elaborate　memoranda　dealing　with　every　possible　contingency　were　drawn　up。　It　was　above　all　essential　that　there　should　be　no　slackness：　〃Work；〃　said　the　Prince；　〃　must　be　work。〃　And　work　indeed　it　was。　The　boy　grew　up　amid　a　ceaseless　round　of　paradigms；　syntactical　exercises；　dates；　genealogical　tables；　and　lists　of　capes。　Constant　notes　flew　backwards　and　forwards　between　the　Prince；　the　Queen；　and　tile　tutors；　with　inquiries；　with　reports　of　progress；　with　detailed　recommendations；　and　these　notes　were　all　carefully　preserved　for　future　reference。　It　was；　besides；　vital　that　the　heir　to　the　throne　should　be　protected　from　the　slightest　possibility　of　contamination　from　the　outside　world。　The　Prince　of　Wales　was　not　as　other　boys；　he　might；　occasionally；　be　allowed　to　invite　some　sons　of　the　nobility；　boys　of　good　character；　to　play　with　him　in　the　garden　of　Buckingham　Palace；　but　his　father　presided；　with　alarming　precision；　over　their　sports。　In　short；　every　possible　precaution　was　taken；　every　conceivable　effort　was　made。　Yet；　strange　to　say；　the　object　of　all　this　vigilance　and　solicitude　continued　to　be　unsatisfactoryappeared；　in　fact；　to　be　positively　growing　worse。　It　was　certainly　very　odd：　the　more　lessons　that　Bertie　had　to　do；　the　less　he　did　them；　and　the　more　carefully　he　was　guarded　against　excitements　and　frivolities；　the　more　desirous　of　mere　amusement　he　seemed　to　become。　Albert　was　deeply　grieved　and　Victoria　was　sometimes　very　angry；　but　grief　and　anger　produced　no　more　effect　than　supervision　and　time…tables。　The　Prince　of　Wales；　in　spite　of　everything；　grew　up　into　manhood　without　the　faintest　sign　of　〃adherence　to　and　perseverance　in　the　plan　both　of　studies　and　life…〃　as　one　of　the　Royal　memoranda　put　itwhich　had　been　laid　down　with　such　extraordinary　forethought　by　his　father。
  II
  Against　the　insidious　worries　of　politics；　the　boredom　of　society　functions；　and　the　pompous　publicity　of　state　ceremonies；　Osborne　had　afforded　a　welcome　refuge；　but　it　soon　appeared　that　even　Osborne　was　too　little　removed　from　the　world。　After　all；　the　Solent　was　a　feeble　barrier。　Oh；　for　some　distant；　some　almost　inaccessible　sanctuary；　where；　in　true　domestic　privacy；　one　could　make　happy　holiday；　just　as　ifor　at　least　very；　very；　nearlyone　were　anybody　else！　Victoria；　ever　since；　together　with　Albert；　she　had　visited　Scotland　in　the　early　years　of　her　marriage；　had　felt　that　her　heart　was　in　the　Highlands。　She　had　returned　to　them　a　few　years　later；　and　her　passion　had　grown。　How　romantic　they　were！　And　how　Albert　enjoyed　them　too！　His　spirits　rose　quite　wonderfully　as　soon　as　he　found　himself　among　the　hills　and　the　conifers。　〃It　is　a　happiness　to　see　him；〃　she　wrote。　〃Oh！　What　can　equal　the　beauties　of　nature！〃　she　exclaimed　in　her　journal；　during　one　of　these　visits。　〃What　enjoyment　there　is　in　them！　Albert　enjoys　it　so　much；　he　is　in　ecstasies　here。〃　〃Albert　said；〃　she　noted　next　day；　〃that　the　chief　beauty　of　mountain　scenery　consists　in　its　frequent　changes。　We　came　home　at　six　o'clock。〃　Then　she　went　on　a　longer　expeditionup　to　the　very　top　of　a　high　hill。　