punishment　upon　the　nation。　Colonel　Sibthorpe；　in　the　debate　on　the　Address；　prayed　that　hail　and　lightning　might　descend　from　heaven　on　the　accursed　thing。　The　Prince；　with　unyielding　perseverance　and　infinite　patience；　pressed　on　to　his　goal。　His　health　was　seriously　affected；　he　suffered　from　constant　sleeplessness；　his　strength　was　almost　worn　out。　But　he　remembered　the　injunctions　of　Stockmar　and　never　relaxed。　The　volume　of　his　labours　grew　more　prodigious　every　day；　he　toiled　at　committees；　presided　over　public　meetings；　made　speeches；　and　carried　on　communications　with　every　corner　of　the　civilised　worldand　his　efforts　were　rewarded。　On　May　1；　1851；　the　Great　Exhibition　was　opened　by　the　Queen　before　an　enormous　concourse　of　persons；　amid　scenes　of　dazzling　brilliancy　and　triumphant　enthusiasm。
  Victoria　herself　was　in　a　state　of　excitement　which　bordered　on　delirium。　She　performed　her　duties　in　a　trance　of　joy；　gratitude；　and　amazement；　and；　when　it　was　all　over；　her　feelings　poured　themselves　out　into　her　journal　in　a　torrential　flood。　The　day　had　been　nothing　but　an　endless　succession　of　gloriesor　rather　one　vast　gloryone　vast　radiation　of　Albert。　Everything　she　had　seen；　everything　she　had　felt　or　heard；　had　been　so　beautiful；　so　wonderful　that　even　the　royal　underlinings　broke　down　under　the　burden　of　emphasis；　while　her　remembering　pen　rushed　on；　regardless；　from　splendour　to　splendourthe　huge　crowds；　so　wellbehaved　and　loyal…flags　of　all　the　nations　floatingthe　inside　of　the　building；　so　immense；　with　myriads　of　people　and　the　sun　shining　through　the　roofa　little　side　room；　where　we　left　our　shawlspalm…trees　and　machinerydear　Albertthe　place　so　big　that　we　could　hardly　hear　the　organthankfulness　to　Goda　curious　assemblage　of　political　and　distinguished　menthe　March　from　AthalieGod　bless　my　dearest　Albert；　God　bless　my　dearest　country！a　glass　fountainthe　Duke　and　Lord　Anglesey　walking　arm　in　arma　beautiful　Amazon；　in　bronze；　by　KissMr。　Paxton；　who　might　be　justly　proud；　and　rose　from　being　a　common　gardener's　boySir　George　Grey　in　tears；　and　everybody　astonished　and　delighted。
  A　striking　incident　occurred　when；　after　a　short　prayer　by　the　Archbishop　of　Canterbury；　the　choir　of　600　voices　burst　into　the　〃Hallelujah　Chorus。〃　At　that　moment　a　Chinaman；　dressed　in　full　national　costume；　stepped　out　into　the　middle　of　the　central　nave；　and；　advancing　slowly　towards　the　royal　group；　did　obeisance　to　Her　Majesty。　The　Queen；　much　impressed；　had　no　doubt　that　he　was　an　eminent　mandarin；　and；　when　the　final　procession　was　formed；　orders　were　given　that；　as　no　representative　of　the　Celestial　Empire　was　present；　he　should　be　included　in　the　diplomatic　cortege。　He　accordingly；　with　the　utmost　gravity；　followed　immediately　behind　the　Ambassadors。　He　subsequently　disappeared；　and　it　was　rumoured；　among　ill…natured　people；　that；　far　from　being　a　mandarin；　the　fellow　was　a　mere　impostor。　But　nobody　ever　really　discovered　the　nature　of　the　comments　that　had　been　lurking　behind　the　matchless　impassivity　of　that　yellow　face。
  A　few　days　later　Victoria　poured　out　her　heart　to　her　uncle。　The　first　of　May；　she　said；　was　〃the　GREATEST　day　in　our　history；　the　most　BEAUTIFUL　and　IMPOSING　and　TOUCHING　spectacle　ever　seen；　and　the　triumph　of　my　beloved　Albert。。。　It　was　the　HAPPIEST；　PROUDEST　day　in　my　life；　and　I　can　think　of　nothing　else。　Albert's　dearest　name　is　immortalised　with　this　GREAT　conception；　HIS　own；　and　my　OWN　dear　country　SHOWED　she　was　WORTHY　of　it。　The　triumph　is　IMMENSE。〃
  It　was。　The　enthusiasm　was　universal；　even　the　bitterest　scoffers　were　converted；　and　joined　in　the　chorus　of　praise。　Congratulations　from　public　bodies　poured　in；　the　City　of　Paris　gave　a　great　fete　to　the　Exhibition　committee；　and　the　Queen　and　the　Prince　made　a　triumphal　progress　through　the　North　of　England。　The　financial　results　were　equally　remarkable。　The　total　profit　made　by　the　Exhibition　amounted　to　a　sum　of　L165；000；　which　was　employed　in　the　purchase　of　land　for　the　erection　of　a　permanent　National　Museum　in　South　Kensington。　During　the　six　months　of　its　existence　in　Hyde　Park　over　six　million　persons　visited　it；　and　not　a　single　accident　occurred。　But　there　is　an　end　to　all　things；　and　the　time　had　come　for　the　Crystal　Palace　to　be　removed　to　the　salubrious　seclusion　of　Sydenham。　Victoria；　sad　but　resigned；　paid　her　final　visit。　〃It　looked　so　beautiful；〃　she　said。　〃I　could　not　believe　it　was　the　last　time　I　was　to　see　it。　An　organ；　accompanied　by　a　fine　and　powerful　wind　instrument　called　the　sommerophone；　was　being　played；　and　it　nearly　upset　me。　