eminent victorians-第53节

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situation。　It　was　some　time　before　the　details　of　the　Hicks　

expedition　were　fully　known；　but　when　they　were；　andwhen　the

appalling　

character　of　the　disaster　was　understood；　a　thrill　of　horror　ran

through　

the　country。　The　newspapers　became　full　of　articles　on　the　Sudan；

of　

personal　descriptions　of　the　Mahdi；　of　agitated　letters　from

colonels　

and　clergymen　demanding　vengeance；　and　of　serious　discussions　of

future　

policy　in　Egypt。　Then；　at　the　beginning　of　the　new　year；　alarming

messages　

began　to　arrive　from　Khartoum。　Colonel　Coetlogon；　who　was　in

command　of　

the　Egyptian　troops；　reported　a　menacing　concentration　of　the

enemy。　Day　by　day；　

hour　by　hour；　affairs　grew　worse。　The　Egyptians　were　obviously

outnumbered：　

they　could　not　maintain　themselves　in　the　field；　Khartoum　was　in

danger；　at　

any　moment；　its　investment　might　be　complete。　And；　with　Khartoum

once　cut　off　

from　communication　with　Egypt；　what　might　not　happen？



Colonel　Coetlogon　began　to　calculate　how　long　the　city　would　hold



out。　Perhaps　it　could　not　resist　the　Mahdi　for　a　month；　perhaps　

for　more　than　a　month；　but　he　began　to　talk　of　the　necessity　of　a



speedy　retreat。　It　was　clear　that　a　climax　was　approaching；　and　

that　measures　must　be　taken　to　forestall　it　at　once。　Accordingly；



Sir　Evelyn　Baring；　on　receipt　of　final　orders　from　England；　

presented　an　ultimatum　to　the　Egyptian　Government：　the　Ministry　

must　either　sanction　the　evacuation　of　the　Sudan；　or　it　must　

resign。　The　Ministry　was　obstinate；　and；　on　January　7th；　1884；　

it　resigned；　to　be　replaced　by　a　more　pliable　body　of　Pashas。　On　

the　same　day；　General　Gordon　arrived　at　Southampton。　He　was　over　

fifty；　and　he　was　still；　by　the　world's　measurements；　an　

unimportant　man。　In　spite　of　his　achievements；　in　spite　of　a　

certain　celebrity　for　'Chinese　Gordon'　was　still　occasionally　

spoken　of　he　was　unrecognised　and　almost　unemployed。　



He　had　spent　a　lifetime　in　the　dubious　services　of　foreign

governments；　

punctuated　by　futile　drudgeries　at　home；　and　now；　after　a　long

idleness；　

he　had　been　sent　forto　do　what？to　look　after　the　Congo　for

the　King　

of　the　Belgians。　At　his　age；　even　if　he　survived　the　work　and　the

climate；　

he　could　hardly　look　forward　to　any　subsequent　appointment；　he

would　

return　from　the　Congo；　old　and　worn　out；　to　a　red…brick　villa　and



extinction。　Such　were　General　Gordon's　prospects　on　January　7th；　

1884。　By　January　18th；　his　name　was　on　every　tongue；　he　was　the　

favourite　of　the　nation；　he　had　been　declared　to　be　the　one

living　man　

capable　of　coping　with　the　perils　of　the　hour；　he　had　been　

chosen；　with　unanimous　approval；　to　perform　a　great　task；　and　he　

had　left　England　on　a　mission　which　was　to　bring　him　not　only　a　

boundless　popularity；　but　an　immortal　fame。　The　circumstances　

which　led　to　a　change　so　sudden　and　so　remarkable　are　less　easily



explained　than　might　have　been　wished。　An　ambiguity　hangs　over　

them　an　ambiguity　which　the　discretion　of　eminent　persons　has　

certainly　not　diminished。　But　some　of　the　facts　are　clear　enough。



The　decision　to　withdraw　from　the　Sudan　had　no　sooner　been　taken　

than　it　had　become　evident　that　the　operation　would　be　a　

difficult　and　hazardous　one；　and　that　it　would　be　necessary　to　

send　to　Khartoum　an　emissary　armed　with　special　powers　and　

possessed　of　special　ability；　to　carry　it　out。　Towards　the　end　of



November；　somebody　at　the　War　Officeit　is　not　clear　whohad　

suggested　that　this　emissary　should　be　General　Gordon。　Lord　

Granville；　the　Foreign　Secretary；　had　thereupon　telegraphed　to　

Sir　Evelyn　Baring　asking　whether；　in　his　opinion；　the　presence　of



General　Gordon　would　be　useful　in　Egypt；　Sir　Evelyn　Baring　had　

replied　that　the　Egyptian　Government　was　averse　to　this　

proposal；　and　the　matter　had　dropped。　



There　was　no　further　reference　to　Gordon　in　the　official

dispatches　

until　after　his　return　to　England。　Nor；　before　that　date；　was　any



allusion　made　to　him　as　a　possible　unraveller　of　the　Sudan

difficulty；　

in　the　Press。　In　all　the　discussions　which　followed　the　news　of

the　

Hicks　disaster；　his　name　is　only　to　be　found　in　occasional　and　

incidental　references　to　his　work　〃In　the　Sudan〃。　The　〃Pall　Mall　

Gazette〃；　which；　more　than　any　other　newspaper；　interested　itself



in　Egyptian　affairs；　alluded　to　Gordon　once　or　twice　as　a　