〃It　was　quite　romantic。　Here　we　were　with　only　this　Highlander　behind　us　holding　the　ponies　（for　we　got　off　twice　and　walked　about）。　。　。　。　We　came　home　at　half…past　eleven；the　most　delightful；　most　romantic　ride　and　walk　I　ever　had。　I　had　never　been　up　such　a　mountain；　and　then　the　day　was　so　fine。〃　The　Highlanders；　too；　were　such　astonishing　people。　They　〃never　make　difficulties；〃　she　noted；　〃but　are　cheerful；　and　happy；　and　merry；　and　ready　to　walk；　and　run；　and　do　anything。〃　As　for　Albert　he　〃highly　appreciated　the　good…breeding；　simplicity；　and　intelligence；　which　make　it　so　pleasant　and　even　instructive　to　talk　to　them。〃　〃We　were　always　in　the　habit；〃　wrote　Her　Majesty；　〃of　conversing　with　the　Highlanderswith　whom　one　comes　so　much　in　contact　in　the　Highlands。〃　She　loved　everything　about　themtheir　customs；　their　dress；　their　dances；　even　their　musical　instruments。　〃There　were　nine　pipers　at　the　castle；〃　she　wrote　after　staying　with　Lord　Breadalbane；　〃sometimes　one　and　sometimes　three　played。　They　always　played　about　breakfast…time；　again　during　the　morning；　at　luncheon；　and　also　whenever　we　went　in　and　out；　again　before　dinner；　and　during　most　of　dinner…time。　We　both　have　become　quite　fond　of　the　bag…pipes。
  It　was　quite　impossible　not　to　wish　to　return　to　such　pleasures　again　and　again；　and　in　1848　the　Queen　took　a　lease　of　Balmoral　House；　a　small　residence　near　Braemar　in　the　wilds　of　Aberdeenshire。　Four　years　later　she　bought　the　place　outright。　Now　she　could　be　really　happy　every　summer；　now　she　could　be　simple　and　at　her　ease；　now　she　could　be　romantic　every　evening；　and　dote　upon　Albert；　without　a　single　distraction；　all　day　long。　The　diminutive　scale　of　the　house　was　in　itself　a　charm。　Nothing　was　more　amusing　than　to　find　oneself　living　in　two　or　three　little　sittingrooms；　with　the　children　crammed　away　upstairs；　and　the　minister　in　attendance　with　only　a　tiny　bedroom　to　do　all　his　work　in。　And　then　to　be　able　to　run　in　and　out　of　doors　as　one　liked；　and　to　sketch；　and　to　walk；　and　to　watch　the　red　deer　coming　so　surprisingly　close；　and　to　pay　visits　to　the　cottagers！　And　occasionally　one　could　be　more　adventurous　stillone　could　go　and　stay　for　a　night　or　two　at　the　Bothie　at　Alt…na…giuthasacha　mere　couple　of　huts　with　〃a　wooden　addition〃and　only　eleven　people　in　the　whole　party！　And　there　were　mountains　to　be　climbed　and　cairns　to　be　built　in　solemn　pomp。　〃At　last；　when　the　cairn；　which　is；　I　think；　seven　or　eight　feet　high；　was　nearly　completed；　Albert　climbed　up　to　the　top　of　it；　and　placed　the　last　stone；　after　which　three　cheers　were　given。　It　was　a　gay；　pretty；　and　touching　sight；　and　I　felt　almost　inclined　to　cry。　The　view　was　so　beautiful　over　the　dear　hills；　the　day　so　fine；　the　whole　so　gemuthlich。〃　And　in　the　evening　there　were　sword…dances　and　reels。