The　canvas　is　very　dirty；　the　red　curtains　are　faded　and　many　things　are　very　much　soiled；　still　the　effect　is　fresh　and　new　as　ever　and　most　beautiful。　The　glass　fountain　was　already　removed。。。　and　the　sappers　and　miners　were　rolling　about　the　little　boxes　just　as　they　did　at　the　beginning。　It　made　us　all　very　melancholy。〃　But　more　cheerful　thoughts　followed。　When　all　was　over；　she　expressed　her　boundless　satisfaction　in　a　dithyrambic　letter　to　the　Prime　Minister。　Her　beloved　husband's　name；　she　said；　was　for　ever　immortalised；　and　that　this　was　universally　recognised　by　the　country　was　a　source　to　her　of　immense　happiness　and　gratitude。　〃She　feels　grateful　to　Providence；〃　Her　Majesty　concluded；　〃to　have　permitted　her　to　be　united　to　so　great；　so　noble；　so　excellent　a　Prince；　and　this　year　will　ever　remain　the　proudest　and　happiest　of　her　life。　The　day　of　the　closing　of　the　Exhibition　（which　the　Queen　regretted　much　she　could　not　witness）；　was　the　twelfth　anniversary　of　her　betrothal　to　the　Prince；　which　is　a　curious　coincidence。〃
  CHAPTER　V。　LORD　PALMERSTON
  I
  In　1851　the　Prince's　fortunes　reached　their　high…water　mark。　The　success　of　the　Great　Exhibition　enormously　increased　his　reputation　and　seemed　to　assure　him　henceforward　a　leading　place　in　the　national　life。　But　before　the　year　was　out　another　triumph；　in　a　very　different　sphere　of　action；　was　also　his。　This　triumph；　big　with　fateful　consequences；　was　itself　the　outcome　of　a　series　of　complicated　circumstances　which　had　been　gathering　to　a　climax　for　many　years。
  The　unpopularity　of　Albert　in　high　society　had　not　diminished　with　time。　Aristocratic　persons　continued　to　regard　him　with　disfavour；　and　he　on　his　side；　withdrew　further　and　further　into　a　contemptuous　reserve。　For　a　moment；　indeed；　it　appeared　as　if　the　dislike　of　the　upper　classes　was　about　to　be　suddenly　converted　into　cordiality；　for　they　learnt　with　amazement　that　the　Prince；　during　a　country　visit；　had　ridden　to　hounds　and　acquitted　himself　remarkably　well。　They　had　always　taken　it　for　granted　that　his　horsemanship　was　of　some　second…rate　foreign　quality；　and　here　he　was　jumping　five…barred　gates　and　tearing　after　the　fox　as　if　he　had　been　born　and　bred　in　Leicestershire。　They　could　hardly　believe　it；　was　it　possible　that　they　had　made　a　mistake；　and　that　Albert　was　a　good　fellow　after　all？　Had　he　wished　to　be　thought　so　he　would　certainly　have　seized　this　opportunity；　purchased　several　hunters；　and　used　them　constantly。　But　he　had　no　such　desire；　hunting　bored　him；　and　made　Victoria　nervous。　He　continued；　as　before；　to　ride；　as　he　himself　put　it；　for　exercise　or　convenience；　not　for　amusement；　and　it　was　agreed　that　though　the　Prince；　no　doubt；　could　keep　in　his　saddle　well　enough；　he　was　no　sportsman。
  This　was　a　serious　matter。　It　was　not　merely　that　Albert　was　laughed　at　by　fine　ladies　and　sneered　at　by　fine　gentlemen；　it　was　not　merely　that　Victoria；　who　before　her　marriage　had　cut　some　figure　in　society；　had；　under　her　husband's　influence；　almost　completely　given　it　up。　Since　Charles　the　Second　the　sovereigns　of　England　had；　with　a　single　exception；　always　been　unfashionable；　and　the　fact　that　the　exception　was　George　the　Fourth　seemed　to　give　an　added　significance　to　the　rule。　What　was　grave　was　not　the　lack　of　fashion；　but　the　lack　of　other　and　more　important　qualities。　The　hostility　of　the　upper　classes　was　symptomatic　of　an　antagonism　more　profound　than　one　of　manners　or　even　of　tastes。　The　Prince；　in　a　word；　was　un…English。　What　that　word　precisely　meant　it　was　difficult　to　say；　but　the　fact　was　patent　to　every　eye。　Lord　Palmerston；　also；　was　not　fashionable；　the　great　Whig　aristocrats　looked　askance　at　him；　and　only　tolerated　him　as　an　unpleasant　necessity　thrust　upon　them　by　fate。　But　Lord　Palmerston　was　English　through　and　through；　there　was　something　in　him　that　expressed；　with　extraordinary　vigour；　the　fundamental　qualities　of　the　English　race。　And　he　was　the　very　antithesis　of　the　Prince。　By　a　curious　chance　it　so　happened　that　this　typical　Englishman　was　brought　into　closer　contact　than　any　other　of　his　countrymen　with　the　alien　from　over　the　sea。　It　thus　fell　out　that　differences　which；　in　more　fortunate　circumstances；　might　have　been　smoothed　away　and　obliterated；　became　accentuated　to　the　highest　pitch。　All　the　mysterious　forces　in　Albert's　soul　leapt　out　to　do　battle　with　his　adversary；　and；　in　the　long　and　violent　conflict　that　followed；　it　almost　seemed　as　if　he　was　struggling　with　England　herself。
  Palmerston's　whole　life　had　been　spent　in　the　government　of　the　country。　At　twenty…two　he　had　been　a　Minister；　at　twenty…five　he　had　bee