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Queen Victoria-Part8_Lytton Strachey(1880-1932)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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surprised at my disliking them. M. said, ' The rooks are my delight.'"

The day's routine, whether in London or at Windsor, was almost invariable. The



morning was devoted to business and Lord M. In the afternoon the whole Court

went out riding. The Queen, in her velvet riding--habit and a top-hat with a



veil draped about the brim, headed the cavalcade; and Lord M. rode beside her.

The lively troupe went fast and far, to the extreme exhilaration of Her



Majesty. Back in the Palace again, there was still time for a little more fun

before dinner--a game of battledore and shuttlecock perhaps, or a romp along



the galleries with some children. Dinner came, and the ceremonial decidedly

tightened. The gentleman of highest rank sat on the right hand of the Queen;



on her left--it soon became an established rule--sat Lord Melbourne. After the

ladies had left the dining-room, the gentlemen were not permitted to remain



behind for very long; indeed, the short time allowed them for their

wine-drinking formed the subject--so it was rumoured--of one of the very few



disputes between the Queen and her Prime Minister;[*] but her determination

carried the day, and from that moment after-dinner drunkenness began to go out



of fashion. When the company was reassembled in the drawing-room the etiquette

was stiff. For a few moments the Queen spoke in turn to each one of her



guests; and during these short uneasy colloquies the aridity of royalty was

apt to become painfullyevident. One night Mr. Greville, the Clerk of the



Privy Council, was present; his turn soon came; the middle-aged, hard-faced

viveur was addressed by his young hostess. "Have you been riding to-day, Mr.



Greville?" asked the Queen. "No, Madam, I have not," replied Mr. Greville. "It

was a fine day," continued the Queen. "Yes, Madam, a very fine day," said Mr.



Greville. "It was rather cold, though," said the Queen. "It was rather cold,

Madam," said Mr. Greville. "Your sister, Lady Frances Egerton, rides, I think,



doesn't she?" said the Queen. "She does ride sometimes, Madam," said Mr.

Greville. There was a pause, after which Mr. Greville ventured to take the



lead, though he did not venture to change the subject. "Has your Majesty been

riding today?" asked Mr. Greville. "Oh yes, a very long ride," answered the



Queen with animation. "Has your Majesty got a nice horse?" said Mr. Greville.

"Oh, a very nice horse," said the Queen. It was over. Her Majesty gave a smile



and an inclination of the head, Mr. Greville a profound bow, and the next

conversation began with the next gentleman. When all the guests had been



disposed of, the Duchess of Kent sat down to her whist, while everybody else

was ranged about the round table. Lord Melbourne sat beside the Queen, and



talked pertinaciously--very often a propos to the contents of one of the large

albums of engravings with which the round table was covered--until it was



half-past eleven and time to go to bed.

[*] The Duke of Bedford told Greville he was "sure there was a battle between



her and Melbourne... He is sure there was one about the men's sitting after

dinner, for he heard her say to him rather angrily, 'it is a horrid custom-'



but when the ladies left the room (he dined there) directions were given that

the men should remain five minutes longer." Greville Memoirs, February 26,



1840 (unpublished).

Occasionally, there were little diversions: the evening might be spent at the



opera or at the play. Next morning the royal critic was careful to note down

her impressions. "It was Shakespeare's tragedy of Hamlet, and we came in at



the beginning of it. Mr. Charles Kean (son of old Kean) acted the part of

Hamlet, and I must say beautifully. His conception of this very difficult, and



I may almost say incomprehensible, character is admirable; his delivery of all

the fine long speeches quite beautiful; he is excessively graceful and all his



actions and attitudes are good, though not at all good-looking in face... I

came away just as Hamlet was over." Later on, she went to see Macready in King



Lear. The story was new to her; she knew nothing about it, and at first she




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