eminent victorians-第48章

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flame　shot　out　on　every　side；　scorching　and　brilliant；　but　in　the

midst；　there　was　a　darkness。



That　Mr。　Gladstone's　motives　and　ambitions　were　not　merely　those

of　a　hunter　after　popularity　was　never　shown　more　clearly　than　in

that　part　of　his　career　which；　more　than　any　other；　has　been

emphasised　by　his　enemieshis　conduct　towards　General　Gordon。　He

had　been　originally　opposed　to　Gordon's　appointment；　but　he　had

consented　to　it　partly；　perhaps；　owing　to　the　persuasion　that　its

purpose　did　not　extend　beyond　the　making　of　a　'report'。　Gordon

once　gone；　events　had　taken　their　own　course；　the　policy　of　the

Government　began　to　slide；　automatically；　down　a　slope　at　the

bottom　of　which　lay　the　conquest　of　the　Sudan　and　the　annexation

of　Egypt。　Sir　Gerald　Graham's　bloody　victories　awoke　Mr。

Gladstone　to　the　true　condition　of　affairs；　he　recognised　the

road　he　was　on　and　its　destination；　but　there　was　still　time　to

turn　back。



It　was　he　who　had　insisted　upon　the　withdrawal　of　the　English

army　from　the　Eastern　Sudan。　The　imperialists　were　sadly

disappointed。　They　had　supposed　that　the　old　lion　had　gone　to

sleep；　and　suddenly　he　had　come　out　of　his　lair；　and　was　roaring。

All　their　hopes　now　centred　upon　Khartoum。　General　Gordon　was　cut

off；　he　was　surrounded；　he　was　in　danger；　he　must　be　relieved。　A

British　force　must　be　sent　to　save　him。　But　Mr。　Gladstone　was　not

to　be　caught　napping　a　second　time。　When　the　agitation　rose；　when

popular　sentiment　was　deeply　stirred；　when　the　country；　the

Press；　the　Sovereign　herself；　declared　that　the　national　honour

was　involved　with　the　fate　of　General　Gordon；　Mr。　Gladstone

remained　immovable。　Others　might　picture　the　triumphant　rescue　of

a　Christian　hero　from　the　clutches　of　heathen　savages；　before　HIS

eyes　was　the　vision　of　battle；　murder；　and　sudden　death；　the

horrors　of　defeat　and　victory；　the　slaughter　and　the　anguish　of

thousands；　the　violence　of　military　domination；　the　enslavement

of　a　people。



The　invasion　of　the　Sudan；　he　had　flashed　out　in　the　House　of

Commons；　would　be　a　war　of　conquest　against　a　people　struggling

to　be　free。　'Yes；　those　people　are　struggling　to　be　free；　and

they　are　rightly　struggling　to　be　free。'　Mr。　Gladstoneit　was

one　of　his　old…fashioned　simplicitiesbelieved　in　liberty。　If；

indeed；　it　should　turn　out　to　be　the　fact　that　General　Gordon　was

in　serious　danger；　then；　no　doubt；　it　would　be　necessary　to　send

a　relief　expedition　to　Khartoum。　But；　he　could　see　no　sufficient

reason　to　believe　that　it　was　the　fact。　Communications；　it　was

true；　had　been　interrupted　between　Khartoum　and　Cairo；　but　no

news　was　not　necessarily　bad　news；　and　the　little　information

that　had　come　through　from　General　Gordon　seemed　to　indicate　that

he　could　hold　out　for　months。　So　his　agile　mind　worked；　spinning

its　familiar　web　of　possibilities　and　contingencies　and　fine

distinctions。　General　Gordon；　he　was　convinced；　might　be　hemmed

in；　but　he　was　not　surrounded。　Surely；　it　was　the　duty　of　the

Government　to　take　no　rash　step；　but　to　consider　and　to　inquire；

and；　when　it　acted；　to　act　upon　reasonable　conviction。　And　then；

there　was　another　question。　If　it　was　trueand　he　believed　it

was　truethat　General　Gordon's　line　of　retreat　was　open；　why　did

not　General　Gordon　use　it？



Perhaps　he　might　be　unable　to　withdraw　the　Egyptian　garrison；　but

it　was　not　for　the　sake　of　the　Egyptian　garrison　that　the　relief

expedition　was　proposed；　it　was　simply　and　solely　to　secure　the

personal　safety　of　General　Gordon。　And　General　Gordon　had　it　in

his　power　to　secure　his　personal　safety　himself；　and　he　refused

to　do　so；　he　lingered　on　in　Khartoum；　deliberately；　wilfully；　in

defiance　of　the　obvious　wishes　of　his　superiors。　Oh！　it　was

perfectly　clear　what　General　Gordon　was　doing：　he　was　trying　to

force　the　hand　of　the　English　Government。　He　was　hoping　that　if

he　only　remained　long　enough　at　Khartoum；　he　would　oblige　the

English　Government　to　send　an　army　into　the　Sudan　which　should

smash　up　the　Mahdi。　That；　then；　was　General　Gordon's　calculation！

Well；　General　Gordon　would　learn　that　he　had　made　a　mistake。　Who

was　he　that　he　should　dare　to　imagine　that　he　could　impose　his

will　upon　Mr。　Gladstone？　The　old　man's　eyes　glared。　If　it　came　to

a　struggle　between　themwell；　they　should　see！　As　the　weeks

passed；　the　strange　situation　grew　tenser。　It　was　like　some

silent　deadly　game　of　bluff。　And　who　knows　what　was　passing　in

the　obscure　depths　of　that　terrifying　spirit？　What　mysterious

mixture　of　remorse；　rage；　and　jealousy？　Who　was　it　that　was

ultimately　responsible　for　sending　General　Gordon　to　Khartoum？

But　then；　what　did　that　matter？　Why　did　not　the　man　come　back？　He

was　a　Christian　hero；　wasn't　he？　Were　there　no　other　Christian

heroes　in　the　world？　A　Christian　hero！　Let　him　wait　until　the

Mahdi's　ring　was　really　round　him；　until　the　Mahdi's　spear　was

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