MY DEAREST UNCLE,--I cannot have your kind and confidential letter of
the 15th answered, and therefore write to-day to thank you for it. You
may rely on our divulging nothing. We are, however, both very anxious
that dear Pedro should be preferred.[47] He is out and out _the_
most distinguished young Prince there is, and besides that, good,
excellent, and steady according to one's heart's desire, and as one
could wish for an _only and beloved daughter_. For Portugal, too, an
_amiable_, well-educated Queen would be an immense blessing, for there
_never_ has been one. I am sure you would be more likely to secure
Charlotte's happiness if you gave her to Pedro than to one of those
innumerable Archdukes, or to Prince George of Saxony. Pedro should,
however, be written to, if you were favourably inclined towards him.

I must end now, hoping soon to hear from you again. Pedro is _just_
nineteen; he can therefore well wait till he has completed his
twentieth year. Ever your devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

[Footnote 47: Both the Queen and King Leopold were desirous
of arranging a marriage between King Pedro and the Princess
Charlotte, which, however, did not take place. See _post_,
10th October, 1856, 16th June, 1857, and 3rd May, 1859.]

[Pageheading: RUSSIAN PROCRASTINATION]

_Queen Victoria to the Empress of the French._

[_Draft._][48]

_Septembre 1856._

Je regrette autant que V.M.I. les divergences existantes entre les
vues de nos deux Gouvernements au sujet du Traite de Paris.[49] [Il
est impossible pour nous cependant de ceder aux Russes les demandes
qu'ils mettent en avant, seulement parcequ'elles sont soutenues par la
France. Le fait est que] Ma maniere d'envisager la situation actuelle
est celle-ci: les Russes ne cessent de suivre la meme politique des le
commencement de la complication Orientale jusqu'a present. Ils cedent
ou la force majeure les y contraint, mais tachent de se reserver par
des chicanes ou subterfuges les moyens de reprendre a un temps plus
opportun leurs attaques sur l'independance et l'integrite de cette
pauvre Turquie. [Nous au contraire sommes determines.] La France
et l'Angleterre au contraire ont manifeste leur determination de la
sauver et de l'assurer contre ces attaques. C'etait la la cause de la
guerre; c'etait la le but de la paix; mon Gouvernement n'oserait le
sacrifier vis-a-vis de mon peuple par complaisance envers l'Empereur
de Russie. Un coup d'oeil sur