eminent victorians-第50部分

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Gordon's　appointment　for　it　took　Lord　Hartington　some　time　to　

realise　the　implications　of　anything；　but　Lord　Hartington　was　

very　far　from　being　a　fool；　and　we　may　well　suppose　that　he　

instinctively；　perhaps　subconsciously；　apprehended　the　elements　

of　a　situation　which　he　never　formulated　to　himself。　However　that



may　be；　certain　circumstances　are　significant。　It　is　significant　

that　the　go…between　who　acted　as　the　Government's　agent　in　its　

negotiations　with　Gordon　was　an　imperialist　Lord　Wolseley。　It　

is　significant　that　the　'Ministers'　whom　Gordon　finally

interviewed；　

and　who　actually　determined　his　appointment　were　by　no　means　the

whole　

of　the　Cabinet；　but　a　small　section　of　it；　presided　over　by　Lord

Hartington。　

It　is　significant；　too；　that　Gordon's　mission　was　represented

both　to　Sir　

Evelyn　Baring；　who　was　opposed　to　his　appointment；　and　to　Mr。

Gladstone；　who　

was　opposed　to　an　active　policy　in　the　Sudan；　as　a　mission　merely

'to　

report'；　while；　no　sooner　was　the　mission　actually　decided　upon；　

than　it　began　to　assume　a　very　different　complexion。　In　his　final



interview　with　the　'Ministers'；　Gordon　we　know　（though　he　said　

nothing　about　it　to　the　Rev。　Mr　Barnes）　threw　out　the　suggestion　

that　it　might　be　as　well　to　make　him　the　Governor…General　of　the　

Sudan。　The　suggestion；　for　the　moment；　was　not　taken　up；　but　it　

is　obvious　that　a　man　does　not　propose　to　become　a　Governor…

General　in　order　to　make　a　report。



We　are　in　the　region　of　speculations；　one　other　presents　itself。　

Was　the　movement　in　the　Press　during　that　second　week　of　January　

a　genuine　movement；　expressing　a　spontaneous　wave　of　popular　

feeling？　Or　was　it　a　cause　of　that　feeling；　rather　than　an　

effect？　The　engineering　of　a　newspaper　agitation　may　not　have　

been　an　impossibility　even　so　long　ago　as　1884。　One　would　like　

to　know　more　than　one　is　ever　likely　to　know　of　the　relations　of　

the　imperialist　section　of　the　Government　with　Mr。　Stead。



But　it　is　time　to　return　to　the　solidity　of　fact。　Within　a　few　

hours　of　his　interview　with　the　Ministers；　Gordon　had　left　

England　forever。　At　eight　o'clock　in　the　evening；　there　was　a　

little　gathering　of　elderly　gentlemen　at　Victoria　Station。　

Gordon；　accompanied　by　Colonel　Stewart；　who　was　to　act　as　his　

second…in…command；　tripped　on　to　the　platform。　Lord　Granville　

bought　the　necessary　tickets；　the　Duke　of　Cambridge　opened　the　

railway…carriage　door。　The　General　jumped　into　the　train；　and　

then　Lord　Wolseley　appeared；　carrying　a　leather　bag；　in　which　was



￡200　in　gold；　collected　from　friends　at　the　last　moment　for　the　

contingencies　of　the　journey。　The　bag　was　handed　through　the　

window。　The　train　started。　As　it　did　so；　Gordon　leaned　out　and　

addressed　a　last　whispered　question　to　Lord　Wolseley。　Yes；　it　had



been　done。　Lord　Wolseley　had　seen　to　it　himself；　next　morning；　

every　member　of　the　Cabinet　would　receive　a　copy　of　Dr。　Samuel　

Clarke's　Scripture　Promises。　That　was　all。　The　train　rolled　out　

of　the　station。



Before　the　travellers　reached　Cairo；　steps　had　been　taken　which　

finally　put　an　end　to　the　theory　if　it　had　ever　been　seriously　

held　that　the　purpose　of　the　mission　was　simply　the　making　of　a



