Volume I Part 116 (1/2)

_Queen Adelaide to Queen Victoria._

CANFORD HOUSE, _14th February 1843._

MY DEAREST NIECE,--Your delightful letter of Tuesday gave me such pleasure and satisfaction that I must thank you with all my heart for it. Your happiness, and your grat.i.tude for that happiness, is most gratifying to my feelings, having loved you from your infancy almost as much as if you had been my own child. It is therefore happiness to me to hear from yourself those expressions to which you gave vent. I thank G.o.d that you have such an excellent husband, so well calculated to make you happy and to a.s.sist you in your arduous duties by his advice, as well as his help in sharing your troubles. I pray that your domestic happiness may last uninterruptedly, and that you may enjoy it through a long, long period of _many, many years_. You cannot say too much of _yourself_ and dear Albert when you write to me, for it is a most interesting subject to my heart, I a.s.sure you.

What a _shame_ to have put on darling little Victoria a _powdered wig_! Poor dear child must have looked very strange with it! Did her brother appear in _einer Allonge-Perucke_?...

I shall hope to follow you to town early next month, and look forward with great pleasure to seeing you so soon again. Forgive me my horrible scrawl, and with my best love to dearest Albert, believe me, ever, my dearest Victoria, your most affectionate and faithfully devoted Aunt,

ADELAIDE.

Pray tell your dear mother, with my affectionate love, that I will answer her letter to-morrow.

[Pageheading: INTERCHANGE OF VISITS]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _14th February 1843._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--Many thanks for your kind letter of the 10th, which I received on Sunday. I am only a little wee bit distressed at your writing _on the 10th_, and not taking any notice of the _dearest, happiest_ day in my life, to which I owe the present _great_ domestic happiness I now enjoy, and which is much greater than I deserve, though certainly my Kensington life for the last six or seven years had been one of great misery and oppression, and I may expect some little retribution, and, indeed, _after_ my accession, there was a great deal of worry. Indeed I _am_ grateful for possessing (_really without_ vanity or flattery or _blindness_) the _most perfect_ being as a husband in existence, or who ever did exist; and I doubt whether anybody _ever_ did love or respect another as I do my dear Angel! And indeed Providence has ever mercifully protected us, through manifold dangers and trials, and I feel confident will continue to do so, and then let outward storms and trials and sorrows be sent us, and we can bear all....

I could not help smiling at the exact.i.tude about Monday the 19th of June; it is a great happiness to us to think with such certainty (_D.V._) of your kind visit, which would suit perfectly. _a propos_ of this, I am anxious to tell you that we are full of hope of paying you in August a little visit, which last year was in so melancholy a way interrupted; but we think that for _many_ reasons it would be better for us to pay you our _first_ visit only at _Ostend_, and not at Brussels or Laeken; you could lodge us _anywhere_, and we need then bring but very few people with us--it might also facilitate the meeting with Albert's good old grandmother, who fears to cross the sea, and whose great _wish_ is to behold Albert again--and would not be so difficult (_pour la lere fois_) in many ways. I could, nevertheless, see Bruges and Ghent from thence by help of the railroad, and return the same day to Ostend.

What you say about Peel is very just. Good Lord Melbourne is much better.

I hope soon to hear more about Joinville and Donna Francesca. Now, ever your devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

We are all very well (_unberufen_) and move, _to our horror_, to town on Friday.

[Pageheading: COBDEN'S ATTACK ON PEEL]

_Sir Robert Peel to Queen Victoria._

WHITEHALL, _18th February (1843)._

(_Sat.u.r.day morning._)

Sir Robert Peel presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and begs leave to acquaint your Majesty that the debate was brought to a close this morning about half-past three o'clock. The motion of Lord Howick[14] was rejected by a large majority, the number being--

For the Motion 191 Against it 305 --- Majority 114 ---