an annuity of L6；000； there should have been a serious outcry＇*＇。
＇*＇ In 1889 it was officially stated that the Queen's total savings from the Civil List amounted to L824；025； but that out of this sum much had been spent on special entertainments to foreign visitors。 Taking into consideration the proceeds from the Duchy of Lancaster； which were more than L60；000 a year； the savings of the Prince Consort； and Mr。 Neild's legacy； it seems probable that； at the time of her death； Victoria's private fortune approached two million pounds。
In order to conciliate public opinion； the Queen opened Parliament in person； and the vote was passed almost unanimously。 But a few months later another demand was made： the Prince Arthur had come of age； and the nation was asked to grant him an annuity of L15；000。 The outcry was redoubled。 The newspapers were filled with angry articles； Bradlaugh thundered against 〃princely paupers〃 to one of the largest crowds that had ever been seen in Trafalgar Square； and Sir Charles Dilke expounded the case for a republic in a speech to his constituents at Newcastle。 The Prince's annuity was ultimately sanctioned in the House of Commons by a large majority； but a minority of fifty members voted in favour of reducing the sum to L10；000。
Towards every aspect of this distasteful question； Mr。 Gladstone presented an iron front。 He absolutely discountenanced the extreme section of his followers。 He declared that the whole of the Queen's income was justly at her personal disposal； argued that to complain of royal savings was merely to encourage royal extravagance； and successfully convoyed through Parliament the unpopular annuities； which； he pointed out； were strictly in accordance with precedent。 When； in 1872； Sir Charles Dilke once more returned to the charge in the House of Commons； introducing a motion for a full enquiry into the Queen's expenditure with a view to a root and branch reform of the Civil List； the Prime Minister brought all the resources of his powerful and ingenious eloquence to the support of the Crown。 He was completely successful； and amid a scene of great disorder the motion was ignominiously dismissed。 Victoria was relieved； but she grew no fonder of Mr。 Gladstone。
It was perhaps the most miserable moment of her life。 The Ministers； the press； the public； all conspired to vex her； to blame her； to misinterpret her actions； to be unsympathetic and disrespectful in every way。 She was 〃a cruelly misunderstood woman；〃 she told Mr。 Martin； complaining to him bitterly of the unjust attacks which were made upon her； and declaring that 〃the great worry and anxiety and hard work for ten years； alone； unaided； with increasing age and never very strong health〃 were breaking her down； and 〃almost drove her to despair。〃 The situation was indeed deplorable。 It seemed as if her whole existence had gone awry； as if an irremediable antagonism had grown up between the Queen and the nation。 If Victoria had died in the early seventies； there can be little doubt that the voice of the world would have pronounced her a failure。
III
But she was reserved for a very different fate。 The outburst of republicanism had been in fact the last flicker of an expiring cause。 The liberal tide； which had been flowing steadily ever since the Reform Bill； reached its height with Mr。 Gladstone's first administration； and towards the end of that administration the inevitable ebb began。 The reaction； when it came； was sudden and complete。 The General Election of 1874 changed the whole face of politics。 Mr。 Gladstone and the Liberals were routed； and the Tory party； for the first time for over forty years； attained an unquestioned supremacy in England。 It was obvious that their surprising triumph was pre…eminently due to the skill and vigour of Disraeli。 He returned to office； no longer the dubious commander of an insufficient host； but with drums beating and flags flying； a conquering hero。 And as a conquering hero Victoria welcomed her new Prime Minister。
Then there followed six years of excitement； of enchantment； of felicity； of glory； of romance。 The amazing being； who now at last； at the age of seventy； after a lifetime of extraordinary struggles； had turned into reality the absurdest of his boyhood's dreams； knew well enough how to make his own； with absolute completeness； the heart of the Sovereign Lady whose servant； and whose master； he had so miraculously become。 In women's hearts he had always read as in an open book。 His whole career had turned upon those curious entities； and the more curious they were； the more intimately at home with them he seemed to be。 But Lady Beaconsfield； with her cracked idolatry； and Mrs。 Brydges…Williams； with her clogs； her corpulence； and her legacy； were gone： an even more remarkable phenomenon stood in their place。 He surveyed what was before him with the eye of a past…master； and he was not for a moment at a loss。 He realised everythingthe interacting complexities of circumstance and character； the pride of place mingled so inextricably with personal arrogance； the superabundant emotionalism； the ingenuousness of outlook； the solid； the laborious respectability； shot through so incongruously by temperamental cravings for the coloured and the strange； the singular intellectual limitations； and the mysteriously essential female elements impregnating every particle of the whole。 A smile hovered over his impassive features； and he dubbed Victoria 〃the Faery。〃 The name delighted him； for； with that epigrammatic ambiguity so dear to his heart； it precisely expressed his vision of the Queen。 The Spenserian allusion was very pleasantthe elegant evocations of Gloriana； but there was more in it than that： there was the suggestion of a diminutive creature； endowed with magicaland mythicalproperties； and a portentousness almost ridiculously out of keeping with the rest of her make…up。 The Faery； he determined； should henceforward wave her wand for him alone。 Detachment is always a rare quality； and rarest of all； perhaps； among politicians； but that veteran egotist possessed it in a supreme degree。 Not only did he know what he had to do； not only did he do it； he was in the audience as well as on the stage； and he took in with the rich relish of a connoisseur every feature of the entertaining situation； every phase of the delicate drama； and every detail of his own consummate performance。
The smile hovered and vanished； and； bowing low with Oriental gravity and Oriental submissiveness； he set himself to his task。 He had understood from the first that in dealing with the Faery the appropriate method of approach was the very antithesis of the Gladstonian； and such a method was naturally his。 It was not his habit to harangue and exhort and expatiate in official conscientiousness； he liked to scatter flowers along the path of business； to compress a weighty argument into a happy phrase； to insinuate what was in his mind with an air of friendship and confidential courtesy。 He was nothing if not personal； and he had perceived that personality was the key that opened the Faery's heart。 Accordingly； he never for a moment allowed his intercourse with her to lose the personal tone； he invested all the transactions of State with the charms of familiar conversation； she was always the royal lady； the adored and revered mistress； he the devoted and respectful friend。 When once the personal relation was firmly established； every difficulty disappeared。 But to maintain that relation uninterruptedly in a smooth and even course a particular care was necessary： the bearings had to be most assiduously oiled。 Nor was Disraeli in any doubt as to the nature of the