eminent victorians-第60章

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until　after　his　return　to　England。　Nor；　before　that　date；　was　any



allusion　made　to　him　as　a　possible　unraveller　of　the　Sudan

difficulty；　

in　the　Press。　In　all　the　discussions　which　followed　the　news　of

the　

Hicks　disaster；　his　name　is　only　to　be　found　in　occasional　and　

incidental　references　to　his　work　〃In　the　Sudan〃。　The　〃Pall　Mall　

Gazette〃；　which；　more　than　any　other　newspaper；　interested　itself



in　Egyptian　affairs；　alluded　to　Gordon　once　or　twice　as　a　

geographical　expert；　but；　in　an　enumeration　of　the　leading　

authorities　on　the　Sudan；　left　him　out　of　account　altogether。　Yet



it　was　from　the　〃Pall　Mall　Gazette〃　that　the　impulsion　which　

projected　him　into　a　blaze　of　publicity　finally　came。　Mr。　Stead；　

its　enterprising　editor；　went　down　to　Southampton　the　day　after　

Gordon's　arrival　there；　and　obtained　an　interview。　Now　when　he　

was　in　the　mood　after　a　little　b。　and　s。；　especially　no　one

was　

more　capable　than　Gordon；　with　his　facile　speech　and　his　free…

and…easy　manners；　of　furnishing　good　copy　for　a　journalist；　and　

Mr。　Stead　made　the　most　of　his　opportunity。　The　interview；

copious　

and　pointed；　was　published　next　day　in　the　most　prominent　part　of



the　paper；　together　with　a　leading　article；　demanding　that　the　

General　should　be　immediately　dispatched　to　Khartoum　with　the　

widest　powers。　The　rest　of　the　Press；　both　in　London　and　in　the　

provinces；　at　once　took　up　the　cry：　General　Gordon　was　a　capable　

and　energetic　officer；　he　was　a　noble　and　God…fearing　man；　he　was



a　national　asset；　he　was　a　statesman　in　the　highest　sense　of　the　

word；　the　occasion　was　pressing　and　perilous；　General　Gordon　had　

been　for　years　Governor…General　of　the　Sudan；　General　Gordon　

alone　had　the　knowledge；　the　courage；　the　virtue；　which　would　

save　the　situation；　General　Gordon　must　go　to　Khartoum。　So；　for　a



week；　the　papers　sang　in　chorus。　But　already　those　in　high　places



had　taken　a　step。　Mr。　Stead's　interview　appeared　on　the　afternoon



of　January　9th；　and　on　the　morning　of　January　10th　Lord　Granville



telegraphed　to　Sir　Evelyn　Baring；　proposing；　for　a　second　time；　

that　Gordon's　services　should　be　utilised　in　Egypt。　But　Sir　

Evelyn　Baring；　for　the　second　time；　rejected　the　proposal。



While　these　messages　were　flashing　to　and　fro；　Gordon　himself　was



paying　a　visit　to　the　Rev。　Mr。　Barnes　at　the　Vicarage　of　

Heavitree；　near　Exeter。　The　conversation　ran　chiefly　on　Biblical　

and　spiritual　matters　on　the　light　thrown　by　the　Old　Testament　

upon　the　geography　of　Palestine；　and　on　the　relations　between　man



and　his　Maker；　but；　there　were　moments　when　topics　of　a　more　

worldly　interest　arose。　It　happened　that　Sir　Samuel　Baker；　

Gordon's　predecessor　in　Equatoria；　lived　in　the　neighbourhood。　A　

meeting　was　arranged；　and　the　two　ex…Governors；　with　Mr。　Barnes

in　

attendance；　went　for　a　drive　together。　In　the　carriage；　Sir　

Samuel　Baker；　taking　up　the　tale　of　the　〃Pall　Mall　Gazette〃；　

dilated　upon　the　necessity　of　his　friend's　returning　to　the　Sudan



as　Governor…General。　Gordon　was　silent；　but　Mr。　Barnes　noticed　

that　his　blue　eyes　flashed；　while　an　eager　expression　passed　over



his　face。　Late　that　night；　after　the　Vicar　had　retired　to　bed；　he



was　surprised　by　the　door　suddenly　opening；　and　by　the　appearance



of　his　guest　swiftly　tripping　into　the　room。　'You　saw　me　today？'　

the　low　voice　abruptly　questioned。　'You　mean　in　the　carriage？'　

