Page:Life of Her Majesty Queen Victoria (IA lifeofhermajesty01fawc).pdf/119

 Leopold, on his side, spoke of Stockmar as "the most valued physician of his soul and body." In the Royal household at Claremont he was treated by both the Prince and Princess as a friend, and he fulfilled the duties of private secretary as well as physician to his master. His good sense made him decline to act as medical adviser to Princess Charlotte. This office should, he felt, devolve on an English doctor. This may have been either fortunate for himself or unfortunate for the poor Princess,—probably the latter; as there are several reasons to believe that he would have prescribed a rational treatment in the place of the purging, bleeding, and general lowering of the system which caused her death within a few hours of the birth of her stillborn son. In that dark hour of the loss of all his hopes of domestic happiness and political ambition, Leopold leant on the firm devotion of Stockmar. He made Stockmar promise never to forsake him. Kneeling at the bed where his young wife lay dead, Leopold said, "I am now quite desolate. Promise me always to stay with me." He promised. Again later the Prince reminded him of his promise, and asked him if he had considered all that it meant. He renewed the promise; but even in this moment of supreme emotion he was not carried away, for he did not promise unconditionally. "I said I would never leave him as long as I saw that he confided in me and loved me, and that I could be of use to him." He added, in writing an account of all that had happened to his sister, "I did not hesitate to promise what he may perhaps claim forever, or, perhaps, even next year, may find no longer necessary to him." Without building too much on his being permanently necessary to the Prince, he knew that he was necessary to him at the moment. No elder brother was ever more tender than Stockmar to Leopold at the time of