report。　On　the　very　day　of　Gordon's　departure；　Lord　Granville　

telegraphed　to　Sir　Evelyn　Baring　as　follows：　'Gordon　suggests　

that　it　may　be　announced　in　Egypt　that　he　is　on　his　way　to　

Khartoum　to　arrange　for　the　future　settlement　of　the　Sudan　for　

the　best　advantage　of　the　people。'　Nothing　was　said　of　

reporting。　A　few　days　later；　Gordon　himself　telegraphed　to　Lord　

Granville　suggesting　that　he　should　be　made　Governor…General　of　

the　Sudan；　in　order　to　'accomplish　the　evacuation'；　and　to　

'restore　to　the　various　Sultans　of　the　Sudan　their　independence'。



Lord　Granville　at　once　authorised　Sir　Evelyn　Baring　to　issue；　if　

he　thought　fit；　a　proclamation　to　this　effect　in　the　name　of　the　

Khedive。　Thus　the　mission　'to　report'　had　already　swollen　into　a　

Governor…Generalship；　with　the　object；　not　merely　of　effecting　

the　evacuation　of　the　Sudan；　but　also　of　setting　up　'various　

Sultans'　to　take　the　place　of　the　Egyptian　Government。



In　Cairo；　in　spite　of　the　hostilities　of　the　past；　Gordon　was　

received　with　every　politeness。　He　was　at　once　proclaimed　

Governor…General　of　the　Sudan；　with　the　widest　powers。　He　was　on　

the　point　of　starting　off　again　on　his　journey　southwards；　when　a



singular　and　important　incident　occurred。　Zobeir；　the　rebel　

chieftain　of　Darfur；　against　whose　forces　Gordon　had　struggled　

for　years；　and　whose　son；　Suleiman；　had　been　captured　and　

executed　by　Gessi；　Gordon's　lieutenant；　was　still　detained　at　

Cairo。　It　so　fell　out　that　he　went　to　pay　a　visit　to　one　of　the　

Ministers　at　the　same　time　as　the　new　Governor…General。　The　two　

men　met　face　to　face；　and；　as　he　looked　into　the　savage　

countenance　of　his　old　enemy；　an　extraordinary　shock　of　

inspiration　ran　through　Gordon's　brain。　He　was　seized；　as　he　

explained　in　a　State　paper；　which　he　drew　up　immediately　after　

the　meeting；　with　a　'mystic　feeling'　that　he　could　trust　Zobeir。　

It　was　true　that　Zobeir　was　'the　greatest　slave…hunter　who　ever　

existed'；　it　was　true　that　he　had　a　personal　hatred　of　Gordon；　

owing　to　the　execution　of　Suleiman'and　one　cannot　wonder　at　it；



if　one　is　a　father'；　it　was　true　that；　only　a　few　days　

previously；　on　his　way　to　Egypt；　Gordon　himself　had　been　so　

convinced　of　the　dangerous　character　of　Zobeir　that　he　had　

recommended　by　telegram　his　removal　to　Cyprus。　But　such　

considerations　were　utterly　obliterated　by　that　one　moment　of　

electric　impact　of　personal　vision；　henceforward　；there　was　a　

rooted　conviction　in　Gordon's　mind　that　Zobeir　was　to　be　trusted；



that　Zobeir　must　join　him　at　Khartoum；　that　Zobeir's　presence　

would　paralyse　the　Mahdi；　that　Zobeir　must　succeed　him　in　the　

government　of　the　country　after　the　evacuation。　Did　not　Sir　

Evelyn　Baring；　too；　have　the　mystic　feeling？　Sir　Evelyn　Baring　

confessed　that　he　had　not。　He　distrusted　mystic　feelings。　Zobeir；



no　doubt；　might　possibly　be　useful；　but；　before　deciding　upon　so　

important　a　matter；　it　was　necessary　to　reflect　and　to　consult。



In　the　meantime；　failing　Zobeir；　something　might　perhaps　be　done　

with　the　Emir　Abdul　Shakur；　the　heir　of　the　Darfur　Sultans。　The　

Emir；　who　had　been　living　in　domestic　retirement　in　Cairo；　was　

with　some　difficulty　discovered；　given　￡2；000；　an　embroidered　

uniform；　together　with　the　largest　decoration　that　could　be　

found；　and　informed　that　he　was　to　start　at　once　with　General　

