Phipps；　the　keeper　of　the　Privy　Purse；　performed；　to　the　best　of　her　ability；　the　functions　of　an　intermediary。　After　a　few　weeks；　however；　the　Cabinet；　through　Lord　John　Russell；　ventured　to　warn　the　Queen　that　this　could　not　continue。　She　realised　that　they　were　right：　Albert　would　have　agreed　with　them；　and　so　she　sent　for　the　Prime　Minister。　But　when　Lord　Palmerston　arrived　at　Osborne；　in　the　pink　of　health；　brisk；　with　his　whiskers　freshly　dyed；　and　dressed　in　a　brown　overcoat；　light　grey　trousers；　green　gloves；　and　blue　studs；　he　did　not　create　a　very　good　impression。
  Nevertheless；　she　had　grown　attached　to　her　old　enemy；　and　the　thought　of　a　political　change　filled　her　with　agitated　apprehensions。　The　Government；　she　knew；　might　fall　at　any　moment；　she　felt　she　could　not　face　such　an　eventuality；　and　therefore；　six　months　after　the　death　of　the　Prince；　she　took　the　unprecedented　step　of　sending　a　private　message　to　Lord　Derby；　the　leader　of　the　Opposition；　to　tell　him　that　she　was　not　in　a　fit　state　of　mind　or　body　to　undergo　the　anxiety　of　a　change　of　Government；　and　that　if　he　turned　the　present　Ministers　out　of　office　it　would　be　at　the　risk　of　sacrificing　her　lifeor　her　reason。　When　this　message　reached　Lord　Derby　he　was　considerably　surprised。　〃Dear　me！〃　was　his　cynical　comment。　〃I　didn't　think　she　was　so　fond　of　them　as　THAT。〃
  Though　the　violence　of　her　perturbations　gradually　subsided；　her　cheerfulness　did　not　return。　For　months；　for　years；　she　continued　in　settled　gloom。　Her　life　became　one　of　almost　complete　seclusion。　Arrayed　in　thickest　crepe；　she　passed　dolefully　from　Windsor　to　Osborne；　from　Osborne　to　Balmoral。　Rarely　visiting　the　capital；　refusing　to　take　any　part　in　the　ceremonies　of　state；　shutting　herself　off　from　the　slightest　intercourse　with　society；　she　became　almost　as　unknown　to　her　subjects　as　some　potentate　of　the　East。　They　might　murmur；　but　they　did　not　understand。　What　had　she　to　do　with　empty　shows　and　vain　enjoyments？　No！　She　was　absorbed　by　very　different　preoccupations。　She　was　the　devoted　guardian　of　a　sacred　trust。　Her　place　was　in　the　inmost　shrine　of　the　house　of　mourningwhere　she　alone　had　the　right　to　enter；　where　she　could　feel　the　effluence　of　a　mysterious　presence；　and　interpret；　however　faintly　and　feebly；　the　promptings　of　a　still　living　soul。　That；　and　that　only　was　her　glorious；　her　terrible　duty。　For　terrible　indeed　it　was。　As　the　years　passed　her　depression　seemed　to　deepen　and　her　loneliness　to　grow　more　intense。　〃I　am　on　a　dreary　sad　pinnacle　of　solitary　grandeur；〃　she　said。　Again　and　again　she　felt　that　she　could　bear　her　situation　no　longerthat　she　would　sink　under　the　strain。　And　then；　instantly；　that　Voice　spoke：　and　she　braced　herself　once　more　to　perform；　with　minute　conscientiousness；　her　grim　and　holy　task。
