She　pressed　on；　with　bulky　vigour；　along　the　course　she　had　laid　out。　Sir　John　Conroy；　an　Irishman　with　no　judgment　and　a　great　deal　of　self…importance；　was　her　intimate　counsellor；　and　egged　her　on。　It　was　advisable　that　Victoria　should　become　acquainted　with　the　various　districts　of　England；　and　through　several　summers　a　succession　of　toursin　the　West；　in　the　Midlands；　in　Waleswere　arranged　for　her。　The　intention　of　the　plan　was　excellent；　but　its　execution　was　unfortunate。　The　journeys；　advertised　in　the　Press；　attracting　enthusiastic　crowds；　and　involving　official　receptions；　took　on　the　air　of　royal　progresses。　Addresses　were　presented　by　loyal　citizens；　the　delighted　Duchess；　swelling　in　sweeping　feathers　and　almost　obliterating　the　diminutive　Princess；　read　aloud；　in　her　German　accent；　gracious　replies　prepared　beforehand　by　Sir　John；　who；　bustling　and　ridiculous；　seemed　to　be　mingling　the　roles　of　major…domo　and　Prime　Minister。　Naturally　the　King　fumed　over　his　newspaper　at　Windsor。　〃That　woman　is　a　nuisance！〃　he　exclaimed。　Poor　Queen　Adelaide；　amiable　though　disappointed；　did　her　best　to　smooth　things　down；　changed　the　subject；　and　wrote　affectionate　letters　to　Victoria；　but　it　was　useless。　News　arrived　that　the　Duchess　of　Kent；　sailing　in　the　Solent；　had　insisted　that　whenever　her　yacht　appeared　it　should　be　received　by　royal　salutes　from　all　the　men…of…war　and　all　the　forts。　The　King　declared　that　these　continual　poppings　must　cease；　the　Premier　and　the　First　Lord　of　the　Admiralty　were　consulted；　and　they　wrote　privately　to　the　Duchess；　begging　her　to　waive　her　rights。　But　she　would　not　hear　of　it；　Sir　John　Conroy　was　adamant。　〃As　her　Royal　Highness's　CONFIDENTIAL　ADVISER；〃　he　said；　〃I　cannot　recommend　her　to　give　way　on　this　point。〃　Eventually　the　King；　in　a　great　state　of　excitement；　issued　a　special　Order　in　Council；　prohibiting　the　firing　of　royal　salutes　to　any　ships　except　those　which　carried　the　reigning　sovereign　or　his　consort　on　board。
  When　King　William　quarrelled　with　his　Whig　Ministers　the　situation　grew　still　more　embittered；　for　now　the　Duchess；　in　addition　to　her　other　shortcomings；　was　the　political　partisan　of　his　enemies。　In　1836　he　made　an　attempt　to　prepare　the　ground　for　a　match　between　the　Princess　Victoria　and　one　of　the　sons　of　the　Prince　of　Orange；　and　at　the　same　time　did　his　best　to　prevent　the　visit　of　the　young　Coburg　princes　to　Kensington。　He　failed　in　both　these　objects；　and　the　only　result　of　his　efforts　was　to　raise　the　anger　of　the　King　of　the　Belgians；　who；　forgetting　for　a　moment　his　royal　reserve；　addressed　an　indignant　letter　on　the　subject　to　his　niece。　〃I　am　really　ASTONISHED；〃　he　wrote；　〃at　the　conduct　of　your　old　Uncle　the　King；　this　invitation　of　the　Prince　of　Orange　and　his　sons；　this　forcing　him　on　others；　is　very　extraordinary。。。　Not　later　than　yesterday　I　got　a　half…official　communication　from　England；　insinuating　that　it　would　be　HIGHLY　desirable　that　the　visit　of　YOUR　relatives　SHOULD　NOT　TAKE　PLACE　THIS　YEARqu'en　dites…vous？　