rtunate　successor　of　the　Princess　Charlotte；　when；　in　the　early　days　of　their　marriage；　she　had　attempted　a　feeble　joke。　Did　she　not　understand　that　the　consort　of　a　constitutional　sovereign　must　not　be　frivolous？　She　understood；　at　last；　only　too　well；　and　when　the　startled　walls　of　the　state　apartments　re…echoed　to　the　chattering　and　the　laughter　of　Victoria；　the　poor　lady　found　that　she　had　almost　forgotten　how　to　smile。
  Another　year；　Germany　was　visited；　and　Albert　displayed　the　beauties　of　his　home。　When　Victoria　crossed　the　frontier；　she　was　much　excitedand　she　was　astonished　as　well。　〃To　hear　the　people　speak　German；〃　she　noted　in　her　diary；　〃and　to　see　the　German　soldiers；　etc。；　seemed　to　me　so　singular。〃　Having　recovered　from　this　slight　shock；　she　found　the　country　charming。　She　was　feted　everywhere；　crowds　of　the　surrounding　royalties　swooped　down　to　welcome　her；　and　the　prettiest　groups　of　peasant　children；　dressed　in　their　best　clothes；　presented　her　with　bunches　of　flowers。　The　principality　of　Coburg；　with　its　romantic　scenery　and　its　well…behaved　inhabitants；　particularly　delighted　her；　and　when　she　woke　up　one　morning　to　find　herself　in　〃dear　Rosenau；　my　Albert's　birthplace；〃　it　was　〃like　a　beautiful　dream。〃　On　her　return　home；　she　expatiated；　in　a　letter　to　King　Leopold；　upon　the　pleasures　of　the　trip；　dwelling　especially　upon　the　intensity　of　her　affection　for　Albert's　native　land。　〃I　have　a　feeling；〃　she　said；　〃for　our　dear　little　Germany；　which　I　cannot　describe。　I　felt　it　at　Rosenau　so　much。　It　is　a　something　which　touches　me；　and　which　goes　to　my　heart；　and　makes　me　inclined　to　cry。　I　never　felt　at　any　other　place　that　sort　of　pensive　pleasure　and　peace　which　I　felt　there。　I　fear　I　almost　like　it　too　much。〃
  V
  The　husband　was　not　so　happy　as　the　wife。　In　spite　of　the　great　improvement　in　his　situation；　in　spite　of　a　growing　family　and　the　adoration　of　Victoria；　Albert　was　still　a　stranger　in　a　strange　land；　and　the　serenity　of　spiritual　satisfaction　was　denied　him。　It　was　something；　no　doubt；　to　have　dominated　his　immediate　environment；　but　it　was　not　enough；　and；　besides；　in　the　very　completeness　of　his　success；　there　was　a　bitterness。　Victoria　idolised　him；　but　it　was　understanding　that　he　craved　for；　not　idolatry；　and　how　much　did　Victoria；　filled　to　the　brim　though　she　was　with　him；　understand　him？　How　much　does　the　bucket　understand　the　well？　He　was　lonely。　He　went　to　his　organ　and　improvised　with　learned　modulations　until　the　sounds；　swelling　and　subsiding　through　elaborate　cadences；　brought　some　solace　to　his　heart。　Then；　with　the　elasticity　of　youth；　he　hurried　off　to　play　with　the　babies；　or　to　design　a　new　pigsty；　or　to　read　aloud　the　〃Church　History　of　Scotland〃　to　Victoria；　or　to　pirouette　before　her　on　one　toe；　like　a　ballet…dancer；　with　a　fixed　smile；　to　show　her　how　she　ought　to　behave　when　she　appeared　in　public　places。　Thus　did　he　amuse　himself；　but　there　was　one　distraction　in　which　he　did　not　indulge。　He　never　flirtedno；　not　with　the　prettiest　ladies　of　the　Court。　When；　during　their　engagement；　the　Queen　had　remarked　with　pride　to　Lord　Melbourne　that　the　Prince　paid　no　attention　to　any　other　woman；　the　cynic　had　answered；　〃No；　that　sort　of　thing　is　apt　to　come　later；〃　upon　which　she　had　scolded　him　severely；　and　then　hurried　off　to　Stockmar　to　repeat　what　Lord　M。　had　said。　But　the　Baron　had　reassured　her；　though　in　other　cases；　he　had　replied；　that　might　happen；　he　did　not　think　it　would　in　Albert's。　And　the　Baron　was　right。　Throughout　their　married　life　no　rival　female　charms　ever　had　cause　to　give　Victoria　one　moment's　pang　of　jealosy
  What　more　and　more　absorbed　himbringing　with　it　a　curious　comfort　of　its　ownwas　his　work。　With　the　advent　of　Peel；　he　began　to　intervene　actively　in　the　affairs　of　the　State。　In　more　ways　than　onein　the　cast　of　their　intelligence；　in　their　moral　earnestness；　even　in　the　uneasy　formalism　of　their　mannersthe　two　men　resembled　each　other；　there　was　a　sympathy　between　them；　and　thus　Peel　was　ready　enough　to　listen　to　the　advice　of　Stockmar；　and　to　urge　the　Prince　forward　into　public　life。　A　royal　commission　was　about　to　be　formed　to　enquire　whether　advantage　might　not　be　taken　of　the　rebuilding　of　the　Houses　of　Parliament　to　encourage　the　Fine　Arts　in　the　United　Kingdom；　and　Peel；　with　great　perspicacity；　asked　the　Prince　to　preside　over　it。　The　work　was　of　a　kind　which　precisely　suited　Albert：　his　love　of　art；　his　love　of　method；　his　love　of　coming　into　contactclose　yet　dignifiedwith　distinguished　menit　satisfied　them　all；　and　he　threw　himself　into　it　con　amore。　