  Above　all　else；　what　she　had　to　do　was　to　make　her　own　the　master…impulse　of　Albert's　lifeshe　must　work；　as　he　had　worked；　in　the　service　of　the　country。　That　vast　burden　of　toil　which　he　had　taken　upon　his　shoulders　it　was　now　for　her　to　bear。　She　assumed　the　gigantic　load；　and　naturally　she　staggered　under　it。　While　he　had　lived；　she　had　worked；　indeed；　with　regularity　and　conscientiousness；　but　it　was　work　made　easy；　made　delicious；　by　his　care；　his　forethought；　his　advice；　and　his　infallibility。　The　mere　sound　of　his　voice；　asking　her　to　sign　a　paper；　had　thrilled　her；　in　such　a　presence　she　could　have　laboured　gladly　for　ever。　But　now　there　was　a　hideous　change。　Now　there　were　no　neat　piles　and　docketings　under　the　green　lamp；　now　there　were　no　simple　explanations　of　difficult　matters；　now　there　was　nobody　to　tell　her　what　was　right　and　what　was　wrong。　She　had　her　secretaries；　no　doubt：　there　were　Sir　Charles　Phipps；　and　General　Grey；　and　Sir　Thomas　Biddulph；　and　they　did　their　best。　But　they　were　mere　subordinates：　the　whole　weight　of　initiative　and　responsibility　rested　upon　her　alone。　For　so　it　had　to　be。　〃I　am　DETERMINED〃had　she　not　declared　it？〃that　NO　ONE　person　is　to　lead　or　guide　or　dictate　to　ME；〃　anything　else　would　be　a　betrayal　of　her　trust。　She　would　follow　the　Prince　in　all　things。　He　had　refused　to　delegate　authority；　he　had　examined　into　every　detail　with　his　own　eyes；　he　had　made　it　a　rule　never　to　sign　a　paper　without　having　first；　not　merely　read　it；　but　made　notes　on　it　too。　She　would　do　the　same。　She　sat　from　morning　till　night　surrounded　by　huge　heaps　of　despatchboxes；　reading　and　writing　at　her　deskat　her　desk；　alas！　which　stood　alone　now　in　the　room。
  Within　two　years　of　Albert's　death　a　violent　disturbance　in　foreign　politics　put　Victoria's　faithfulness　to　a　crucial　test。　The　fearful　Schleswig…Holstein　dispute；　which　had　been　smouldering　for　more　than　a　decade；　showed　signs　of　bursting　out　into　conflagration。　The　complexity　of　the　questions　at　issue　was　indescribable。　〃Only　three　people；〃　said　Palmerston；　〃have　ever　really　understood　the　Schleswig…Holstein　businessthe　Prince　Consort；　who　is　deada　German　professor；　who　has　gone　madand　I；　who　have　forgotten　all　about　it。〃　But；　though　the　Prince　might　be　dead；　had　he　not　left　a　vicegerent　behind　him？　Victoria　threw　herself　into　the　seething　embroilment　with　the　vigour　of　inspiration。　She　devoted　hours　daily　to　the　study　of　the　affair　in　all　its　windings；　but　she　had　a　clue　through　the　labyrinth：　whenever　the　question　had　been　discussed；　Albert；　she　recollected　it　perfectly；　had　always　taken　the　side　of　Prussia。　Her　course　was　clear。　She　became　an　ardent　champion　of　the　Prussian　point　of　view。　It　was　a　legacy　from　the　Prince；　she　said。　She　did　not　realise　that　the　Prussia　of　the　Prince's　day　was　dead；　and　that　a　new　Prussia；　the　Prussia　of　Bismarck；　was　born。　Perhaps　Palmerston；　with　his　queer　prescience；　instinctively　apprehended　the　new　danger；　at　any　rate；　he　and　Lord　John　were　agreed　upon　the　necessity　of　supporting　Denmark　against　Prussia's　claims。　But　opinion　was　sharply　divided；　not　only　in　the　country　but　in　the　Cabinet。　For　eighteen　months　the　controversy　raged；　while　the　Queen；　with　persistent　vehemence；　opposed　the　Prime　Minister　and　the　Foreign　Secretary。　