queen victoria-第5章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　The　Duke　was　just　able　to　understand　the　document；　and　to　append　his　signature。　Having　inquired　whether　his　writing　was　perfectly　clear；　he　became　unconscious；　and　breathed　his　last　on　the　following　morning！　Six　days　later　came　the　fulfilment　of　the　second　half　of　the　gipsy's　prophecy。　The　long；　unhappy；　and　inglorious　life　of　George　the　Third　of　England　was　ended。

II

Such　was　the　confusion　of　affairs　at　Sidmouth；　that　the　Duchess　found　herself　without　the　means　of　returning　to　London。　Prince　Leopold　hurried　down；　and　himself　conducted　his　sister　and　her　family；　by　slow　and　bitter　stages；　to　Kensington。　The　widowed　lady；　in　her　voluminous　blacks；　needed　all　her　equanimity　to　support　her。　Her　prospects　were　more　dubious　than　ever。　She　had　L6000　a　year　of　her　own；　but　her　husband's　debts　loomed　before　her　like　a　mountain。　Soon　she　learnt　that　the　Duchess　of　Clarence　was　once　more　expecting　a　child。　What　had　she　to　look　forward　to　in　England？　Why　should　she　remain　in　a　foreign　country；　among　strangers；　whose　language　she　could　not　speak；　whose　customs　she　could　not　understand？　Surely　it　would　be　best　to　return　to　Amorbach；　and　there；　among　her　own　people；　bring　up　her　daughters　in　economical　obscurity。　But　she　was　an　inveterate　optimist；　she　had　spent　her　life　in　struggles；　and　would　not　be　daunted　now；　and　besides；　she　adored　her　baby。　〃C'est　mon　bonheur；　mes　delices；　mon　existence；〃　she　declared；　the　darling　should　be　brought　up　as　an　English　princess；　whatever　lot　awaited　her。　Prince　Leopold　came　forward　nobly　with　an　offer　of　an　additional　L3000　a　year；　and　the　Duchess　remained　at　Kensington。

The　child　herself　was　extremely　fat；　and　bore　a　remarkable　resemblance　to　her　grandfather。　〃C'est　l'image　du　feu　Roi！〃　exclaimed　the　Duchess。　〃C'est　le　Roi　Georges　en　jupons；〃　echoed　the　surrounding　ladies；　as　the　little　creature　waddled　with　difficulty　from　one　to　the　other。

Before　long；　the　world　began　to　be　slightly　interested　in　the　nursery　at　Kensington。　When；　early　in　1821；　the　Duchess　of　Clarence's　second　child；　the　Princess　Elizabeth；　died　within　three　months　of　its　birth；　the　interest　increased。　Great　forces　and　fierce　antagonisms　seemed　to　be　moving；　obscurely；　about　the　royal　cradle。　It　was　a　time　of　faction　and　anger；　of　violent　repression　and　profound　discontent。　A　powerful　movement；　which　had　for　long　been　checked　by　adverse　circumstances；　was　now　spreading　throughout　the　country。　New　passions；　new　desires；　were　abroad；　or　rather　old　passions　and　old　desires；　reincarnated　with　a　new　potency：　love　of　freedom；　hatred　of　injustice；　hope　for　the　future　of　man。　The　mighty　still　sat　proudly　in　their　seats；　dispensing　their　ancient　tyranny；　but　a　storm　was　gathering　out　of　the　darkness；　and　already　there　was　lightning　in　the　sky。　But　the　vastest　forces　must　needs　operate　through　frail　human　instruments；　and　it　seemed　for　many　years　as　if　the　great　cause　of　English　liberalism　hung　upon　the　life　of　the　little　girl　at　Kensington。　She　alone　stood　between　the　country　and　her　terrible　uncle；　the　Duke　of　Cumberland；　the　hideous　embodiment　of　reaction。　Inevitably；　the　Duchess　of　Kent　threw　in　her　lot　with　her　husband's　party；　Whig　leaders；　Radical　agitators；　rallied　round　her；　she　was　intimate　with　the　bold　Lord　Durham；　she　was　on　friendly　terms　with　the　redoubtable　O'Connell　himself。　She　received　Wilberforce…though；　to　be　sure；　she　did　not　ask　him　to　sit　down。　She　declared　in　public　that　she　put　her　faith　in　〃the　liberties　of　the　People。〃　It　was　certain　that　the　young　Princess　would　be　brought　up　in　the　way　that　she　should　go；　yet　there；　close　behind　the　throne；　waiting；　sinister；　was　the　Duke　of　Cumberland。　Brougham；　looking　forward　into　the　future　in　his　scurrilous　fashion；　hinted　at　dreadful　possibilities。　〃I　never　prayed　so　heartily　for　a　Prince　before；〃　he　wrote；　on　hearing　that　George　IV　had　been　attacked　by　illness。　〃If　he　had　gone；　all　the　troubles　of　these　villains　＇the　Tory　Ministers＇　went　with　him；　and　they　had　Fred。　I　＇the　Duke　of　York＇　their　own　man　for　his　life。　He　＇Fred。　I＇　won't　live　long　either；　that　Prince　of　Blackguards；　'Brother　William；'　is　as　bad　a　life；　so　we　come　in　the　course　of　nature　to　be　ASSASSINATED　by　King　Ernest　I　or　Regent　Ernest　＇the　Duke　of　Cumberland＇。〃　Such　thoughts　were　not　peculiar　to　Brougham；　in　the　seething　state　of　public　feeling；　they　constantly　leapt　to　the　surface；　and；　even　so　late　as　the　year　previous　to　her　accession；　the　Radical　newspapers　were　full　of　suggestions　that　the　Princess　Victoria　was　in　danger　from　the　machinations　of　her　wicked　uncle。