Some　of　the　members　of　the　commission　were　somewhat　alarmed　when；　in　his　opening　speech；　he　pointed　out　the　necessity　of　dividing　the　subjects　to　be　considered　into　〃categories…〃　the　word；　they　thought；　smacked　dangerously　of　German　metaphysics；　but　their　confidence　returned　when　they　observed　His　Royal　Highness's　extraordinary　technical　acquaintance　with　the　processes　of　fresco　painting。　When　the　question　arose　as　to　whether　the　decorations　upon　the　walls　of　the　new　buildings　should；　or　should　not；　have　a　moral　purpose；　the　Prince　spoke　strongly　for　the　affirmative。　Although　many；　he　observed；　would　give　but　a　passing　glance　to　the　works；　the　painter　was　not　therefore　to　forget　that　others　might　view　them　with　more　thoughtful　eyes。　This　argument　convinced　the　commission；　and　it　was　decided　that　the　subjects　to　be　depicted　should　be　of　an　improving　nature。　The　frescoes　were　carried　out　in　accordance　with　the　commission's　instructions；　but　unfortunately　before　very　long　they　had　become；　even　to　the　most　thoughtful　eyes；　totally　invisible。　It　seems　that　His　Royal　Highness's　technical　acquaintance　with　the　processes　of　fresco　painting　was　incomplete！
  The　next　task　upon　which　the　Prince　embarked　was　a　more　arduous　one：　he　determined　to　reform　the　organisation　of　the　royal　household。　This　reform　had　been　long　overdue。　For　years　past　the　confusion；　discomfort；　and　extravagance　in　the　royal　residences；　and　in　Buckingham　Palace　particularly；　had　been　scandalous；　no　reform　had　been　practicable　under　the　rule　of　the　Baroness；　but　her　functions　had　now　devolved　upon　the　Prince；　and　in　1844；　he　boldly　attacked　the　problem。　Three　years　earlier；　Stockmar；　after　careful　enquiry；　had　revealed　in　an　elaborate　memorandum　an　extraordinary　state　of　affairs。　The　control　of　the　household；　it　appeared；　was　divided　in　the　strangest　manner　between　a　number　of　authorities；　each　independent　of　the　other；　each　possessed　of　vague　and　fluctuating　powers；　without　responsibility；　and　without　co…ordination。　Of　these　authorities；　the　most　prominent　were　the　Lord　Steward　and　the　Lord　Chamberlainnoblemen　of　high　rank　and　political　importance；　who　changed　office　with　every　administration；　who　did　not　reside　with　the　Court；　and　had　no　effective　representatives　attached　to　it。　The　distribution　of　their　respective　functions　was　uncertain　and　peculiar。　In　Buckingham　Palace；　it　was　believed　that　the　Lord　Chamberlain　had　charge　of　the　whole　of　the　rooms；　with　the　exception　of　the　kitchen；　sculleries；　and　pantries；　which　were　claimed　by　the　Lord　Steward。　At　the　same　time；　the　outside　of　the　Palace　was　under　the　control　of　neither　of　these　functionariesbut　of　the　Office　of　Woods　and　Forests；　and　thus；　while　the　insides　of　the　windows　were　cleaned　by　the　Department　of　the　Lord　Chamberlainor　possibly；　in　certain　cases；　of　the　Lord　Stewardthe　Office　of　Woods　and　Forests　cleaned　their　outsides。　Of　the　servants；　the　housekeepers；　the　pages；　and　the　housemaids　were　under　the　authority　of　the　Lord　Chamberlain；　the　clerk　of　the　kitchen；　the　cooks；　and　the　porters　were　under　that　of　the　Lord　Steward；　but　the　footmen；　the　livery…porters；　and　the　under…butlers　took　their　orders　from　yet　another　officialthe　Master　of　the　Horse。　Naturally；　in　these　circumstances　the　service　was　extremely　defective　and　the　lack　of　discipline　among　the　servants　disgraceful。　They　absented　themselves　for　as　long　as　they　pleased　and　whenever　the　fancy　took　them；　〃and　if；〃　as　the　Baron　put　it；　〃smoking；　drinking；　and　other　irregularities　occur　in　the　dormitories；　where　footmen；　etc。；　sleep　ten　and　twelve　in　each　room；　no　one　can　help　it。〃　As　for　Her　Majesty's　guests；　there　was　nobody　to　show　them　to　their　rooms；　and　they　were　often　left；　having　utterly　lost　their　way　in　the　complicated　passages；　to　wander　helpless　by　the　hour。　The　strange　divisions　of　authority　extended　not　only　to　persons　but　to　things。　The　Queen　observed　that　there　was　never　a　fire　in　the　dining…room。　She　enquired　why。　The　answer　was　〃the　Lord　Steward　lays　the　fire；　and　the　Lord　Chamberlain　lights　it；〃　the　underlings　of　those　two　great　noblemen　having　failed　to　come　to　an　accommodation；　there　was　no　help　for　itthe　Queen　must　eat　in　the　cold。
  A　surprising　incident　opened　everyone's　eyes　to　the　confusion　and　negligence　that　reigned　in　the　Palace。　A　fortnight　after　the　birth　of　the　Princess　Royal　the　nurse　heard　a　suspicious　noise　in　the　room　next　to　the　Queen's　bedroom。　She　called　to　one　of　the　pages；　who；　looking　under　a　large　sofa；　perceived　there　a　crouching　figure　〃with　a　most　repulsive　appearance。〃　It　was　〃the　boy　Jones。〃　This　enigmatical　personage；　whose　escapades　dominated　the　newspapers　for　several