eminent victorians-第50章

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godly　life；　you　must　at　once　wear　this　suit；　and　come　out　to

accept　your　everlasting　good　fortune。'　Did　the　words　bear　no

meaning　to　the　mystic　of　Gravesend？　But　he　was　an　English

gentleman；　an　English　officer。　He　flung　the　clothes　to　the

ground；　and　trampled　on　them　in　the　sight　of　all。　Then；　alone；　he

went　up　to　the　roof　of　his　high　palace；　and　turned　the　telescope

once　more；　almost　mechanically；　towards　the　north。



But　nothing　broke　the　immovability　of　that　hard　horizon；　and；

indeed；　how　was　it　possible　that　help　should　come　to　him　now？　He

seemed　to　be　utterly　abandoned。　Sir　Evelyn　Baring　had　disappeared

into　his　financial　conference。　In　England；　Mr。　Gladstone　had　held

firm；　had　outfaced　the　House　of　Commons；　had　ignored　the　Press。

He　appeared　to　have　triumphed。　Though　it　was　clear　that　no

preparations　of　any　kind　were　being　made　for　the　relief　of

Gordon；　the　anxiety　and　agitation　of　the　public；　which　had　risen

so　suddenly　to　such　a　height　of　vehemence；　had　died　down。　The

dangerous　beast　had　been　quelled　by　the　stern　eye　of　its　master。

Other　questions　became　more　interestingthe　Reform　Bill；　the

Russians；　the　House　of　Lords。　Gordon；　silent　in　Khartoum；　had

almost　dropped　out　of　remembrance。　And　yet；　help　did　come　after

all。　And　it　came　from　an　unexpected　quarter。　Lord　Hartington　had

been　for　some　time　convinced　that　he　was　responsible　for　Gordon's

appointment；　and　his　conscience　was　beginning　to　grow

uncomfortable。



Lord　Hartington's　conscience　was　of　a　piece　with　the　rest　of　him。

It　was　not；　like　Mr。　Gladstone's；　a　salamander…consciencean

intangible；　dangerous　creature；　that　loved　to　live　in　the　fire；

nor　was　it；　like　Gordon's；　a　restless　conscience；　nor；　like　Sir

Evelyn　Baring's；　a　diplomatic　conscience；　it　was　a　commonplace

affair。　Lord　Hartington　himself　would　have　been　disgusted　by　any

mention　of　it。　If　he　had　been　obliged；　he　would　have　alluded　to

it　distantly；　he　would　have　muttered　that　it　was　a　bore　not　to　do

the　proper　thing。　He　was　usually　boredfor　one　reason　or

another；　but　this　particular　form　of　boredom　he　found　more

intense　than　all　the　rest。　He　would　take　endless　pains　to　avoid

it。　Of　course；　the　whole　thing　was　a　nuisancean　obvious

nuisance；　and　everyone　else　must　feel　just　as　he　did　about　it。

And　yet　people　seemed　to　have　got　it　into　their　heads　that　he　had

some　kind　of　special　faculty　in　such　mattersthat　there　was　some

peculiar　value　in　his　judgment　on　a　question　of　right　and　wrong。

He　could　not　understand　why　it　was；　but　whenever　there　was　a

dispute　about　cards　in　a　club；　it　was　brought　to　him　to　settle。

It　was　most　odd。　But　it　was　trite。　In　public　affairs；　no　less

than　in　private；　Lord　Hartington's　decisions　carried　an

extraordinary　weight。　The　feeling　of　his　idle　friends　in　high

society　was　shared　by　the　great　mass　of　the　English　people；　here

was　a　man　they　could　trust。　For　indeed　he　was　built　upon　a

pattern　which　was　very　dear　to　his　countrymen。　It　was　not　simply

that　he　was　honest：　it　was　that　his　honesty　was　an　English

honestyan　honest　which　naturally　belonged　to　one　who；　so　it

seemed　to　them；　was　the　living　image　of　what　an　Englishman　should

be。



In　Lord　Hartington　they　saw；　embodied　and　glorified；　the　very

qualities　which　were　nearest　to　their　heartsimpartiality；

