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really　about　to　fall！　That　would　be　the　test　of　heroism！　If　he

slipped　back　then；　with　his　tail　between　his　legs！　The　world

would　judge。



One　of　the　last　telegrams　sent　by　Gordon　before　the　wire　was　cut

seemed　to　support　exactly　Mr。　Gladstone's　diagnosis　of　the　case。

He　told　Sir　Evelyn　Baring　that；　since　the　Government　refused　to

send　either　an　expedition　or　Zobeir；　he　would　'consider　himself

free　to　act　according　to　circumstances。'　'Eventually；'　he　said；

'you　will　be　forced　to　smash　up　the　Mahdi'；　and　he　declared　that

if　the　Government　persisted　in　its　present　line　of　conduct；　it

would　be　branded　with　an　'indelible　disgrace'。　The　message　was

made　public；　and　it　happened　that　Mr。　Gladstone　saw　it　for　the

first　time　in　a　newspaper；　during　a　country　visit。　Another　of　the

guests；　who　was　in　the　room　at　the　moment；　thus　describes　the

scene：　'He　took　up　the　paper；　his　eye　instantly　fell　on　the

telegram；　and　he　read　it　through。　As　he　read；　his　face　hardened

and　whitened；　the　eyes　burned　as　I　have　seen　them　once　or　twice

in　the　House　of　Commons　when　he　was　angered　burned　with　a　deep

fire；　as　if　they　would　have　consumed　the　sheet　on　which　Gordon's

message　was　printed；　or　as　if　Gordon's　words　had　burned　into　his

soul；　which　was　looking　out　in　wrath　and　flame。　He　said　not　a

word。　For　perhaps　two　or　three　minutes　he　sat　still；　his　face　all

the　while　like　the　face　you　may　read　of　in　Miltonlike　none

other　I　ever　saw。　Then　he　rose；　still　without　a　word；　and　was

seen　no　more　that　morning。'



It　is　curious　that　Gordon　himself　never　understood　the　part　that

Mr。　Gladstone　was　playing　in　his　destiny。　His　Khartoum　journals

put　this　beyond　a　doubt。　Except　for　one　or　two　slight　and　jocular

references　to　Mr。　Gladstone's　minor　idiosyncrasiesthe　shape　of

his　collars；　and　his　passion　for　felling　trees；　Gordon　leaves　him

unnoticed　while　he　lavishes　his　sardonic　humour　upon　Lord

Granville。　But　in　truth　Lord　Granville　was　a　nonentity。　The　error

shows　how　dim　the　realities　of　England　had　grown　to　the　watcher

in　Khartoum。　When　he　looked　towards　home；　the　figure　that　loomed

largest　upon　his　vision　was　it　was　only　natural　that　it　should

have　been　so　the　nearest　it　was　upon　Sir　Evelyn　Baring　that　he

fixed　his　gaze。　For　him；　Sir　Evelyn　Baring　was　the　embodiment　of

England　or　rather　the　embodiment　of　the　English　official

classes；　of　English　diplomacy；　of　the　English　Government　with　its

hesitations；　its　insincerities；　its　double…faced　schemes。　Sir

Evelyn　Baring；　he　almost　came　to　think　at　moments；　was　the　prime

mover；　the　sole　contriver；　of　the　whole　Sudan　imbroglio。



In　this　he　was　wrong；　for　Sir　Evelyn　Baring；　of　course；　was　an

intermediary；　without　final　responsibility　or　final　power；　but

Gordon's　profound　antipathy；　his　instinctive　distrust；　were　not

without　their　justification。　He　could　never　forget　that　first

meeting　in　Cairo；　six　years　earlier；　when　the　fundamental

hostility　between　the　two　men　had　leapt　to　the　surface。　'When　oil

mixes　with　water；'　he　said；　'we　will　mix　together。'　Sir　Evelyn

Baring　thought　so　too；　but　he　did　not　say　so；　it　was　not　his　way。

When　he　spoke；　he　felt　no　temptation　to　express　everything　that

was　in　his　mind。　In　all　he　did；　he　was　cautious；　measured；

unimpeachably　correct。　It　would　be　difficult　to　think　of　a　man

more　completely　the　antithesis　of　Gordon。　His　temperament；　all　in

monochrome；　touched　in　with　cold　blues　and　indecisive　greys；　was

eminently　unromantic。　He　had　a　steely　colourlessness；　and　a

steely　pliability；　and　a　steely　strength。　Endowed　beyond　most　men

with　the　capacity　of　foresight；　he　was　endowed　as　very　few　men

have　ever　been　with　that　staying…power　which　makes　the　fruit　of

foresight　attainable。　His　views　were　long；　and　his　patience　was

even　longer。　He　progressed　imperceptibly；　he　constantly　withdrew；

the　art　of　giving　way　he　practised　with　the　refinement　of　a

virtuoso。　But；　though　the　steel　recoiled　and　recoiled；　in　the　end

it　would　spring　forward。　His　life's　work　had　in　it　an　element　of

paradox。　It　was　passed　entirely　in　the　East；　and　the　East　meant

very　little　to　him；　he　took　no　interest　in　it。　It　was　something

to　be　looked　after。　It　was　also　a　convenient　field　for　the

talents　of　Sir　Evelyn　Baring。　Yet　it　must　not　be　supposed　that　he

was　cynical；　perhaps　he　was　not　quite　great　enough　for　that。　He

looked　forward　to　a　pleasant　retirementa　country　place　some

literary　recreations。　He　had　been　careful　to　keep　up　his

classics。　His　ambition　can　be　stated　in　a　single　phrase　it　was

to　become　an　institution；　and　he　achieved　it。　No　doubt；　too；　he

deserved　it。　The　greatest　of　poets；　in　a　bitter　mood；　has

described　the　characteristics　of　a　certain　class　of　persons；　whom

he　did　not　like。　'They；'　he　says；



'that　have　power　to　hurt　and　will　do　none；　That　do　not　do　the

things　they　most　do　show；　Who；　moving　others；　are　themselves　as

stone；　Unmoved；　cold；　and　to　temptation　slow；　They　rightly　do

inherit　heaven's　graces；　And　husband　nature's　riches　from

expense；　They　are　the　lords　and　owners　of　their　faces。。。'