Gordon　for　the　Sudan；　where　it　would　be　his　duty　to　occupy　the　

province　of　Darfur；　after　driving　out　the　forces　of　the　Mahdi。　

The　poor　man　begged　for　a　little　delay；　but　no　delay　could　be　

granted。　He　hurried　to　the　railway　station　in　his　frockcoat　and　

fez；　and　rather　the　worse　for　liquor。　Several　extra　carriages　for



his　twenty…three　wives　and　a　large　quantity　of　luggage　had　then　

to　be　hitched　on　to　the　Governor…General's　train；　and　at　the　last



moment　some　commotion　was　caused　by　the　unaccountable

disappearance　

of　his　embroidered　uniform。　It　was　found；　but　his　troubles　were

not　

over。　On　the　steamer；　General　Gordon　was　very　rude　to　him；　and　he



drowned　his　chagrin　in　hot　rum　and　water。　At　Assuan　he

disembarked；　

declaring　that　he　would　go　no　farther。　Eventually；　however；　he

got　

as　far　as　Dongola；　whence；　after　a　stay　of　a　few　months；　he

returned　

with　his　family　to　Cairo。



In　spite　of　this　little　contretemps；　Gordon　was　in　the　highest

spirits。　At　last　his　capacities　had　been　recognised　by　his

countrymen；　at　last　he　had　been　entrusted　with　a　task　great

enough　to　satisfy　even　his　desires。　He　was　already　famous；　he

would　soon　be　glorious。　Looking　out　once　more　over　the　familiar

desert；　he　felt　the　searchings　of　his　conscience　stilled　by　the

manifest　certainty　that　it　was　for　this　that　Providence　had　been

reserving　him　through　all　these　years　of　labour　and　of　sorrow　for

this！　What　was　the　Mahdi　to　stand　up　against　him！　A　thousand

schemes；　a　thousand　possibilities　sprang　to　life　in　his

pullulating　brain。　A　new　intoxication　carried　him　away。　'Il　faut

etre　toujours　ivre。　Tout　est　la：　c'est　l'unique　question。'　Little

though　he　knew　it；　Gordon　was　a　disciple　of　Baudelaire。　'Pour　ne

pas　sentir　l'horrible　fardeau　du　Temps　qui　brise　vos　epaules　et

vous　penche　vers　la　terre；　il　faut　vous　enivrer　sans　treve。'　Yes…

…　but　how　feeble　were　those　gross　resources　of　the　miserable

Abdul…Shakur！　Rum？　Brandy？　Oh；　he　knew　all　about　them；　they　were

nothing。　He　tossed　off　a　glass。　They　were　nothing　at　all。　The

true　drunkenness　lay　elsewhere。　He　seized　a　paper　and　pencil；　and

dashed　down　a　telegram　to　Sir　Evelyn　Baring。　Another　thought

struck　him；　and　another　telegram　followed。　And　another；　and　yet

another。　He　had　made　up　his　mind；　he　would　visit　the　Mahdi　in

person；　and　alone。　He　might　do　that；　or　he　might　retire　to　the

Equator。　He　would　decidedly　retire　to　the　Equator；　and　hand　over

the　Bahr…el…Ghazal　province　to　the　King　of　the　Belgians。　A　whole

flock　of　telegrams　flew　to　Cairo　from　every　stopping…place。　Sir

Evelyn　Baring　was　patient　and　discrete；　he　could　be　trusted　with

such　confidences；　but　unfortunately　Gordon's　strange　exhilaration

found　other　outlets。　At　Berber；　in　the　course　of　a　speech　to　the

assembled　chiefs；　he　revealed　the　intention　of　the　Egyptian

Government　to　withdraw　from　the　Sudan。　The　news　was　everywhere　in

a　moment；　and　the　results　were　disastrous。　The　tribesmen；　whom

fear　and　interest　had　still　kept　loyal；　perceived　that　they　need

look　no　more　for　help　or　punishment　from　Egypt；　and　began　to　turn

their　eyes　towards　the　rising　sun。



Nevertheless；　for　the　moment；　the　prospect　wore　a　favourable

appearance。　The　Governor…General　was　welcomed　at　every　stage　of

his　journey；　and　on　February　18th　he　made　a　triumph