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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