hould　not　take　place　until　two　days　after　the　date　on　which　his　royal　hostess　had　previously　decided　to　go　to　Balmoral。　Her　Majesty　refused　to　modify　her　plans。　It　was　pointed　out　to　her　that　the　Tsar　would　certainly　be　offended；　that　the　most　serious　consequences　might　follow；　Lord　Derby　protested；　Lord　Salisbury；　the　Secretary　of　State　for　India；　was　much　perturbed。　But　the　Faery　was　unconcerned；　she　had　settled　to　go　to　Balmoral　on　the　18th；　and　on　the　18th　she　would　go。　At　last　Disraeli；　exercising　all　his　influence；　induced　her　to　agree　to　stay　in　London　for　two　days　more。　〃My　head　is　still　on　my　shoulders；〃　he　told　Lady　Bradford。　〃The　great　lady　has　absolutely　postponed　her　departure！　Everybody　had　failed；　even　the　Prince　of　Wales。。。　and　I　have　no　doubt　I　am　not　in　favour。　I　can't　help　it。　Salisbury　says　I　have　saved　an　Afghan　War；　and　Derby　compliments　me　on　my　unrivalled　triumph。〃　But　before　very　long；　on　another　issue；　the　triumph　was　the　Faery's。　Disraeli；　who　had　suddenly　veered　towards　a　new　Imperialism；　had　thrown　out　the　suggestion　that　the　Queen　of　England　ought　to　become　the　Empress　of　India。　Victoria　seized　upon　the　idea　with　avidity；　and；　in　season　and　out　of　season；　pressed　upon　her　Prime　Minister　the　desirability　of　putting　his　proposal　into　practice。　He　demurred；　but　she　was　not　to　be　baulked；　and　in　1876；　in　spite　of　his　own　unwillingness　and　that　of　his　entire　Cabinet；　he　found　himself　obliged　to　add　to　the　troubles　of　a　stormy　session　by　introducing　a　bill　for　the　alteration　of　the　Royal　Title。　His　compliance；　however；　finally　conquered　the　Faery's　heart。　The　measure　was　angrily　attacked　in　both　Houses；　and　Victoria　was　deeply　touched　by　the　untiring　energy　with　which　Disraeli　defended　it。　She　was；　she　said；　much　grieved　by　〃the　worry　and　annoyance〃　to　which　he　was　subjected；　she　feared　she　was　the　cause　of　it；　and　she　would　never　forget　what　she　owed　to　〃her　kind；　good；　and　considerate　friend。〃　At　the　same　time；　her　wrath　fell　on　the　Opposition。　Their　conduct；　she　declared；　was　〃extraordinary；　incomprehensible；　and　mistaken；〃　and；　in　an　emphatic　sentence　which　seemed　to　contradict　both　itself　and　all　her　former　proceedings；　she　protested　that　she　〃would　be　glad　if　it　were　more　generally　known　that　it　was　HER　wish；　as　people　WILL　have　it；　that　it　has　been　FORCED　UPON　HER！〃　When　the　affair　was　successfully　over；　the　imperial　triumph　was　celebrated　in　a　suitable　manner。　On　the　day　of　the　Delhi　Proclamation；　the　new　Earl　of　Beaconsfield　went　to　Windsor　to　dine　with　the　new　Empress　of　India。　That　night　the　Faery；　usually　so　homely　in　her　attire；　appeared　in　a　glittering　panoply　of　enormous　uncut　jewels；　which　had　been　presented　to　her　by　the　reigning　Princes　of　her　Raj。　At　the　end　of　the　meal　the　Prime　Minister；　breaking　through　the　rules　of　etiquette；　arose；　and　in　a　flowery　oration　proposed　the　health　of　the　Queen…Empress。　His　audacity　was　well　received；　and　his　speech　was　rewarded　by　a　smiling　curtsey。