The　relations　of　the　Queen　and　the　King；　therefore；　to　the　God…knows…what　degree；　are　to　come　in　shoals　and　rule　the　land；　when　YOUR　RELATIONS　are　to　be　FORBIDDEN　the　country；　and　that　when；　as　you　know；　the　whole　of　your　relations　have　ever　been　very　dutiful　and　kind　to　the　King。　Really　and　truly　I　never　heard　or　saw　anything　like　it；　and　I　hope　it　will　a　LITTLE　ROUSE　YOUR　SPIRIT；　now　that　slavery　is　even　abolished　in　the　British　Colonies；　I　do　not　comprehend　WHY　YOUR　LOT　ALONE　SHOULD　BE　TO　BE　KEPT　A　WHITE　LITTLE　SLAVEY　IN　ENGLAND；　for　the　pleasure　of　the　Court；　who　never　bought　you；　as　I　am　not　aware　of　their　ever　having　gone　to　any　expense　on　that　head；　or　the　King's　ever　having　SPENT　A　SIXPENCE　FOR　YOUR　EXISTENCE。。。　Oh；　consistency　and　political　or　OTHER　HONESTY；　where　must　one　look　for　you！〃
  Shortly　afterwards　King　Leopold　came　to　England　himself；　and　his　reception　was　as　cold　at　Windsor　as　it　was　warm　at　Kensington。　〃To　hear　dear　Uncle　speak　on　any　subject；〃　the　Princess　wrote　in　her　diary；　〃is　like　reading　a　highly　instructive　book；　his　conversation　is　so　enlightened；　so　clear。　He　is　universally　admitted　to　be　one　of　the　first　politicians　now　extant。　He　speaks　so　mildly；　yet　firmly　and　impartially；　about　politics。　Uncle　tells　me　that　Belgium　is　quite　a　pattern　for　its　organisation；　its　industry；　and　prosperity；　the　finances　are　in　the　greatest　perfection。　Uncle　is　so　beloved　and　revered　by　his　Belgian　subjects；　that　it　must　be　a　great　compensation　for　all　his　extreme　trouble。〃　But　her　other　uncle　by　no　means　shared　her　sentiments。　He　could　not；　he　said；　put　up　with　a　water…drinker；　and　King　Leopold　would　touch　no　wine。　〃What's　that　you're　drinking；　sir？〃　he　asked　him　one　day　at　dinner。　〃Water；　sir。〃　〃God　damn　it；　sir！〃　was　the　rejoinder。　〃Why　don't　you　drink　wine？　I　never　allow　anybody　to　drink　water　at　my　table。〃
  It　was　clear　that　before　very　long　there　would　be　a　great　explosion；　and　in　the　hot　days　of　August　it　came。　The　Duchess　and　the　Princess　had　gone　down　to　stay　at　Windsor　for　the　King's　birthday　party；　and　the　King　himself；　who　was　in　London　for　the　day　to　prorogue　Parliament；　paid　a　visit　at　Kensington　Palace　in　their　absence。　There　he　found　that　the　Duchess　had　just　appropriated；　against　his　express　orders；　a　suite　of　seventeen　apartments　for　her　own　use。　He　was　extremely　angry；　and；　when　he　returned　to　Windsor；　after　greeting　the　Princess　with　affection；　he　publicly　rebuked　the　Duchess　for　what　she　had　done。　But　this　was　little　to　what　followed。　On　the　next　day　was　the　birthday　banquet；　there　were　a　hundred　guests；　the　Duchess　of　Kent　sat　on　the　King's　right　hand；　and　the　Princess　Victoria　opposite。　At　the　end　of　the　dinner；　in　reply　to　the　toast　of　the　King's　health；　he　rose；　and；　in　a　long；　loud；　passionate　speech；　poured　out　the　vials　of　his　wrath　upon　the　Duchess。　