geographical　expert；　but；　in　an　enumeration　of　the　leading　

authorities　on　the　Sudan；　left　him　out　of　account　altogether。　Yet



it　was　from　the　〃Pall　Mall　Gazette〃　that　the　impulsion　which　

projected　him　into　a　blaze　of　publicity　finally　came。　Mr。　Stead；　

its　enterprising　editor；　went　down　to　Southampton　the　day　after　

Gordon's　arrival　there；　and　obtained　an　interview。　Now　when　he　

was　in　the　mood　after　a　little　b。　and　s。；　especially　no　one

was　

more　capable　than　Gordon；　with　his　facile　speech　and　his　free…

and…easy　manners；　of　furnishing　good　copy　for　a　journalist；　and　

Mr。　Stead　made　the　most　of　his　opportunity。　The　interview；

copious　

and　pointed；　was　published　next　day　in　the　most　prominent　part　of



the　paper；　together　with　a　leading　article；　demanding　that　the　

General　should　be　immediately　dispatched　to　Khartoum　with　the　

widest　powers。　The　rest　of　the　Press；　both　in　London　and　in　the　

provinces；　at　once　took　up　the　cry：　General　Gordon　was　a　capable　

and　energetic　officer；　he　was　a　noble　and　God…fearing　man；　he　was



a　national　asset；　he　was　a　statesman　in　the　highest　sense　of　the　

word；　the　occasion　was　pressing　and　perilous；　General　Gordon　had　

been　for　years　Governor…General　of　the　Sudan；　General　Gordon　

alone　had　the　knowledge；　the　courage；　the　virtue；　which　would　

save　the　situation；　General　Gordon　must　go　to　Khartoum。　So；　for　a



week；　the　papers　sang　in　chorus。　But　already　those　in　high　places



had　taken　a　step。　Mr。　Stead's　interview　appeared　on　the　afternoon



of　January　9th；　and　on　the　morning　of　January　10th　Lord　Granville



telegraphed　to　Sir　Evelyn　Baring；　proposing；　for　a　second　time；　

that　Gordon's　services　should　be　utilised　in　Egypt。　But　Sir　

Evelyn　Baring；　for　the　second　time；　rejected　the　proposal。



While　these　messages　were　flashing　to　and　fro；　Gordon　himself　was



paying　a　visit　to　the　Rev。　Mr。　Barnes　at　the　Vicarage　of　

Heavitree；　near　Exeter。　The　conversation　ran　chiefly　on　Biblical　

and　spiritual　matters　on　the　light　thrown　by　the　Old　Testament　

upon　the　geography　of　Palestine；　and　on　the　relations　between　man



and　his　Maker；　but；　there　were　moments　when　topics　of　a　more　

worldly　interest　arose。　It　happened　that　Sir　Samuel　Baker；　

Gordon's　predecessor　in　Equatoria；　lived　in　the　neighbourhood。　A　

meeting　was　arranged；　and　the　two　ex…Governors；　with　Mr。　Barnes

in　

attendance；　went　for　a　drive　together。　In　the　carriage；　Sir　

Samuel　Baker；　taking　up　the　tale　of　the　〃Pall　Mall　Gazette〃；　

dilated　upon　the　necessity　of　his　friend's　returning　to　the　Sudan



as　Governor…General。　Gordon　was　silent；　but　Mr。　Barnes　noticed　

that　his　blue　eyes　flashed；　while　an　eager　expression　passed　over



his　face。　Late　that　night；　after　the　Vicar　had　retired　to　bed；　he



was　surprised　by　the　door　suddenly　opening；　and　by　the　appearance



of　his　guest　swiftly　tripping　into　the　room。　'You　saw　me　today？'　

the　low　voice　abruptly　questioned。　'You　mean　in　the　carriage？'　

replied　the　startled　Mr。　Barnes。　'Yes；'　came　the　reply；　'you　saw　

MEthat　was　MYSELFthe　self　I　want　to　get　rid　of。'　There　was　a　

sliding　movement；　the　door　swung　to；　and　the　Vicar　found　himself　

alone　again。



It　was　clear　that　a　disturbing　influence　had　found　its　way　into　

Gordon's　mind。　His　thoughts；　wandering　through　Africa；　flitted　to



the　Sudan；　they　did　not　linger　at　the　Congo。　During　the　same　

visit；　he　took　the　opportunity　of　calling　upon　Dr。　Temple；　the　

Bishop　of　Exeter；　and　asking　him；　merely　as　a　hypothetical　

question；　whether；　in　his　opinion；　Sudanese　converts　to　

Christianity　might　be　permitted　to　keep　three　wives。　His　Lordship



answered　that　this　would　be　uncanonical。



A　few　days　later；　it　appeared　that　the　conversation　in　the　

carriage　at　Heavitree　had　borne　fruit。　Gordon　wrote　a　letter　to　

Sir　Samuel　Baker；　further　elaborating　the　opinions　on　the　Sudan　

which　he　had　already　expressed　in　his　interview　with　Mr。　Stead；　

the　letter　was　clearly　intended　for　publication；　and　published　it



was　in　〃The　Times〃　of　January　14th。　On　the　same　day；　Gordon's

name　

began　once　more　to　buzz　along　the　wires　in　secret　questions　and　

answers　to　and　from　the　highest　quarters。



'Might　it　not　be　advisable；'　telegraphed　Lord　Granville　to　Mr。　

Gladstone；　to　put　a　little　pressure　on　Baring；　to　induce　him　to　

accept　the　assistance　of　General　Gordon？'　Mr。　Gladstone　replied；　

also　by　a　telegram；　in　the　affirmative；　and　on　the　15th；　Lord　

Wolseley　telegraphed　to　Gordon　begging　him　to　come　to　London　

immediately。　Lor