  These　were　significant　episodes；　but　a　still　more　serious　manifestation　of　Victoria's　temper　occurred　in　the　following　year；　during　the　crowning　crisis　of　Beaconsfield's　life。　His　growing　imperialism；　his　desire　to　magnify　the　power　and　prestige　of　England；　his　insistence　upon　a　〃spirited　foreign　policy；〃　had　brought　him　into　collision　with　Russia；　the　terrible　Eastern　Question　loomed　up；　and　when　war　broke　out　between　Russia　and　Turkey；　the　gravity　of　the　situation　became　extreme。　The　Prime　Minister's　policy　was　fraught　with　difficulty　and　danger。　Realising　perfectly　the　appalling　implications　of　an　Anglo…Russian　war；　he　was　yet　prepared　to　face　even　that　eventuality　if　he　could　obtain　his　ends　by　no　other　method；　but　he　believed　that　Russia　in　reality　was　still　less　desirous　of　a　rupture；　and　that；　if　he　played　his　game　with　sufficient　boldness　and　adroitness；　she　would　yield；　when　it　came　to　the　point；　all　that　he　required　without　a　blow。　It　was　clear　that　the　course　he　had　marked　out　for　himself　was　full　of　hazard；　and　demanded　an　extraordinary　nerve；　a　single　false　step；　and　either　himself；　or　England；　might　be　plunged　in　disaster。　But　nerve　he　had　never　lacked；　he　began　his　diplomatic　egg…dance　with　high　assurance；　and　then　he　discovered　that；　besides　the　Russian　Government；　besides　the　Liberals　and　Mr。　Gladstone；　there　were　two　additional　sources　of　perilous　embarrassment　with　which　he　would　have　to　reckon。　In　the　first　place　there　was　a　strong　party　in　the　Cabinet；　headed　by　Lord　Derby；　the　Foreign　Secretary；　which　was　unwilling　to　take　the　risk　of　war；　but　his　culminating　anxiety　was　the　Faery。
  From　the　first；　her　attitude　was　uncompromising。　The　old　hatred　of　Russia；　which　had　been　engendered　by　the　Crimean　War；　surged　up　again　within　her；　she　remembered　Albert's　prolonged　animosity；　she　felt　the　prickings　of　her　own　greatness；　and　she　flung　herself　into　the　turmoil　with　passionate　heat。　Her　indignation　with　the　Oppositionwith　anyone　who　ventured　to　sympathise　with　the　Russians　in　their　quarrel　with　the　Turkswas　unbounded。　When　anti…Turkish　meetings　were　held　in　London；　presided　over　by　the　Duke　of　Westminster　and　Lord　Shaftesbury；　and　attended　by　Mr。　Gladstone　and　other　prominent　Radicals；　she　considered　that　〃the　Attorney…General　ought　to　be　set　at　these　men；〃　〃it　can't；〃　she　exclaimed；　〃be　constitutional。〃　Never　in　her　life；　not　even　in　the　crisis　over　the　Ladies　of　the　Bedchamber；　did　she　show　herself　a　more　furious　partisan。　But　her　displeasure　was　not　reserved　for　the　Radicals；　the　backsliding　Conservatives　equally　felt　its　force。　She　was　even　discontented　with　Lord　Beaconsfield　himself。　Failing　entirely　to　appreciate　the　delicate　complexity　of　his　policy；　she　constantly　assailed　him　with　demands　for　vigorous　action；　interpreted　each　finesse　as　a　sign　of　weakness；　and　was　ready　at　every　juncture　to　let　slip　the　dogs　of　war。　As　the　situation　developed；　her　anxiety　grew　feverish。　〃The　Queen；〃　she　wrote；　〃is　feeling　terribly　anxious　lest　delay　should　cause　us　to　be　too　late　and　lose　our　prestige　for　ever！　It　worries　her　night　and　day。〃　〃The　Faery；〃　Beaconsfield　told　Lady　Bradford；　〃writes　every　day　and　telegraphs　every　hour；　this　is　almost　literally　the　case。〃　She　raged　loudly　against　the　Russians。　〃And　the　language；〃　she　cried；　〃the　insulting　languageused　by　the　Russians　against　us！　It　makes　the　Queen's　blood　boil！〃　〃Oh；〃　she　wrote　a　little　later；　〃if　the　Queen　were　a　man；　she　would　like　to　go　and　give　those　Russians；　whose　word　one　cannot　believe；　such　a　beating！　We　shall　never　be　friends　again　till　we　have　it　out。　This　the　Queen　feels　sure　of。〃
