The　personality　and　the　position；　toothe　wonderful　combination　of　themthat；　perhaps；　was　what　was　finally　fascinating　in　the　case。　The　little　old　lady；　with　her　white　hair　and　her　plain　mourning　clothes；　in　her　wheeled　chair　or　her　donkey…carriageone　saw　her　so；　and　thenclose　behindwith　their　immediate　suggestion　of　singularity；　of　mystery；　and　of　powerthe　Indian　servants。　That　was　the　familiar　vision；　and　it　was　admirable；　but；　at　chosen　moments；　it　was　right　that　the　widow　of　Windsor　should　step　forth　apparent　Queen。　The　last　and　the　most　glorious　of　such　occasions　was　the　Jubilee　of　1897。　Then；　as　the　splendid　procession　passed　along；　escorting　Victoria　through　the　thronged　re…echoing　streets　of　London　on　her　progress　of　thanksgiving　to　St。　Paul's　Cathedral；　the　greatness　of　her　realm　and　the　adoration　of　her　subjects　blazed　out　together。　The　tears　welled　to　her　eyes；　and；　while　the　multitude　roared　round　her；　〃How　kind　they　are　to　me！　How　kind　they　are！〃　she　repeated　over　and　over　again。　That　night　her　message　flew　over　the　Empire：　〃From　my　heart　I　thank　my　beloved　people。　May　God　bless　them！〃　The　long　journey　was　nearly　done。　But　the　traveller；　who　had　come　so　far；　and　through　such　strange　experiences；　moved　on　with　the　old　unfaltering　step。　The　girl；　the　wife；　the　aged　woman；　were　the　same：　vitality；　conscientiousness；　pride；　and　simplicity　were　hers　to　the　latest　hour。
  CHAPTER　X。　THE　END
  The　evening　had　been　golden；　but；　after　all；　the　day　was　to　close　in　cloud　and　tempest。　Imperial　needs；　imperial　ambitions；　involved　the　country　in　the　South　African　War。　There　were　checks；　reverses；　bloody　disasters；　for　a　moment　the　nation　was　shaken；　and　the　public　distresses　were　felt　with　intimate　solicitude　by　the　Queen。　But　her　spirit　was　high；　and　neither　her　courage　nor　her　confidence　wavered　for　a　moment。　Throwing　her　self　heart　and　soul　into　the　struggle；　she　laboured　with　redoubled　vigour；　interested　herself　in　every　detail　of　the　hostilities；　and　sought　by　every　means　in　her　power　to　render　service　to　the　national　cause。　In　April　1900；　when　she　was　in　her　eighty…first　year；　she　made　the　extraordinary　decision　to　abandon　her　annual　visit　to　the　South　of　France；　and　to　go　instead　to　Ireland；　which　had　provided　a　particularly　large　number　of　recruits　to　the　armies　in　the　field。　She　stayed　for　three　weeks　in　Dublin；　driving　through　the　streets；　in　spite　of　the　warnings　of　her　advisers；　without　an　armed　escort；　and　the　visit　was　a　complete　success。　But；　in　the　course　of　it；　she　began；　for　the　first　time；　to　show　signs　of　the　fatigue　of　age。
  For　the　long　strain　and　the　unceasing　anxiety；　brought　by　the　war；　made　themselves　felt　at　last。　Endowed　by　nature　with　a　robust　constitution；　Victoria；　though　in　periods　of　depression　she　had　sometimes　supposed　herself　an　invalid；　had　in　reality　throughout　her　life　enjoyed　remarkably　good　health。　In　her　old　age；　she　had　suffered　from　a　rheumatic　stiffness　of　the　joints；　which　had　necessitated　the　use　of　a　stick；　and；　eventually；　a　wheeled　chair；　but　no　other　ailments　attacked　her；　until；　in　1898；　her　eyesight　began　to　be　affected　by　incipient　cataract。　After　that；　she　found　reading　more　and　more　difficult；　though　she　could　still　sign　her　name；　and　even；　with　some　difflculty；　write　letters。　In　the　summer　of　1900；　however；　more　serious　symptoms　appeared。　Her　memory；　in　whose　strength　and　precision　she　had　so　long　prided　herself；　now　sometimes　deserted　her；　there　was　a　tendency　towards　aphasia；　and；　while　no　specific　disease　declared　itself；　by　the　autumn　there　were　unmistakable　signs　of　a　general　physical　decay。　Yet；　even　in　these　last　months；　the　strain　of　iron　held　firm。　The　daily　work　continued；　nay；　it　actually　increased；　for　the　Queen；　with　an　astonishing　pertinacity；　insisted　upon　communicating　personally　with　an　ever…growing　multitude　of　men　and　women　who　had　suffered　through　the　war。
