s；　Madam。〃　Nor　did　he　limit　himself　to　highly…spiced　insinuations。　Writing　with　all　the　authority　of　his　office；　he　advised　the　Queen　that　she　had　the　constitutional　right　to　dismiss　a　Ministry　which　was　supported　by　a　large　majority　in　the　House　of　Commons；　he　even　urged　her　to　do　so；　if；　in　her　opinion；　〃your　Majesty's　Government　have　from　wilfulness；　or　even　from　weakness；　deceived　your　Majesty。〃　To　the　horror　of　Mr。　Gladstone；　he　not　only　kept　the　Queen　informed　as　to　the　general　course　of　business　in　the　Cabinet；　but　revealed　to　her　the　part　taken　in　its　discussions　by　individual　members　of　it。　Lord　Derby；　the　son　of　the　late　Prime　Minister　and　Disraeli's　Foreign　Secretary；　viewed　these　developments　with　grave　mistrust。　〃Is　there　not；〃　he　ventured　to　write　to　his　Chief；　〃just　a　risk　of　encouraging　her　in　too　large　ideas　of　her　personal　power；　and　too　great　indifference　to　what　the　public　expects？　I　only　ask；　it　is　for　you　to　judge。〃
  As　for　Victoria；　she　accepted　everythingcompliments；　flatteries；　Elizabethan　prerogativeswithout　a　single　qualm。　After　the　long　gloom　of　her　bereavement；　after　the　chill　of　the　Gladstonian　discipline；　she　expanded　to　the　rays　of　Disraeli's　devotion　like　a　flower　in　the　sun。　The　change　in　her　situation　was　indeed　miraculous。　No　longer　was　she　obliged　to　puzzle　for　hours　over　the　complicated　details　of　business；　for　now　she　had　only　to　ask　Mr。　Disraeli　for　an　explanation；　and　he　would　give　it　her　in　the　most　concise；　in　the　most　amusing；　way。　No　longer　was　she　worried　by　alarming　novelties；　no　longer　was　she　put　out　at　finding　herself　treated；　by　a　reverential　gentleman　in　high　collars；　as　if　she　were　some　embodied　precedent；　with　a　recondite　knowledge　of　Greek。　And　her　deliverer　was　surely　the　most　fascinating　of　men。　The　strain　of　charlatanism；　which　had　unconsciously　captivated　her　in　Napoleon　III；　exercised　the　same　enchanting　effect　in　the　case　of　Disraeli。　Like　a　dram…drinker；　whose　ordinary　life　is　passed　in　dull　sobriety；　her　unsophisticated　intelligence　gulped　down　his　rococo　allurements　with　peculiar　zest。　She　became　intoxicated；　entranced。　Believing　all　that　he　told　her　of　herself；　she　completely　regained　the　self…confidence　which　had　been　slipping　away　from　her　throughout　the　dark　period　that　followed　Albert's　death。　She　swelled　with　a　new　elation；　while　he；　conjuring　up　before　her　wonderful　Oriental　visions；　dazzled　her　eyes　with　an　imperial　grandeur　of　which　she　had　only　dimly　dreamed。　Under　the　compelling　influence；　her　very　demeanour　altered。　Her　short；　stout　figure；　with　its　folds　of　black　velvet；　its　muslin　streamers；　its　heavy　pearls　at　the　heavy　neck；　assumed　an　almost　menacing　air。　In　her　countenance；　from　which　the　charm　of　youth　had　long　since　vanished；　and　which　had　not　yet　been　softened　by　age；　the　traces　of　grief；　of　disappointment；　and　of　displeasure　were　still　visible；　but　they　were　overlaid　by　looks　of　arrogance　and　sharp　lines　of　peremptory　hauteur。　Only；　when　Mr。　Disraeli　appeared；　the　expression　changed　in　an　instant；　and　the　forbidding　visage　became　charged　with　smiles。　