But　no　echo　of　these　conflicts　and　forebodings　reached　the　little　Drinafor　so　she　was　called　in　the　family　circleas　she　played　with　her　dolls；　or　scampered　down　the　passages；　or　rode　on　the　donkey　her　uncle　York　had　given　her　along　the　avenues　of　Kensington　Gardens　The　fair…haired；　blue…eyed　child　was　idolised　by　her　nurses；　and　her　mother's　ladies；　and　her　sister　Feodora；　and　for　a　few　years　there　was　danger；　in　spite　of　her　mother's　strictness；　of　her　being　spoilt。　From　time　to　time；　she　would　fly　into　a　violent　passion；　stamp　her　little　foot；　and　set　everyone　at　defiance；　whatever　they　might　say；　she　would　not　learn　her　lettersno；　she　WOULD　NOT；　afterwards；　she　was　very　sorry；　and　burst　into　tears；　but　her　letters　remained　unlearnt。　When　she　was　five　years　old；　however；　a　change　came；　with　the　appearance　of　Fraulein　Lehzen。　This　lady；　who　was　the　daughter　of　a　Hanoverian　clergyman；　and　had　previously　been　the　Princess　Feodora's　governess；　soon　succeeded　in　instilling　a　new　spirit　into　her　charge。　At　first；　indeed；　she　was　appalled　by　the　little　Princess's　outbursts　of　temper；　never　in　her　life；　she　declared；　had　she　seen　such　a　passionate　and　naughty　child。　Then　she　observed　something　else；　the　child　was　extraordinarily　truthful；　whatever　punishment　might　follow；　she　never　told　a　lie。　Firm；　very　firm；　the　new　governess　yet　had　the　sense　to　see　that　all　the　firmness　in　the　world　would　be　useless；　unless　she　could　win　her　way　into　little　Drina's　heart。　She　did　so；　and　there　were　no　more　difficulties。　Drina　learnt　her　letters　like　an　angel；　and　she　learnt　other　things　as　well。　The　Baroness　de　Spath　taught　her　how　to　make　little　board　boxes　and　decorate　them　with　tinsel　and　painted　flowers；　her　mother　taught　her　religion。　Sitting　in　the　pew　every　Sunday　morning；　the　child　of　six　was　seen　listening　in　rapt　attention　to　the　clergyman's　endless　sermon；　for　she　was　to　be　examined　upon　it　in　the　afternoon。　The　Duchess　was　determined　that　her　daughter；　from　the　earliest　possible　moment；　should　be　prepared　for　her　high　station　in　a　way　that　would　commend　itself　to　the　most　respectable；　her　good；　plain；　thrifty　German　mind　recoiled　with　horror　and　amazement　from　the　shameless　junketings　at　Carlton　House；　Drina　should　never　be　allowed　to　forget　for　a　moment　the　virtues　of　simplicity；　regularity；　propriety；　and　devotion。　The　little　girl；　however；　was　really　in　small　need　of　such　lessons；　for　she　was　naturally　simple　and　orderly；　she　was　pious　without　difficulty；　and　her　sense　of　propriety　was　keen。　She　understood　very　well　the　niceties　of　her　own　position。　When；　a　child　of　six；　Lady　Jane　Ellice　was　taken　by　her　grandmother　to　Kensington　Palace；　she　was　put　to　play　with　the　Princess　Victoria；　who　was　the　same　age　as　herself。　The　young　visitor；　ignorant　of　etiquette；　began　to　make　free　with　the　toys　on　the　floor；　in　a　way　which　was　a　little　too　familiar；　but　〃You　must　not　touch　those；〃　she　was　quickly　told；　〃they　are　mine；　and　I　may　call　you　Jane；　but　you　must　not　call　me　Victoria。〃　The　Princess's　most　constant　playmate　was　Victoire；　the　daughter　of　Sir　John　Conroy；　the　Duchess's　major…domo。　The　two　girls　were　very　fond　of　one　another；　they　would　walk　hand　in　hand　together　in　Kensington　Gardens。　But　little　Drina　was　perfectly　aware　for　which　of　them　it　was　that　they　were　followed；　at　a　respectful　distance；　by　a　gigantic　scarlet　flunkey。

Warm…hearted；　responsive；　she　loved　her　dear　Lehzen；　and　she　loved　her　dear　Feodora；　and　her　dear　Victoire；　and　her　dear　Madame　de　Spath。　And　her　dear　Mamma；　of　course；　she　loved　her　too；　it　was　her　duty；　and　yetshe　could　not　tell　why　it　wasshe　was　always　happier　when　she　was　staying　with　her　Uncle　Leopold　at　Clarem