THE ROYAL LOVERS.
Holford awoke with a start.
At that moment the time-piece upon the mantel struck five. It was still
quite dark.
The young man felt cold and nervous. He had dreamt that he was
discovered and ejected from the palace amidst the jeers and taunts of
the servants. He now suddenly recollected that the domestics would most
probably soon arrive to cleanse and arrange the apartment; and detection
in that case must be certain.
It struck him that he had better endeavour to escape at once from the
royal dwelling. Then he thought and fondly flattered himself that the
same good fortune which had hitherto attended him in this adventure
would still follow him. This idea has caused many a hesitating mind to
decide upon pursuing a career of crime, or folly, or peril. So was it
with Holford; and he resolved to remain in the palace at least a short
time longer.
But he perceived the absolute necessity of seeking out a secure place of
concealment; and it struck him that the highest storeys of the building
were those best calculated for this purpose. Leaving the apartment in
which he had availed himself of the friendly sofa, and which, as before
stated, was in the immediate vicinity of the Sculpture Gallery upon the
ground-floor, he passed through the Library, and returned to the great
hall. Ascending a magnificent marble staircase, he reached the Picture
Gallery. Every here and there lamps were burning, and thus he was
enabled to inspect all the scenes of magnificence and splendour through
which he passed.
The Picture Gallery in Buckingham Palace is immediately over the
Sculpture Gallery, and forms a wide passage separating the Green Drawing
Room, the Throne Room, and other state apartments from the Roman, the
Yellow, and the little drawing rooms. The Yellow Drawing Room is the
largest and most splendid of the suite. The furniture is all richly
carved, and is overlaid with burnished gilding and covered with yellow
satin. The wall is surrounded by polished pillars of syenite marble; and
on each panel is painted a portrait of some royal personage.
The Dining Room also leads out of the Picture Gallery. This gallery
itself is decorated and adorned upon classic models. The frames of the
pictures are very plain, but neat, and appropriated to the style of the
architecture. There is nothing gorgeous in this gallery: every thing is
in good taste; and yet the mouldings and fret-work of the ceiling are of
the most elaborate description. The pictures in the gallery are all
originals by eminent masters, and are the private property of the
sovereign.
It may be here observed that the queen is passionately attached to the
Fine Arts, in which, indeed, she is a proficient. In every room of the
palace there are some excellent paintings; and in each apartment
occupied by the queen, with the exception of the Throne Room, there is a
grand pianoforte.
With a lamp in his hand, Henry Holford proceeded through those
magnificent apartments which communicated with the Picture Gallery. He
was astonished at the assemblage of wealth and splendour that met his
eyes on every side. From time to time he seated himself upon the softest
ottomans, and in the gilded chairs--in every place where he deemed it
probable that the queen might have rested. At length he reached the
Throne Room. The imperial seat itself was covered over with a velvet
cloth, to protect it against the dust. Holford removed the cloth; and
the splendours of the throne were revealed to him.
He hesitated for a moment: he felt as if he were committing a species of
sacrilege;--then triumphing over this feeling--a feeling which had
appeared like a remorse--he ascended the steps of the throne;--he placed
himself in the seat of England's monarch.
Had the sceptre been there he would have grasped it;--had the crown been
within his reach, he would have placed it upon his head!
But time pressed; and he was compelled to leave those apartments in
which a strange and unaccountable fascination induced him to linger. He
ascended a staircase leading to another storey; and now he proceeded
with extreme caution, for he conceived that he must be in the immediate
vicinity of the royal sleeping apartments. He hastened up to the highest
storey he could reach, and entered several passages from which doors
opened on either side. One of these doors was ajar; the light of a lamp
in the passage enabled him to ascertain that the chamber into which it
led was full of old furniture, trunks, boxes, bedding, and other lumber.
This was precisely the place which suited the adventurous pot-boy; and
he hastened to conceal himself amidst a pile of mattresses which formed
a secure, warm, and comfortable berth.
Here he again fell asleep; and when he awoke the sun was shining
brightly. He partook of his provisions with a good appetite, and then
deliberated within himself what course he should pursue. He felt madly
anxious to be near the person of the queen once more: he longed to hear
her voice again;--he resolved to risk every thing to gratify these
inclinations.
He began to understand that the vast extent of the palace, and the many
different ways of reaching the various floors and suites of apartments,
constituted the elements of his safety, and greatly diminished the risk
of encountering any of the inmates of the royal dwelling. He was insane
enough, moreover, to believe that some good genius or especial favour of
fortune protected him; and these impressions were sufficiently powerful
to induce him to attempt any fresh enterprise within the walls of the
palace.
