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useless。 On July 31st； Lord Hartington did the deed。 He stated
that； unless an expedition was sent； he would resign。 It was； he
said； 'a question of personal honour and good faith； and I don't
see how I can yield upon it'。 His conscience had worked itself to
rest at last。
When Mr。 Gladstone read the words； he realised that the game was
over。 Lord Hartington's position in the Liberal Party was second
only to his own； he was the leader of the rich and powerful Whig
aristocracy； his influence with the country was immense。 Nor was
he the man to make idle threats of resignation； he had said he
would resign； and resign he would： the collapse of the Government
would be the inevitable result。 On August 5th； therefore；
Parliament was asked to make a grant of ￡300；000； in order 'to
enable Her Majesty's Government to undertake operations for the
relief of General Gordon； should they become necessary'。 The
money was voted； and even then； at that last hour； Mr。 Gladstone
made another； final； desperate twist。 Trying to save himself by
the proviso which he had inserted into the resolution； he
declared that he was still unconvinced of the necessity of any
operations at all。 'I nearly；' he wrote to Lord Hartington； 'but
not quite； adopt words received today from Granville。 〃It is
clear； I think； that Gordon has our messages； and does not choose
to answer them。〃' Nearly； but not quite！ The qualification was
masterly； but it was of no avail。 This time； the sinuous creature
was held by too firm a grasp。 On August 26th； Lord Wolseley was
appointed to command the relief expedition； and on September 9th；
he arrived in Egypt。
The relief expedition had begun； and at the same moment a new
phase opened at Khartoum。 The annual rising of the Nile was now
sufficiently advanced to enable one of Gordon's small steamers to
pass over the cataracts down to Egypt in safety。 He determined to
seize the opportunity of laying before the authorities in Cairo
and London； and the English public at large； an exact account of
his position。 A cargo of documents； including Colonel Stewart's
Diary of the siege and a personal appeal for assistance addressed
by Gordon to all the European powers； was placed on board the
Abbas； four other steamers were to accompany her until she was
out of danger from attacks by the Mahdi's troops； after which；
she was to proceed alone into Egypt。 On the evening of September
9th； just as she was about to start； the English and French
Consuls asked for permission to go with hera permission which
Gordon； who had long been anxious to provide for their safety；
readily granted。 Then Colonel Stewart made the same request； and
Gordon consented with the same alacrity。
Colonel Stewart was the second…in…command at Khartoum； and it
seems strange that he should have made a proposal which would
leave Gordon in a position of the gravest anxiety without a
single European subordinate。 But his motives were to be veiled
forever in a tragic obscurity。 The Abbas and her convoy set out。
Henceforward the Governor…General was alone。 He had now；
definitely and finally； made his decision。 Colonel Stewart and
his companions had gone； with every prospect of returning
unharmed to civilisation。 Mr。 Gladstone's belief was justified；
so far as Gordon's personal safety was concerned； he might still；
at this late hour； have secured it。 But he had chosen he stayed
at Khartoum。
No sooner were the steamers out of sight than he sat down at his
writing…table and began that daily record of his circumstances；
his reflections； and his feelings； which reveals to us； with such
an authentic exactitude； the final period of his extraordinary
destiny。 His Journals； sent down the river in batches to await
the coming of the relief expedition； and addressed； first to
Colonel Stewart； and later to the 'Chief of Staff； Sudan
Expeditionary Force'； were official documents； intended for
publication； though； as Gordon himself was careful to note on the
outer covers； they would 'want pruning out' before they were
printed。 He also wrote； on the envelope of the first section； 'No
secrets as far as I am concerned'。 A more singular set of state
papers was never compiled。 Sitting there； in the solitude of his
palace； with ruin closing round him； with anxieties on every
hand； with doom hanging above his head； he let his pen rush on
for hour after hour in an ecstasy of communication； a tireless