She　had；　he　declared；　insulted　himgrossly　and　continually；　she　had　kept　the　Princess　away　from　him　in　the　most　improper　manner；　she　was　surrounded　by　evil　advisers；　and　was　incompetent　to　act　with　propriety　in　the　high　station　which　she　filled；　but　he　would　bear　it　no　longer；　he　would　have　her　to　know　he　was　King；　he　was　determined　that　his　authority　should　be　respected；　henceforward　the　Princess　should　attend　at　every　Court　function　with　the　utmost　regularity；　and　he　hoped　to　God　that　his　life　might　be　spared　for　six　months　longer；　so　that　the　calamity　of　a　regency　might　be　avoided；　and　the　functions　of　the　Crown　pass　directly　to　the　heiress…presumptive　instead　of　into　the　hands　of　the　〃person　now　near　him；〃　upon　whose　conduct　and　capacity　no　reliance　whatever　could　be　placed。　The　flood　of　vituperation　rushed　on　for　what　seemed　an　interminable　period；　while　the　Queen　blushed　scarlet；　the　Princess　burst　into　tears；　and　the　hundred　guests　sat　aghast。　The　Duchess　said　not　a　word　until　the　tirade　was　over　and　the　company　had　retired；　then　in　a　tornado　of　rage　and　mortification；　she　called　for　her　carriage　and　announced　her　immediate　return　to　Kensington。　It　was　only　with　the　utmost　difficulty　that　some　show　of　a　reconciliation　was　patched　up；　and　the　outraged　lady　was　prevailed　upon　to　put　off　her　departure　till　the　morrow。
  Her　troubles；　however；　were　not　over　when　she　had　shaken　the　dust　of　Windsor　from　her　feet。　In　her　own　household　she　was　pursued　by　bitterness　and　vexation　of　spirit。　The　apartments　at　Kensington　were　seething　with　subdued　disaffection；　with　jealousies　and　animosities　virulently　intensified　by　long　years　of　propinquity　and　spite。
  There　was　a　deadly　feud　between　Sir　John　Conroy　and　Baroness　Lehzen。　But　that　was　not　all。　The　Duchess　had　grown　too　fond　of　her　Major…Domo。　There　were　familiarities；　and　one　day　the　Princess　Victoria　discovered　the　fact。　She　confided　what　she　had　seen　to　the　Baroness；　and　to　the　Baroness's　beloved　ally；　Madame　de　Spath。　Unfortunately；　Madame　de　Spath　could　not　hold　her　tongue；　and　was　actually　foolish　enough　to　reprove　the　Duchess；　whereupon　she　was　instantly　dismissed。　It　was　not　so　easy　to　get　rid　of　the　Baroness。　That　lady；　prudent　and　reserved；　maintained　an　irreproachable　demeanour。　Her　position　was　strongly　entrenched；　she　had　managed　to　secure　the　support　of　the　King；　and　Sir　John　found　that　he　could　do　nothing　against　her。　But　henceforward　the　household　was　divided　into　two　camps。＇*＇　The　Duchess　supported　Sir　John　with　all　the　abundance　of　her　authority；　but　the　Baroness；　too；　had　an　adherent　who　could　not　be　neglected。　The　Princess　Victoria　said　nothing；　but　she　had　been　much　attached　to　Madame　de　Spath；　and　she　adored　her　Lehzen。　The　Duchess　knew　only　too　well　that　in　this　horrid　embroilment　her　daughter　was　against　her。　Chagrin；　annoyance；　moral　reprobation；　tossed　her　to　and　fro。　She　did　her　best　to　console　herself　with　Sir　John's　affectionate　loquacity；　or　with　the　sharp　remarks　of　Lady　Flora　Hastings；　one　of　her　maids　of　honour；　who　had　no　love　for　the　Baroness。　The　subject　lent　itself　to　satire；　for　the　pastor's　daughter；　with　all　her　airs　of　stiff　superiority；　had　habits　which　betrayed　her　origin。　Her　passion　for　caraway　seeds；　for　instance；　was　uncontrollable。　Little　bags　of　them　came　over　to　her　from　Hanover；　and　she　sprinkled　them　on　her　bread　and　butter；　her　cabbage；　and　even　her　roast　beef。　Lady　F