replied　the　startled　Mr。　Barnes。　'Yes；'　came　the　reply；　'you　saw　

MEthat　was　MYSELFthe　self　I　want　to　get　rid　of。'　There　was　a　

sliding　movement；　the　door　swung　to；　and　the　Vicar　found　himself　

alone　again。



It　was　clear　that　a　disturbing　influence　had　found　its　way　into　

Gordon's　mind。　His　thoughts；　wandering　through　Africa；　flitted　to



the　Sudan；　they　did　not　linger　at　the　Congo。　During　the　same　

visit；　he　took　the　opportunity　of　calling　upon　Dr。　Temple；　the　

Bishop　of　Exeter；　and　asking　him；　merely　as　a　hypothetical　

question；　whether；　in　his　opinion；　Sudanese　converts　to　

Christianity　might　be　permitted　to　keep　three　wives。　His　Lordship



answered　that　this　would　be　uncanonical。



A　few　days　later；　it　appeared　that　the　conversation　in　the　

carriage　at　Heavitree　had　borne　fruit。　Gordon　wrote　a　letter　to　

Sir　Samuel　Baker；　further　elaborating　the　opinions　on　the　Sudan　

which　he　had　already　expressed　in　his　interview　with　Mr。　Stead；　

the　letter　was　clearly　intended　for　publication；　and　published　it



was　in　〃The　Times〃　of　January　14th。　On　the　same　day；　Gordon's

name　

began　once　more　to　buzz　along　the　wires　in　secret　questions　and　

answers　to　and　from　the　highest　quarters。



'Might　it　not　be　advisable；'　telegraphed　Lord　Granville　to　Mr。　

Gladstone；　to　put　a　little　pressure　on　Baring；　to　induce　him　to　

accept　the　assistance　of　General　Gordon？'　Mr。　Gladstone　replied；　

also　by　a　telegram；　in　the　affirmative；　and　on　the　15th；　Lord　

Wolseley　telegraphed　to　Gordon　begging　him　to　come　to　London　

immediately。　Lord　Wolseley；　who　was　one　of　Gordon's　oldest　

friends；　was　at　that　time　Adjutant…General　of　the　Forces；　there　

was　a　long　interview；　and；　though　the　details　of　the　conversation



have　never　transpired；　it　is　known　that；　in　the　course　of　it；　

Lord　Wolseley　asked　Gordon　if　he　would　be　willing　to　go　to　the　

Sudan；　to　which　Gordon　replied　that　there　was　only　one

objection　

his　prior　engagement　to　the　King　of　the　Belgians。　Before　

nightfall；　Lord　Granville；　by　private　telegram；　had　'put　a　little



pressure　on　Baring'。　'He　had；'　he　said；　'heard　indirectly　that　

Gordon　was　ready　to　go　at　once　to　the　Sudan　on　the　following　

rather　vague　terms：　His　mission　to　be　to　report　to　Her　Majesty's　

Government　on　the　military　situation；　and　to　return　without　any　

further　engagement。　He　would　be　under　you　for　instructions　and　

will　send　letters　through　you　under　flying　seal。。。　He　might　be　of

use；'　

Lord　Granville　added；　in　informing　you　and　us　of　the　situation。

It　

would　be　popular　at　home；　but　there　may　be　countervailing

objections。　

Tell　me；'　such　was　Lord　Granville's　concluding　injunction；　'your

real　opinion。'　



It　was　the　third　time　of　asking；　and　Sir　Evelyn　Baring　resisted

no　longer。　

'Gordon；'　he　telegraphed　on　the　16th；　'would　be　the　best　man　if

he　will　

pledge　himself　to　carry　out　the　policy　of　withdrawing　from　the

Sudan　as　

quickly　as　is　possible；　consistently　with　saving　life。　He　must　

also　understand　that　he　must　take　his　instructions　from　the　

British　representative　in　Egypt。。。　I　would　rather　have　him　than

anyone　else；　

provided　there　is　a　perfectly　clear　understanding　with　him　as　to

what　his　

position　is　to　be　and　what　line　of　policy　he　is　to　carry　out。

Otherwise；　

not。。。　Whoever　goes　should　be　distinctly　warned　that　he　will

undertake　a　

service　of　great　difficulty　and　danger。'　



In　the　meantime；　Gordon；　with　the　Sudan　upon　his　lips；　with　the

Sudan　in　

his　imagination；　had　hurried　to　Brussels；　to　obtain　from　the　King

of　the　

Belgians　a　reluctant　consent　to　the　postponement　of　his　Congo

mission。　On　

the　17th　he　was　recalled　to　London　by　a　telegram　from　Lord

Wolseley。　On　the　

18th　the　final　decision　was　made。　'At　noon；'　Gordon　told　the　Rev。



Mr。　Barnes；　Wolseley　came　to　me　and　took　me　to　the　Ministers。　He　

went　in　and　talked　to　the　Ministers；　and　came　back　and　said：　〃Her



Majesty's　Government　wants　you　to　undertake　this。　Government　is　

determined　to　evacuate　the　Sudan；　for　they　will　not　guarantee　

future　government。　Will　you　go　and　do　it？〃　I　said：　〃Yes。〃　He　

said：　〃Go　in。〃　I　went　in　and　saw　them。　They　said：　〃Did　Wolseley　

tell　you　your　orders？〃　I　said：　〃Yes。〃　I　said：　〃You　will　not　

guarantee　future　government　of　the　Sudan；　and　you　wish　me　to　go　

up　and　evacuate　now。〃　They　said：　〃Yes〃；　and　it　was　over。'



Such　was　the　sequence　of　events　which　ended　in　General　Gordon's　

last　appointment。　The　precise　motives　of　those　responsible　for　

these　t