While he was debating within himself how he should proceed in order to
satisfy his enthusiastic curiosity, the door suddenly opened, and two
female servants of the royal household entered the lumber-room.
Holford's heart sank within him: his limbs seemed paralysed; his breath
failed him.
"The entertainment takes place in the Yellow and Roman Drawing Rooms
this evening," said one.
"The prince is expected at five o'clock," observed the other. "He and
his father the Duke of Saxe Coburg Gotha, are to land at Woolwich
between two and three."
"So I heard. The royal carriages have already left to meet her Majesty's
guests."
"Have you ever seen the prince?"
"Once. He was in England, I remember, a short time previous to the
accession of her Majesty."
"Is he good looking?"
"Very. Of course you believe as I do, and as every one else does that
Prince Albert of Saxe Coburg will----"
"Soon be Prince Albert of England."
"Hush! walls have ears!"
The servants having discovered the article of furniture which was the
object of their search, left the room--greatly to the relief of Henry
Holford, whose presence they never for a moment suspected.
Holford had thus accidentally learnt some information which served to
guide his plans. The evening's entertainment was to take place in the
Yellow Drawing Room--an apartment which he could not fail to recognise
by the colour, as one which he had visited before day-break that
morning. He had heard of Prince Albert, whom rumour had already
mentioned as the happy being who had attracted the queen's favour. Every
circumstance now lent its aid to induce the enthusiastic lad to resolve
upon penetrating into the Yellow Drawing Room, by some means or another,
during the afternoon.
It struck the intruder that if the queen intended to receive company in
the Yellow Drawing-room in the evening, she would most probably welcome
her illustrious guests from Germany in some other apartment. He knew,
from the conversation of the two female servants, that the Grand Duke of
Saxe-Coburg Gotha and Prince Albert, were to arrive at five: he presumed
that the inmates of the palace would assemble in those points where they
could command a view of the ducal _cortège_; and he came to the
conclusion that the coast would be most clear for his purposes, at five
o'clock.
Nor was he wrong in his conjectures; for scarcely had two minutes
elapsed after the clock had proclaimed the hour of five, when Henry
Holford was safely ensconced beneath a sofa in the Yellow Drawing Room.
At eight o'clock the servants entered and lighted the lamps. The colour
of the paper and the satin of the furniture enhanced the splendour of
the effulgence thus created in that magnificent saloon.
At half-past nine the door opened again; and Holford's heart beat
quickly, for he now expected the appearance of the sovereign and her
guests. But, no--not yet. Two ladies attached to the court, entered the
drawing-room, and seated themselves upon the sofa beneath which Holford
lay concealed.
"Well--what think you of the young prince?" said one. "Your grace was
seated next to him."
"Very handsome--and so unassuming," was the reply.
"Does your grace really believe that her Majesty is smitten?"
"No doubt of it. How fortunate for the family of the Grand Duke of
Saxe-Coburg!"
"Yes--fortunate on the score of alliance."
"And in a pecuniary point of view."
"Not so much as your grace thinks. There has been an absurd report in
circulation that the grand duke's revenues are so small, none of his
family could venture to appear at the court of Vienna: and also, that
the means of education for the younger branches were always excessively
restricted."
"And are not these reports correct, countess?"
"By no means. Your grace probably is aware that the earl and myself
visited Germany the year before last; and we remained six weeks at
Gotha. The Duke of Saxe-Coburg possesses a considerable civil list, and
a large private fortune. His brother Ferdinand espoused the wealthy
Princess Kohary of Hungary; and another brother, Leopold, married our
lamented Princess Charlotte. It has been stated that Prince Leopold
himself was a simple major in the Austrian service, with nothing but his
pay, when he was fortunate enough to obtain the favour of the Princess
Charlotte: this is so far from being correct, that he never was in the
Austrian service at all, but was a general officer in the Russian army,
enjoying, in addition to his full pay, a princely allowance from his
country."
"Your ladyship has greatly pleased me with these elucidations."
"Your grace honours me with this mark of satisfaction. Prince Albert was
educated at Bonn, on the Rhine. His mental qualifications are said to be
of a very high order; his disposition is amiable; and he has obtained
the affections of all who know him in Germany."
"It is to be hoped that her most gracious Majesty will enjoy a long,
prosperous, and happy reign," said the duchess, in a tone of unfeigned
sincerity.
"Long and prosperous it may be," returned the countess, with a strange
solemnity of voice and manner; "but happy for her--happy for the
sovereign whom we all so much love,--no--that is impossible!"