  The　unfortunate　Prime　Minister；　urged　on　to　violence　by　Victoria　on　one　side；　had　to　deal；　on　the　other；　with　a　Foreign　Secretary　who　was　fundamentally　opposed　to　any　policy　of　active　interference　at　all。　Between　the　Queen　and　Lord　Derby　he　held　a　harassed　course。　He　gained；　indeed；　some　slight　satisfaction　in　playing　on　the　one　against　the　otherin　stimulating　Lord　Derby　with　the　Queen's　missives；　and　in　appeasing　the　Queen　by　repudiating　Lord　Derby's　opinions；　on　one　occasion　he　actually　went　so　far　as　to　compose；　at　Victoria's　request；　a　letter　bitterly　attacking　his　colleague；　which　Her　Majesty　forthwith　signed；　and　sent；　without　alteration；　to　the　Foreign　Secretary。　But　such　devices　only　gave　a　temporary　relief；　and　it　soon　became　evident　that　Victoria's　martial　ardour　was　not　to　be　sidetracked　by　hostilities　against　Lord　Derby；　hostilities　against　Russia　were　what　she　wanted；　what　she　would；　what　she　must；　have。　For　now；　casting　aside　the　last　relics　of　moderation；　she　began　to　attack　her　friend　with　a　series　of　extraordinary　threats。　Not　once；　not　twice；　but　many　times　she　held　over　his　head　the　formidable　menace　of　her　imminent　abdication。　〃If　England；〃　she　wrote　to　Beaconsfield；　〃is　to　kiss　Russia's　feet；　she　will　not　be　a　party　to　the　humiliation　of　England　and　would　lay　down　her　crown；〃　and　she　added　that　the　Prime　Minister　might；　if　he　thought　fit；　repeat　her　words　to　the　Cabinet。　〃This　delay；〃　she　ejaculated；　〃this　uncertainty　by　which；　abroad；　we　are　losing　our　prestige　and　our　position；　while　Russia　is　advancing　and　will　be　before　Constantinople　in　no　time！　Then　the　Government　will　be　fearfully　blamed　and　the　Queen　so　humiliated　that　she　thinks　she　would　abdicate　at　once。　Be　bold！〃　〃She　feels；〃　she　reiterated；　〃she　cannot；　as　she　before　said；　remain　the　Sovereign　of　a　country　that　is　letting　itself　down　to　kiss　the　feet　of　the　great　barbarians；　the　retarders　of　all　liberty　and　civilisation　that　exists。〃　When　the　Russians　advanced　to　the　outskirts　of　Constantinople　she　fired　off　three　letters　in　a　day　demanding　war；　and　when　she　learnt　that　the　Cabinet　had　only　decided　to　send　the　Fleet　to　Gallipoli　she　declared　that　〃her　first　impulse〃　was　〃to　lay　down　the　thorny　crown；　which　she　feels　little　satisfaction　in　retaining　if　the　position　of　this　country　is　to　remain　as　it　is　now。〃　It　is　easy　to　imagine　the　agitating　effect　of　such　a　correspondence　upon　Beaconsfield。　This　was　no　longer　the　Faery；　it　was　a　genie　whom　he　had　rashly　called　out　of　her　bottle；　and　who　was　now　intent　upon　showing　her　supernal　power。　More　than　once；　perplexed；　dispirited；　shattered　by　illness；　he　had　thoughts　of　withdrawing　altogether　from　the　game。　One　thing　alone；　h