按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
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