  But　Albert　had　determined　to　pull　down　the　little　old　house；　and　to　build　in　its　place　a　castle　of　his　own　designing。　With　great　ceremony；　in　accordance　with　a　memorandum　drawn　up　by　the　Prince　for　the　occasion；　the　foundation…stone　of　the　new　edifice　was　laid；　and　by　1855　it　was　habitable。　Spacious；　built　of　granite　in　the　Scotch　baronial　style；　with　a　tower　100　feet　high；　and　minor　turrets　and　castellated　gables；　the　castle　was　skilfully　arranged　to　command　the　finest　views　of　the　surrounding　mountains　and　of　the　neighbouring　river　Dee。　Upon　the　interior　decorations　Albert　and　Victoria　lavished　all　their　care。　The　wall　and　the　floors　were　of　pitch…pine；　and　covered　with　specially　manufactured　tartars。　The　Balmoral　tartan；　in　red　and　grey；　designed　by　the　Prince；　and　the　Victoria　tartan；　with　a　white　stripe；　designed　by　the　Queen；　were　to　be　seen　in　every　room：　there　were　tartan　curtains；　and　tartan　chair…covers；　and　even　tartan　linoleums。　Occasionally　the　Royal　Stuart　tartan　appeared；　for　Her　Majesty　always　maintained　that　she　was　an　ardent　Jacobite。　Water…colour　sketches　by　Victoria　hung　upon　the　walls；　together　with　innumerable　stags'　antlers；　and　the　head　of　a　boar；　which　had　been　shot　by　Albert　in　Germany。　In　an　alcove　in　the　hall；　stood　a　life…sized　statue　of　Albert　in　Highland　dress。
  Victoria　declared　that　it　was　perfection。　〃Every　year；〃　she　wrote；　〃my　heart　becomes　more　fixed　in　this　dear　paradise；　and　so　much　more　so　now；　that　ALL　has　become　my　dear　Albert's　own　creation；　own　work；　own　building；　own　lay…out。。。　and　his　great　taste；　and　the　impress　of　his　dear　hand；　have　been　stamped　everywhere。〃
  And　here；　in　very　truth；　her　happiest　days　were　passed。　In　after　years；　when　she　looked　back　upon　them；　a　kind　of　glory；　a　radiance　as　of　an　unearthly　holiness；　seemed　to　glow　about　these　golden　hours。　Each　hallowed　moment　stood　out　clear；　beautiful；　eternally　significant。　For；　at　the　time；　every　experience　there；　sentimental；　or　grave；　or　trivial；　had　come　upon　her　with　a　peculiar　vividness；　like　a　flashing　of　marvellous　lights。　Albert's　stalkingsan　evening　walk　when　she　lost　her　wayVicky　sitting　down　on　a　wasps'　nesta　torchlight　dancewith　what　intensity　such　things；　and　ten　thousand　like　them；　impressed　themselves　upon　her　eager　consciousness！　And　how　she　flew　to　her　journal　to　note　them　down！　The　news　of　the　Duke's　death！　What　a　momentwhen；　as　she　sat　sketching　after　a　picnic　by　a　loch　in　the　lonely　hills；　Lord　Derby's　letter　had　been　brought　to　her；　and　she　had　learnt　that　〃ENGLAND'S；　or　rather　BRITAIN'S　pride；　her　glory；　her　hero；　the　greatest　man　she　had　ever　produced；　was　no　morel。〃　For　such　were　here　reflections　upon　the　〃old　rebel〃　of　former　days。　But　that　past　had　been　utterly　obliteratedno　faintest　memory　of　it　remained。　For　years　she　had　looked　up　to　the　Duke　as　a　figure　almost　superhuman。　Had　he　not　been　a　supporter　of　good　Sir　Robert？　Had　he　not　asked　Albert　to　succeed　him　as　commander…in…chief？　And　what　a　proud　moment　it　had　been　when　he　stood　as　sponsor　to　her　son　Arthur；　who　was　born　on　his　eighty…first　birthday！　So　now　she　filled　a　whole　page　of　her　diary　with　panegyrical　regrets。　〃His　position　was　the　highest　a　subject　ever　hadabove　partylooked　up　to　by　allrevered　by　the　whole　nationthe　friend　of　the　Sovereign。。。　The　Crown　never　possessedand　I　fear　never　WILLso　DE