eminent victorians-第46章

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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　triumphal　entry　into

Khartoum。　The　feeble　garrison；　the　panic…stricken　inhabitants；

hailed　him　as　a　deliverer。　Surely　they　need　fear　no　more；　now

that　the　great　English　Pasha　had　come　among　them。　His　first　acts

seemed　to　show　that　a　new　and　happy　era　had　begun。　Taxes　were

remitted；　the　bonds　of　the　usurers　were　destroyed；　the　victims　of

Egyptian　injustice　were　set　free　from　the　prisons；　the　immemorial

instruments　of　torture　the　stocks　and　the　whips　and　the　branding…

irons　were　broken　to　pieces　in　the　public　square。　A　bolder

measure　had　been　already　taken。　A　proclamation　had　been　issued

sanctioning　slavery　in　the　Sudan。　Gordon；　arguing　that　he　was

powerless　to　do　away　with　the　odious　institution；　which；　as　soon

as　the　withdrawal　was　carried　out；　would　inevitably　become

universal；　had　decided　to　reap　what　benefit　he　could　from　the

public　abandonment　of　an　unpopular　policy。　At　Khartoum　the

announcement　was　received　with　enthusiasm；　but　it　caused

considerable　perturbation　in　England。　The　Christian　hero；　who　had

spent　so　many　years　of　his　life　in　suppressing　slavery；　was　now

suddenly　found　to　be　using　his　high　powers　to　set　it　up　again。

The　Anti…Slavery　Society　made　a　menacing　movement；　but　the

Government　showed　a　bold　front；　and　the　popular　belief　in

Gordon's　infallibility　carried　the　day。



He　himself　was　still　radiant。　Nor；　amid　the　jubilation　and　the

devotion　which　surrounded　him；　did　he　forget　higher　things。　In

all　this　turmoil；　he　told　his　sister；　he　was　'supported'。　He　gave

injunctions　that　his　Egyptian　troops　should　have　regular　morning

and　evening　prayers；　'they　worship　one　God；'　he　said；　'Jehovah。'

And　he　ordered　an　Arabic　text；　'God　rules　the　hearts　of　all　men'；

to　be　put　up　over　the　chair　of　state　in　his　audience　chamber。　As

the　days　went　by；　he　began　to　feel　at　home　again　in　the　huge

palace　which　he　knew　so　well。　The　glare　and　the　heat　of　that

southern　atmosphere；　the　movement　of　the　crowded　city；　the　dark…

faced　populace；　the　soldiers　and　the　suppliants；　the　reawakened

consciousness　of　power；　the　glamour　and　the　mystery　of　the　whole

strange　scenethese　things　seized　upon　him；　engulfed　him；　and

worked　a　new　transformation　on　his　intoxicated　heart。　England；

with　its　complications　and　its　policies；　became　an　empty　vision

to　him；　Sir　Evelyn　Baring；　with　his　cautions　and　sagacities；

hardly　more　than　a　tiresome　name。　He　was　Gordon　Pasha；　he　was　the

Governor…General；　he　was　the　ruler　of　the　Sudan。　He　was　among　his

peoplehis　own　people；　and　it　was　to　them　only　that　he　was

responsibleto　them；　and　to　God。　Was　he　to　let　them　fall　without

a　blow　into　the　clutches　of　a　sanguinary　impostor？　Never！　He　was

there　to　prevent　that。　The　distant　governments　might　mutter

something　about　'evacuation'；　his　thoughts　were　elsewhere。　He

poured　them　into　his　telegrams；　and　Sir　Evelyn　Baring　sat　aghast。

The　man　who　had　left　London　a　month　before；　with　instructions　to

'report　upon　the　best　means　of　effecting　the　evacuation　of　the

Sudan'；　was　now　openly　talking　of　'smashing　up　the　Mahdi'　with

the　aid　of　British　and　Indian　troops。　Sir　Evelyn　Baring　counted

upon　his　fingers　the　various　stages　of　this　extraordinary

development　in　General　Gordon's　opinions。　But　he　might　have　saved

himself　the　trouble；　for；　in　fact；　it　was　less　a　development　than

a　reversion。　Under　the　stress　of　the　excitements　and　the

realities　of　his　situation　at　Khartoum；　the　policy　which　Gordon

was　now　proposing　to　carry　out　had　come　to　tally；　in　every

particular；　with　the　policy　which　he　had　originally　advocated

with　such　vigorous　conviction　in　the　pages　of　the　Pall　Mall

Gazette。



Nor　was　the　adoption　of　that　policy　by　the　English　Government　by

any　means　out　of　the　question。　For；　in　the　meantime；　events　had

been　taking　place　in　the　Eastern　Sudan；　in　the　neighbourhood　of

the　Red　Sea　port　of　Suakin；　which　were　to　have　a　decisive　effect

upon　the　prospects　of　Khartoum。　General　Baker；　the　brother　of　Sir

Samuel　Baker；　attempting　to　relieve　the　beleaguered　garrisons　of

Sinkat　and　Tokar；　had　rashly　attacked　the　forces　of　Osman　Digna；

had　been　defeated；　and　obliged　to　retire。　Sinkat　and　Tokar　had

then　fallen　into　the　hands　of　the　Mahdi's　general。　There　was　a

great　outcry　in　England；　and　a　wave　of　warlike　feeling　passed

over　the　country。　Lord　Wolseley　at　once　drew　up　a　memorandum

advocating　the　annexation　of　the　Sudan。　In　the　House　of　Commons

even　Liberals　began　to　demand　vengeance　and　military　action；

whereupon　the　Government　dispatched　Sir　Gerald　Graham　with　a

considerable　British　force　to　Suakin。　Sir　Gerald　Graham　advanced；

and　in　the　battles　of　El　Teb　and　Tamai　inflicted　two　bloody

defeats　upon　the　Mahdi's　forces。　It　almost　seemed　as　if　the

Government　was　now　committed　to　a　policy　of　interference　and

conquest；　as　if　the　imperialist　section　of　the　Cabinet　were　at

last　to　have　their　way。　The　dispatch　of　Sir　Gerald　Graham

coincided　with　Gordon's　sudden　demand　for　British　and　Indian

troops　with　which　to　'smash　up　the　Mahdi'。　The　business；　he

assured　Sir　Evelyn　Baring；　in　a　stream　of　telegrams；　could　very

easily　be　done。　It　made　him　sick；　he　said；　to　see　himself　held　in

check　and　the　people　of　the　Sudan　tyrannised　over　by　'a　feeble

lot　of　stinking　Dervishes'。　Let　Zobeir　at　once　be　sent　down　to

him；　and　all　would　be　well。



The　original　Sultans　of　the　country　had　unfortunately　proved

disap…pointing。　Their　place　should　be　taken　by　Zobeir。　After　the

Mahdi　had　been　smashed　up；　Zobeir　should　rule　the　Sudan　as　a

subsidised　vassal　of　England；　on　a　similar　footing　to　that　of　the

Amir　of　Afghanistan。　The　plan　was　perhaps　feasible；　but　it　was

clearly　incompatible　with　the　policy　of　evacuation；　as　it　had

been　hitherto　laid　down　by　the　English　Government。　Should　they

reverse　that　policy？　Should　they　appoint　Zobeir；　reinforce　Sir

Gerald　Graham；　and　smash　up　the　Mahdi？　They　could　not　make　up

their　minds。