es. Successes of vanity I am never fishing for in England,
nor anywhere else. The only influence I may exercise is to prevent
mischief where I can, which occasionally succeeds; if war can be
avoided, and the same ends obtained, it is natural _that_ THAT _should
be tried first_. Many English superficial newspaper politicians
imagine that threatening is the thing--I believe it the worst of all
systems. The Emperor Nicholas and Menschikoff wanted by threatening
the Turks to get certain things, and they have by that means got a
very troublesome and expensive affair on their hands. I wish England
too well to like to see it, but one of these days they will get into
some scrape in the same way. The foolish accusation that we are doing
all we can to break up the French Alliance is certainly the _most
absurd of all_; if anything can be for our local advantage, it is to
see England and France closely allied, and for a long period--for ever
I should say....

I have heard, and that from the Prussian Quarter, that great efforts
are making on the part of Russia, to _gain over_ Louis Napoleon. I
understand, however, that though Louis Napoleon is _not_ anxious for
war, that his opinion is favourable to the continuation of a good
understanding with England. That it should be so is, I must say,
highly desirable. The poor Orleans will be grieved and hurt by all
these things. The death of the child of the poor Queen of Spain will
not be a favourable omen for Spain.[4]...

With my best love to Albert. Believe me ever, my beloved Victoria,
your truly devoted Uncle,

LEOPOLD R.

[Footnote 4: A daughter had been born to the Queen of Spain on
the 5th of January, and lived only three days.]

[Pageheading: THE ORLEANS FAMILY]

_Queen Victoria to the Earl of Aberdeen._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _16th January 1854._

The Queen sends the answer she has this morning received from the Duc
de Nemours, which she hopes is on the whole satisfactory as regards
the reported visit of the Count de Chambord.[5] The Duke does not see
in so strong a light as _we_ do, the danger of even the _report_ being
believed--probably from living so much out of the world as he does.
What would Lord Aberdeen wish her to do farther, and what does he
think can be done in the way of contradiction? The Queen wishes
likewise to have Lord Aberdeen's opinion and advice on the following
subjects. He knows that we have invariably received the poor Orleans
family (in