unburdening of the spirit； where the most trivial incidents of
the passing day were mingled pell…mell with philosophical
disquisitions； where jests and anger； hopes and terrors；
elaborate justifications and cynical confessions； jostled one
another in reckless confusion。 The impulsive； demonstrative man
had nobody to talk to any more； and so he talked instead to the
pile of telegraph forms； which； useless now for perplexing Sir
Evelyn Baring； served very wellfor they were large and blank
as the repositories of his conversation。 His tone was not the
intimate and religious tone which he would have used with the
Rev。 Mr。 Barnes or his sister Augusta； it was such as must have
been habitual with him in his intercourse with old friends or
fellow…officers； whose religious views were of a more ordinary
caste than his own； but with whom he was on confidential terms。
He was anxious to put his case to a select and sympathetic
audienceto convince such a man as Lord Wolseley that he was
justified in what he had done； and he was sparing in his
allusions to the hand of Providence； while those mysterious
doubts and piercing introspections； which must have filled him；
he almost entirely concealed。 He expressed himself； of course；
with eccentric ABANDONit would have been impossible for him to
do otherwise； but he was content to indicate his deepest feelings
with a fleer。 Yet sometimesas one can imagine happening with
him in actual conversationhis utterance took the form of a
half…soliloquy； a copious outpouring addressed to himself more
than to anyone else； for his own satisfaction。 There are passages
in the Khartoum Journals which call up in a flash the light；
gliding figure； and the blue eyes with the candour of childhood
still shining in them； one can almost hear the low voice； the
singularly distinct articulation； the persuasivethe self…
persuasivesentences； following each other so unassumingly
between the puffs of a cigarette。As he wrote； two preoccupations
principally filled his mind。 His reflections revolved around the
immediate past and the impending future。 With an unerring
persistency he examined； he excused； he explained； his share in
the complicated events which had led to his present situation。 He
rebutted the charges of imaginary enemies； he laid bare the
ineptitude and the faithlessness of the English Government。 He
poured out his satire upon officials and diplomatists。 He drew
caricatures； in the margin； of Sir Evelyn Baring； with sentences
of shocked pomposity coming out of his mouth。 In some passages；
which the editor of the Journals preferred to suppress； he
covered Lord Granville with his raillery； picturing the Foreign
Secretary； lounging away his morning at Walmer Castle； opening
The Times and suddenly discovering； to his horror； that Khartoum
was still holding out。 'Why； HE SAID DISTINCTLY he could ONLY
hold out SIX MONTHS； and that was in March （counts the months）。
August！ why； he ought to have given in！ What is to be done？
They'll be howling for an expedition。 。。。 It is no laughing
matter； THAT ABOMINABLE MAHDI！ Why on earth does he not guard his
roads better？ WHAT IS to be done？' Several times in his
bitterness he repeats the suggestion that the authorities at home
were secretly hoping that the fall of Khartoum would relieve them
of their difficulties。 'What that Mahdi is about； Lord Granville
is made to exclaim in another deleted paragraph； 'I cannot make
out。 Why does he not put all his guns on the river and stop the
route？ Eh what？ 〃We will have to go to Khartoum！〃 Why； it will
cost millions； what a wretched business！ What！ Send Zobeir？ Our
conscience recoils from THAT； it is elastic； but not equal to
that； it is a pact with the Devil。 。。。 Do you not think there is
any way of getting hold of H I M； in a quiet way？' If a boy at
Eton or Harrow； he declared； had acted as the Government had
acted； 'I THINK he would be kicked； and I AM SURE he would
deserve it'。 He was the victim of hypocrites and humbugs。 There
was 'no sort of parallel to all this in history except David
with Uriah the Hittite'； but then 'there was an Eve in the case'；
and he was not aware that the Government had even that excuse。
From the past； he turned to the future； and surveyed； with a
disturbed and piercing vision； the possibilities before him。
Supposing that the relief expedition arrived； what would be his
position？ Upon one thing he was determined： whatever happened； he
would not play the part of 'the res