"Alas! I know to what you allude," observed the duchess, her tone also
changing. "Merciful heavens! is there, then, no perfect happiness in
this world?"
"Where shall perfect happiness be found?" exclaimed the countess, in a
voice of deep melancholy, and with a profound sigh. "Never did any
sovereign ascend the throne under more favourable circumstances than
Victoria. Enshrined in a nation's heart--beloved by millions of human
beings,--wearing the proudest diadem in the universe, and swaying the
sceptre of a dominion extensive as that of Rome, in her most glorious
days,--oh! why should not Victoria be completely happy? Alas! she can
command the affections of her people by her conduct:--the valour of her
subjects, the prowess of her generals, and the dauntless courage of her
admirals, can preserve her empire from all encroachment--all
peril;--wealth can surround her with every luxury, and all the
potentates of the earth may seek her friendship;--but no power--no
dominion--no wealth--no luxury--no love, can exterminate the seeds----"
"Ah! countess--for God's sake, talk not in this manner!" ejaculated the
duchess: "you make me melancholy--so melancholy, that I shall be
dispirited the entire evening."
"Pardon me, my dear friend; but I know not how our discourse gradually
turned upon so sad a subject. And yet the transition must have been
natural," added the countess, in a mournful and plaintive voice; "for,
most assuredly, I should not have voluntarily sought to converse upon so
sad a theme."
"Sad!" cried the duchess; "'tis sufficient to make one's heart bleed. To
think that a young creature whom millions and millions of beings idolize
and adore--whose name is upon every lip--whose virtues and
qualifications are the theme of every pen--whose slightest wish amounts
to a command,--oh! to think that this envied and amiable being should be
haunted, day and night--alone, or when surrounded by all that is most
noble or most lovely in England's aristocracy,--haunted by that dread
fear--that appalling alarm--that dismal apprehension;--oh! it is
intolerable!"
"Alas!" said the countess; "what poor--what miserable creatures are we!
The hand of the Deity mingles gall with the cup of nectar which is drunk
by his elect! There is no situation in life without its vexations."
"Yes--vexations of all kinds!" echoed the duchess; "for those annoyances
which are mere trifles to the lower classes, are grievous afflictions to
us. But----"
At that moment the time-piece upon the mantel proclaimed the half-hour
after ten; and the two ladies rose from the sofa, observing to each
other, that it was time to hasten to attend upon the person of their
royal mistress. They then withdrew.
It may be supposed that Holford had not lost one word of the above
conversation. He had greedily drunk in every word;--but the concluding
portion of it had filled him with the most anxious curiosity, and with
wonder. To what did those dark, mysterious hints bear reference? And how
could the happiness of the sovereign be incomplete? Those two noble
ladies had detailed all the elements of felicity which formed the basis
of the queen's position; and surely sufficient had been enumerated to
prove the perfection of her happiness. And yet, allusion was made to one
source of perpetual fear--one cause of unmixed alarm--one object of
ever-present dread, by which the queen was haunted on all occasions.
What could this be? Conjecture was vain--imagination could suggest
nothing calculated to explain this strange mystery.
Shortly after eleven o'clock the doors were thrown open, and the royal
train made its appearance. On the queen's right hand walked Prince
Albert, the sovereign leaning gently upon his arm. He was dressed in a
court-garb, and wore a foreign order upon his breast. Of slight form and
slender make, his figure was wanting in manliness; but his deportment
was graceful. His eyes beamed kindness; and there was something
peculiarly sweet and pleasant in his smile. His countenance was
expressive of intellect; his conversation was amusing. He was evidently
a very pleasant companion; and when Victoria and Albert walked down the
saloon together, there appeared a certain fitness in their union which
was calculated to strike the most common beholder.
[Illustration]
The queen and the prince seated themselves upon the sofa beneath which
the pot-boy was concealed; and their conversation was plainly overheard
by him. The noble and beauteous guests--the lords and the ladies of the
court--withdrew to a distance; and the royal lovers--for such already
were Victoria and Albert--enjoyed the pleasures of a _tête-à-tête_. We
shall not record any portion of their discourse--animated, interesting,
and tender though it were: suffice it to say, that for a short time they
seemed to forget their high rank, and to throw aside the trammels of
court etiquette, in order to give vent to those natural feelings which
the sovereign has in common with the peasant.
This _tête-à-tête_ lasted for nearly an hour: music and dancing then
ensued; and the entertainment continued until two o'clock in the
morning.
The company retired--the lights were extinguished in the state
apartments--and profound silence once more reigned throughout the
palace.
Holford paid another visit to the larder, and then retraced his steps
unobserved to the lumber-room, where he slept until a late hour in the
morning.