For　him　she　would　do　anything。　Yielding　to　his　encouragements；　she　began　to　emerge　from　her　seclusion；　she　appeared　in　London　in　semi…state；　at　hospitals　and　concerts；　she　opened　Parliament；　she　reviewed　troops　and　distributed　medals　at　Aldershot。　But　such　public　signs　of　favour　were　trivial　in　comparison　with　her　private　attentions。　During　his　flours　of　audience；　she　could　hardly　restrain　her　excitement　and　delight。　〃I　can　only　describe　my　reception；〃　he　wrote　to　a　friend　on　one　occasion；　〃by　telling　you　that　I　really　thought　she　was　going　to　embrace　me。　She　was　wreathed　with　smiles；　and；　as　she　tattled；　glided　about　the　room　like　a　bird。〃　In　his　absence；　she　talked　of　him　perpetually；　and　there　was　a　note　of　unusual　vehemence　in　her　solicitude　for　his　health。　〃John　Manners；〃　Disraeli　told　Lady　Bradford；　〃who　has　just　come　from　Osborne；　says　that　the　Faery　only　talked　of　one　subject；　and　that　was　her　Primo。　According　to　him；　it　was　her　gracious　opinion　that　the　Government　should　make　my　health　a　Cabinet　question。　Dear　John　seemed　quite　surprised　at　what　she　said；　but　you　are　used　to　these　ebullitions。〃　She　often　sent　him　presents；　an　illustrated　album　arrived　for　him　regularly　from　Windsor　on　Christmas　Day。　But　her　most　valued　gifts　were　the　bunches　of　spring　flowers　which；　gathered　by　herself　and　her　ladies　in　the　woods　at　Osborne；　marked　in　an　especial　manner　the　warmth　and　tenderness　of　her　sentiments。　Among　these　it　was；　he　declared；　the　primroses　that　he　loved　the　best。　They　were；　he　said；　〃the　ambassadors　of　Spring；　the　gems　and　jewels　of　Nature。〃　He　liked　them；　he　assured　her；　〃so　much　better　for　their　being　wild；　they　seem　an　offering　from　the　Fauns　and　Dryads　of　Osborne。〃　〃They　show；〃　he　told　her；　〃that　your　Majesty's　sceptre　has　touched　the　enchanted　Isle。〃　He　sat　at　dinner　with　heaped…up　bowls　of　them　on　every　side；　and　told　his　guests　that　〃they　were　all　sent　to　me　this　morning　by　the　Queen　from　Osborne；　as　she　knows　it　is　my　favorite　flower。〃
  As　time　went　on；　and　as　it　became　clearer　and　clearer　that　the　Faery's　thraldom　was　complete；　his　protestations　grew　steadily　more　highlycoloured　and　more　unabashed。　At　last　he　ventured　to　import　into　his　blandishments　a　strain　of　adoration　that　was　almost　avowedly　romantic。　In　phrases　of　baroque　convolution；　he　conveyed　the　message　of　his　heart。　The　pressure　of　business；　he　wrote；　had　〃so　absorbed　and　exhausted　him；　that　towards　the　hour　of　post　he　has　not　had　clearness　of　mind；　and　vigour　of　pen；　adequate　to　convey　his　thoughts　and　facts　to　the　most　loved　and　illustrious　being；　who　deigns　to　consider　them。〃　She　sent　him　some　primroses；　and　he　replied　that　he　could　〃truly　say　they　are　'more　precious　than　rubies；'　coming；　as　they　do；　and　at　such　a　moment；　from　a　Sovereign　whom　he　adores。〃　She　sent　him　snowdrops；　and　his　sentiment　overflowed　into　poetry。　〃Yesterday　eve；〃　he　wrote；　〃there　appeared；　in　Whitehall　Gardens；　a　delicate…looking　case；　with　a　royal　superscription；　which；　when　he　opened；　he　thought；　at　first；　that　your　Majesty　had　graciously　bestowed　upon　him　the　stars　of　your　Majesty's　principal　orders。　And；　indeed；　he　was　so　impressed　with　this　graceful　illusion；　that；　having　a　banquet；　where　there　were　many　stars　and　ribbons；　he　could　not　resist　the　temptation；　by　placing　some　snowdrops　on　his　heart；　of　showing　that；　he；　too；　was　decorated　by　a　gracious　Sovereign。
