The World’s Fair--Carping Critics--Churlish Ambassadors Rebuked by the Queen--Opening of the Great Exhibition--A Touching Sight--The Queen’s Comments on “_soi-disant_ Fashionables”--The Duke of Wellington’s Nosegay--Prince Albert among the Missionaries--The Queen’s Letter to Lord John Russell--Her Pride in her Husband--The London Season--The Duke of Brunswick’s Balloon “Victoria”--Bloomerism--The Queen at Macready’s Farewell Benefit--The Queen’s Costume Ball--The Spanish Beauty--An Ugly “Lion”--The Queen at the Guildhall Ball--Grotesque Civic Festivities--Royal Visits to Liverpool and Manchester--A Well-Dressed Mayor--The Queen on the “Sommerophone”--The _Coup d’État_--The Assassins of Liberty--The Appeal to France--The Queen’s Last Quarrel with Palmerston--Palmerston’s Fall--Outcry against the Queen--A “Presuming” Muscovite--The Queen’s Vindication 480 CHAPTER XXVII. A YEAR OF EXCITEMENT AND PANIC. Cassandras in the Service Clubs--The Tories and the Queen’s Speech--Lord John Russell’s Triumph--The Militia Bill--Defeat of the Russell Ministry--Fall of the Whig Cabinet--Palmerston’s “Tit for Tat”--A Protectionist Government--Novices in Office--A Cabinet of Affairs--Mr. Disraeli’s Budget--Lord John Russell’s Fatal Blunder--The Second Burmese War--Dalhousie’s Designs on Burmah--How the Quarrel Grew--Lambert’s Indiscretion--The Attack on Rangoon--Fall of the Citadel--Annexation--Desultory Warfare--Dissolution of Parliament--The General Election--Equipoise of Parties--Factions and Free Trade--Palmerston’s Forecasts--Forcing the Hand of the Ministry--Death of the Duke of Wellington--The Queen’s Grief--The Nation in Mourning--The Lying-in-State--Shocking Scenes--The Funeral Pageant--The Ceremony in St. Paul’s--A Veteran in Tears--The Laureate’s Votive Wreath--Review of the Duke’s Character 496 CHAPTER XXVIII. THE LAST YEAR OF “THE GREAT PEACE.” Abortive Attacks on the Ministry--Mr. Disraeli’s First Budget--Fall of the Tory Cabinet--The Queen and Lord Aberdeen--Organising the Coalition--A Ministry of “All the Talents”--The Queen and South Kensington--A Miser’s Legacy to the Queen--Sport at Balmoral--Proclamation of the Second Empire--The “Battle of the Numeral”--The Queen Initiates a Policy--Personal Government in the Victorian Age--A Servile Minister--Lord Malmesbury’s Spies--Napoleon III. and “Mrs. Howard”--Creole Card-Parties at Kensington--Napoleon III. Proposes to Marry the Queen’s Niece--Lord John Russell’s Education Scheme--Mr. Gladstone’s First Budget--The India Bill--Transportation of Convicts to Australia Stopped--The Gold Fever in Australia--The Rush to the Diggings--The First Gold Ships in the Thames--Gold Discoveries and Free Trade--Chagrin of the Protectionists--The Rise in Prices--Practical Success of Peel’s Fiscal Policy--Strikes and Dear Bread--End of the Great Peace 515 CHAPTER XXIX. DRIFTING TO WAR.