pointing out the unconstitutional nature of Lord Melbourne’s
proceedings and the unpleasant position in which the
Queen might find herself if they were discovered by
Peel; and he instructed Anson to take this memorandum
to the ex-Minister. Lord Melbourne, lounging
on a sofa, read it through with compressed lips.
“This is quite an apple-pie opinion,” he
said. When Anson ventured to expostulate further,
suggesting that it was unseemly in the leader of the
Opposition to maintain an intimate relationship with
the Sovereign, the old man lost his temper. “God
eternally damn it!” he exclaimed, leaping up
from his sofa, and dashing about the room. “Flesh
and blood cannot stand this!” He continued to
write to the Queen, as before; and two more violent
bombardments from the Baron were needed before he
was brought to reason. Then, gradually, his letters
grew less and less frequent, with fewer and fewer references
to public concerns; at last, they were entirely innocuous.
The Baron smiled; Lord M. had accepted the inevitable.
The Whig Ministry resigned in September, 1841; but
more than a year was to elapse before another and
an equally momentous change was effected—the
removal of Lehzen. For, in the end, the mysterious
governess was conquered. The steps are unknown
by which Victoria was at last led to accept her withdrawal
with composure—perhaps with relief; but
it is clear that Albert’s domestic position must
have been greatly strengthened by the appearance of
children. The birth of the Princess Royal had
been followed in November, 1841, by that of the Prince
of Wales; and before very long another baby was expected.
The Baroness, with all her affection, could have but
a remote share in such family delights. She lost
ground perceptibly. It was noticed as a phenomenon
that, once or twice, when the Court travelled, she
was left behind at Windsor. The Prince was very
cautious; at the change of Ministry, Lord Melbourne
had advised him to choose that moment for decisive
action; but he judged it wiser to wait. Time
and the pressure of inevitable circumstances were
for him; every day his predominance grew more assured—and
every night. At length he perceived that he need
hesitate no longer—that every wish, every
velleity of his had only to be expressed to be at
once Victoria’s. He spoke, and Lehzen vanished
for ever. No more would she reign in that royal
heart and those royal halls. No more, watching
from a window at Windsor, would she follow her pupil
and her sovereign walking on the terrace among the
obsequious multitude, with the eye of triumphant love.
Returning to her native Hanover she established herself
at Buckeburg in a small but comfortable house, the
walls of which were entirely covered by portraits of
Her Majesty. The Baron, in spite of his dyspepsia,
smiled again: Albert was supreme.
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