  Then；　in　the　middle　of　the　night；　it　occurred　to　him；　that　it　might　all　be　an　enchantment；　and　that；　perhaps；　it　was　a　Faery　gift　and　came　from　another　monarch：　Queen　Titania；　gathering　flowers；　with　her　Court；　in　a　soft　and　sea…girt　isle；　and　sending　magic　blossoms；　which；　they　say；　turn　the　heads　of　those　who　receive　them。
  A　Faery　gift！　Did　he　smile　as　he　wrote　the　words？　Perhaps；　and　yet　it　would　be　rash　to　conclude　that　his　perfervid　declarations　were　altogether　without　sincerity。　Actor　and　spectator　both；　the　two　characters　were　so　intimately　blended　together　in　that　odd　composition　that　they　formed　an　inseparable　unity；　and　it　was　impossible　to　say　that　one　of　them　was　less　genuine　than　the　other。　With　one　element；　he　could　coldly　appraise　the　Faery's　intellectual　capacity；　note　with　some　surprise　that　she　could　be　on　occasion　〃most　interesting　and　amusing；〃　and　then　continue　his　use　of　the　trowel　with　an　ironical　solemnity；　while；　with　the　other；　he　could　be　overwhelmed　by　the　immemorial　panoply　of　royalty；　and；　thrilling　with　the　sense　of　his　own　strange　elevation；　dream　himself　into　a　gorgeous　phantasy　of　crowns　and　powers　and　chivalric　love。　When　he　told　Victoria　that　〃during　a　somewhat　romantic　and　imaginative　life；　nothing　has　ever　occurred　to　him　so　interesting　as　this　confidential　correspondence　with　one　so　exalted　and　so　inspiring；〃　was　he　not　in　earnest　after　all？　When　he　wrote　to　a　lady　about　the　Court；　〃I　love　the　Queenperhaps　the　only　person　in　this　world　left　to　me　that　I　do　love；〃　was　he　not　creating　for　himself　an　enchanted　palace　out　of　the　Arabian　Nights；　full　of　melancholy　and　spangles；　in　which　he　actually　believed？　Victoria's　state　of　mind　was　far　more　simple；　untroubled　by　imaginative　yearnings；　she　never　lost　herself　in　that　nebulous　region　of　the　spirit　where　feeling　and　fancy　grow　confused。　Her　emotions；　with　all　their　intensity　and　all　their　exaggeration；　retained　the　plain　prosaic　texture　of　everyday　life。　And　it　was　fitting　that　her　expression　of　them　should　be　equally　commonplace。　She　was；　she　told　her　Prime　Minister；　at　the　end　of　an　official　letter；　〃yours　aff'ly　V。　R。　and　I。〃　In　such　a　phrase　the　deep　reality　of　her　feeling　is　instantly　manifest。　The　Faery's　feet　were　on　the　solid　earth；　it　was　the　ruse　cynic　who　was　in　the　air。
  He　had　taught　her；　however；　a　lesson；　which　she　had　learnt　with　alarming　rapidity。　A　second　Gloriana；　did　he　call　her？　Very　well；　then；　she　would　show　that　she　deserved　the　compliment。　Disquieting　symptoms　followed　fast。　In　May；　1874；　the　Tsar；　whose　daughter　had　just　been　married　to　Victoria's　second　son；　the　Duke　of　Edinburgh；　was　in　London；　and；　by　an　unfortunate　error；　it　had　been　arranged　that　his　departure　should　not　take　place　until　two　days　after　the　date　on　which　his　royal　hostess　had　previously　decided