The　words　might　have　been　written　for　Sir　Evelyn　Baring。



Though；　as　a　rule；　he　found　it　easy　to　despise　those　with　whom　he

came　into　contact；　he　could　not　altogether　despise　General

Gordon。　If　he　could　have；　he　would　have　disliked　him　less。　He　had

gone　as　far　as　his　caution　had　allowed　him　in　trying　to　prevent

the　fatal　appointment；　and　then；　when　it　had　become　clear　that

the　Government　was　insistent；　he　had　yielded　with　a　good　grace。

For　a　moment；　he　had　imagined　that　all　might　yet　be　well；　that　he

could　impose　himself；　by　the　weight　of　his　position　and　the　force

of　his　sagacity；　upon　his　self…willed　subordinate；　that　he　could

hold　him　in　a　leash　at　the　end　of　the　telegraph　wire　to　Khartoum。

Very　soon　he　perceived　that　this　was　a　miscalculation。　To　his

disgust；　he　found　that　the　telegraph　wire；　far　from　being　an

instrument　of　official　discipline；　had　been　converted　by　the

agile　strategist　at　the　other　end　of　it　into　a　means　of　extending

his　own　personality　into　the　deliberations　at　Cairo。　Every

morning　Sir　Evelyn　Baring　would　find　upon　his　table　a　great　pile

of　telegrams　from　Khartoumtwenty　or　thirty　at　least；　and　as　the

day　went　on；　the　pile　would　grow。　When　a　sufficient　number　had

accumulated　he　would　read　them　all　through；　with　the　greatest

care。　There　upon　the　table；　the　whole　soul　of　Gordon　lay　before

himin　its　incoherence；　its　eccentricity；　its　impulsiveness；　its

romance；　the　jokes；　the　slang；　the　appeals　to　the　prophet　Isaiah；

the　whirl　of　contradictory　policiesSir　Evelyn　Baring　did　not

know　which　exasperated　him　most。　He　would　not　consider　whether；

or　to　what　degree；　the　man　was　a　maniac；　no；　he　would　not。　A

subacid　smile　was　the　only　comment　he　allowed　himself。　His

position；　indeed；　was　an　extremely　difficult　one；　and　all　his

dexterity　would　be　needed　if　he　was　to　emerge　from　it　with

credit。



On　one　side　of　him　was　a　veering　and　vacillating　Government；　on

the　other；　a　frenzied　enthusiast。　It　was　his　business　to

interpret　to　the　first　the　wishes；　or　rather　the　inspirations；　of

the　second；　and　to　convey　to　the　second　the　decisions；　or　rather

the　indecisions；　of　the　first。　A　weaker　man　would　have　floated

helplessly　on　the　ebb　and　flow　of　the　Cabinet's　wavering

policies；　a　rasher　man　would　have　plunged　headlong　into　Gordon's

schemes。　He　did　neither；　with　a　singular　courage　and　a　singular

caution　he　progressed　along　a　razor…edge。　He　devoted　all　his

energies　to　the　double　task　of　evolving　a　reasonable　policy　out

of　Gordon's　intoxicated　telegrams；　and　of　inducing　the　divided

Ministers　at　home　to　give　their　sanction　to　what　he　had　evolved。

He　might　have　succeeded；　if　he　had　not　had　to　reckon　with　yet

another　irreconcilable；　Time　was　a　vital　element　in　the

situation；　and　Time　was　against　him。　When　the　tribes　round

Khartoum　rose；　the　last　hope　of　a　satisfactory　solution　vanished。

He　was　the　first　to　perceive　the　altered　condition　of　affairs；

long　before　the　Government；　long　before　Gordon　himself；　he

understood　that　the　only　remaining　question　was　that　of　the

extrication　of　the　Englishmen　from　Khartoum。　He　proposed　that　a

small　force　should　be　dispatched　at　once　across　the　desert　from

Suakin　to　Barber；　the　point　on　the　Nile　nearest　to　the　Red　Sea；

and　thence　up　the　river　to　Gordon；　but；　after　considerable

hesitation；　the　military　authorities　decided　that　this　was　riot　a

practicable　plan。　Upon　that；　he　foresaw；　with　perfect　lucidity；

the　inevitable　development　of　events。　Sooner　or　later；　it　would

be　absolutely　necessary　to　send　a　relief　expedition　to　Khartoum；

and；　from　that　premise；　it　followed；　without　a　possibility　of

doubt；　that　it　was　the　duty　of　the　Government　to　do　so　at　once。

This　he　saw　quite　clearly；　but　he　also　saw　that　the　position　in

the　Cabinet　had　now　altered；　that　Mr。　Gladstone　had　taken　the

reins　into　his　own　hands。　And　Mr。　Gladstone　did　not　wish　to　send

a　relief　expedition。　What