When　at　last　the　final　crisis　arosewhen　it　seemed　possible　that　England　would　join　forces　with　Denmark　in　a　war　against　PrussiaVictoria's　agitation　grew　febrile　in　its　intensity。　Towards　her　German　relatives　she　preserved　a　discreet　appearance　of　impartiality；　but　she　poured　out　upon　her　Ministers　a　flood　of　appeals；　protests；　and　expostulations。　She　invoked　the　sacred　cause　of　Peace。　〃The　only　chance　of　preserving　peace　for　Europe；〃　she　wrote；　〃is　by　not　assisting　Denmark；　who　has　brought　this　entirely　upon　herself。　The　Queen　suffers　much；　and　her　nerves　are　more　and　more　totally　shattered。。。　But　though　all　this　anxiety　is　wearing　her　out；　it　will　not　shake　her　firm　purpose　of　resisting　any　attempt　to　involve　this　country　in　a　mad　and　useless　combat。〃　She　was；　she　declared；　〃prepared　to　make　a　stand；〃　even　if　the　resignation　of　the　Foreign　Secretary　should　follow。　〃The　Queen；〃　she　told　Lord　Granville；　〃is　completely　exhausted　by　the　anxiety　and　suspense；　and　misses　her　beloved　husband's　help；　advice；　support；　and　love　in　an　overwhelming　manner。〃　She　was　so　worn　out　by　her　efforts　for　peace　that　she　could　〃hardly　hold　up　her　head　or　hold　her　pen。〃　England　did　not　go　to　war；　and　Denmark　was　left　to　her　fate；　but　how　far　the　attitude　of　the　Queen　contributed　to　this　result　it　is　impossible；　with　our　present　knowledge；　to　say。　On　the　whole；　however；　it　seems　probable　that　the　determining　factor　in　the　situation　was　the　powerful　peace　party　in　the　Cabinet　rather　than　the　imperious　and　pathetic　pressure　of　Victoria。
  It　is；　at　any　rate；　certain　that　the　Queen's　enthusiasm　for　the　sacred　cause　of　peace　was　short…lived。　Within　a　few　months　her　mind　had　completely　altered。　Her　eyes　were　opened　to　the　true　nature　of　Prussia；　whose　designs　upon　Austria　were　about　to　culminate　in　the　Seven　Weeks'　War。　Veering　precipitately　from　one　extreme　to　the　other；　she　now　urged　her　Ministers　to　interfere　by　force　of　arms　in　support　of　Austria。　But　she　urged　in　vain。
  Her　political　activity；　no　more　than　her　social　seclusion；　was　approved　by　the　public。　As　the　years　passed；　and　the　royal　mourning　remained　as　unrelieved　as　ever；　the　animadversions　grew　more　general　and　more　severe。　It　was　observed　that　the　Queen's　protracted　privacy　not　only　cast　a　gloom　over　high　society；　not　only　deprived　the　populace　of　its　pageantry；　but　also　exercised　a　highly　deleterious　effect　upon　the　dressmaking；　millinery；　and　hosiery　trades。　This　latter　consideration　carried　great　weight。　At　last；　early　in　1864；　the　rumour　spread　that　Her　Majesty　was　about　to　go　out　of　mourning；　and　there　was　much　rejoicing　in　the　newspapers；　but　unfortunately　it　turned　out　that　the　rumour　was　quite　without　foundation。　Victoria；　with　her　own　hand；　wrote　a　letter　to　The　Times　to　say　so。　〃This　idea；〃　she　declared；　〃cannot　be　too　explicitly　contradicted。　〃The　Queen；〃　the　letter　continued；　〃heartily　appreciates　the　desire　of　her　subjects　to　see　her；　and　whatever　she　CAN　do　to　gratify　them　in　this　loyal　and　affectionate　wish；　she　WILL　do。。。　But　there　are　other　and　higher　duties　than　those　of　mere　representation　which　are　now　thrown　upon　the　Queen；　alone　and　unassistedduties　which　she　c