  By　the　end　of　the　year　the　last　remains　of　her　ebbing　strength　had　almost　deserted　her；　and　through　the　early　days　of　the　opening　century　it　was　clear　that　her　dwindling　forces　were　only　kept　together　by　an　effort　of　will。　On　January　14；　she　had　at　Osborne　an　hour's　interview　with　Lord　Roberts；　who　had　returned　victorious　from　South　Africa　a　few　days　before。　She　inquired　with　acute　anxiety　into　all　the　details　of　the　war；　she　appeared　to　sustain　the　exertion　successfully；　but；　when　the　audience　was　over；　there　was　a　collapse。　On　the　following　day　her　medical　attendants　recognised　that　her　state　was　hopeless；　and　yet；　for　two　days　more；　the　indomitable　spirit　fought　on；　for　two　days　more　she　discharged　the　duties　of　a　Queen　of　England。　But　after　that　there　was　an　end　of　working；　and　then；　and　not　till　then；　did　the　last　optimism　of　those　about　her　break　down。　The　brain　was　failing；　and　life　was　gently　slipping　away。　Her　family　gathered　round　her；　for　a　little　more　she　lingered；　speechless　and　apparently　insensible；　and；　on　January　22；　1901；　she　died。
  When；　two　days　previously；　the　news　of　the　approaching　end　had　been　made　public；　astonished　grief　had　swept　over　the　country。　It　appeared　as　if　some　monstrous　reversal　of　the　course　of　nature　was　about　to　take　place。　The　vast　majority　of　her　subjects　had　never　known　a　time　when　Queen　Victoria　had　not　been　reigning　over　them。　She　had　become　an　indissoluble　part　of　their　whole　scheme　of　things；　and　that　they　were　about　to　lose　her　appeared　a　scarcely　possible　thought。　She　herself；　as　she　lay　blind　and　silent；　seemed　to　those　who　watched　her　to　be　divested　of　all　thinkingto　have　glided　already；　unawares；　into　oblivion。　Yet；　perhaps；　in　the　secret　chambers　of　consciousness；　she　had　her　thoughts；　too。　Perhaps　her　fading　mind　called　up　once　more　the　shadows　of　the　past　to　float　before　it；　and　retraced；　for　the　last　time；　the　vanished　visions　of　that　long　historypassing　back　and　back；　through　the　cloud　of　years；　to　older　and　ever　older　memoriesto　the　spring　woods　at　Osborne；　so　full　of　primroses　for　Lord　Beaconsfieldto　Lord　Palmerston's　queer　clothes　and　high　demeanour；　and　Albert's　face　under　the　green　lamp；　and　Albert's　first　stag　at　Balmoral；　and　Albert　in　his　blue　and　silver　uniform；　and　the　Baron　coming　in　through　a　doorway；　and　Lord　M。　dreaming　at　Windsor　with　the　rooks　cawing　in　the　elm…trees；　and　the　Archbishop　of　Canterbury　on　his　knees　in　the　dawn；　and　the　old　King's　turkey…cock　ejaculations；　and　Uncle　Leopold's　soft　voice　at　Claremont；　and　Lehzen　with　the　globes；　and　her　mother's　feathers　sweeping　down　towards　her；　and　a　great　old　repeater…watch　of　her　father's　in　its　tortoise…shell　case；　and　a　yellow　rug；　and　some　friendly　flounces　of　sprigged　muslin；　and　the　trees　and　the　grass　at　Kensington。
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  Halle。　Life　and　Letters　of　Sir　Charles　Halle。　Edited　by　his　Son。　1896。
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  Hare。　The　Story　of　My　Life。　By　Augustus　J。C。　Hare。　6　vols。　1896…1900。
  Haydon。　Autobiography