Be bold!" "She feels," she reiterated, "she cannot, as she before said, remain the Sovereign of a country that is letting itself down to kiss the feet of the great barbarians, the retarders of all liberty and civilisation that exists." When the Russians advanced to the outskirts of Constantinople she fired off three letters in a day demanding war; and when she learnt that the Cabinet had only decided to send the Fleet to Gallipoli she declared that "her first impulse" was "to lay down the thorny crown, which she feels little satisfaction in retaining if the position of this country is to remain as it is now." It is easy to imagine the agitating effect of such a correspondence upon Beaconsfield.

This was no longer the Faery; it was a genie whom he had rashly called out of her bottle, and who was now intent upon showing her supernal power.

More than once, perplexed, dispirited, shattered by illness, he had thoughts of withdrawing altogether from the game.

One thing alone, he told Lady Bradford, with a wry smile, prevented him.

"If I could only," he wrote, "face the scene which would occur at headquarters if I resigned, I would do so at once." He held on, however, to emerge victorious at last.