solidity；　common　sensethe　qualities　by　which　they　themselves

longed　to　be　distinguished；　and　by　which；　in　their　happier

moments；　they　believed　they　were。　If　ever　they　began　to　have

misgivings；　there；　at　any　rate；　was　the　example　of　Lord

Hartington　to　encourage　them　and　guide　themLord　Hartington　who

was　never　self…seeking；　who　was　never　excited；　and　who　had　no

imagination　at　all。　Everything　they　knew　about　him　fitted　into

the　picture；　adding　to　their　admiration　and　respect。　His　fondness

for　field　sports　gave　them　a　feeling　of　security；　and　certainly

there　could　be　no　nonsense　about　a　man　who　confessed　to　two

ambitionsto　become　Prime　Minister　and　to　win　the　Derbyand　who

put　the　second　above　the　first。　They　loved　him　for　his

casualnessfor　his　inexactnessfor　refusing　to　make　life　a　cut…

and…dried　businessfor　ramming　an　official　dispatch　of　high

importance　into　his　coat…pocket；　and　finding　it　there；　still

unopened；　at　Newmarket；　several　days　later。　They　loved　him　for

his　hatred　of　fine　sentiments；　they　were　delighted　when　they

heard　that　at　some　function；　on　a　florid　speaker's　avowing　that

'this　was　the　proudest　moment　of　his　life'；　Lord　Hartington　had

growled　in　an　undertone　'the　proudest　moment　of　my　life　was　when

MY　pig　won　the　prize　at　Skipton　Fair'。　Above　all；　they　loved　him

for　being　dull。　It　was　the　greatest　comfortwith　Lord　Hartington

they　could　always　be　absolutely　certain　that　he　would　never；　in

any　circumstances；　be　either　brilliant；　or　subtle；　or　surprising；

or　impassioned；　or　profound。　As　they　sat；　listening　to　his

speeches；　in　which　considerations　of　stolid　plainness　succeeded

one　another　with　complete　flatness；　they　felt；　involved　and

supported　by　the　colossal　tedium；　that　their　confidence　was

finally　assured。　They　looked　up；　and　took　their　fill　of　the

sturdy；　obvious　presence。　The　inheritor　of　a　splendid　dukedom

might　almost　have　passed　for　a　farm　hand。　Almost；　but　not　quite。

For　an　air　that　was　difficult　to　explain；　of　preponderating

authority；　lurked　in　the　solid　figure；　and　the　lordly　breeding　of

the　House　of　Cavendish　was　visible　in　the　large；　long；　bearded；

unimpressionable　face。



One　other　characteristicthe　necessary　consequence；　or；　indeed；

it　might　almost　be　said；　the　essential　expression；　of　all　the

rest　completes　the　portrait：　Lord　Hartington　was　slow。　He　was

slow　in　movement；　slow　in　apprehension；　slow　in　thought　and　the

communication　of　thought；　slow　to　decide；　and　slow　to　act。　More

than　once　this　disposition　exercised　a　profound　effect　upon　his

career。　A　private　individual　may；　perhaps；　be　slow　with　impunity；

but　a　statesman　who　is　slowwhatever　the　force　of　his　character

and　the　strength　of　his　judgmentcan　hardly　escape　unhurt　from

the　hurrying　of　Time's　winged　chariot；　can　hardly　hope　to　avoid

some　grave　disaster　or　some　irretrievable　mistake。　The　fate　of

General　Gordon；　so　intricately　interwoven　with　such　a　mass　of

complicated　circumstance　with　the　policies　of　England　and　of

Egypt；　with　the　fanaticism　of　the　Mahdi；　with　the

irreproachability　of　Sir　Evelyn　Baring；　with　Mr。　Gladstone's

mysterious　passions　was　finally　determined　by　the　fact　that

Lord　Hartington　was　slow。　If　he　had　been　even　a　very　little

quickerif　he　had　been　quicker　by　two　days。。。　but　it　could　not

be。　The　ponderous　machinery　took　so　long　to　set　itself　in　motion；

the　great　wheels　and　levers；　once　started；　revolved　with　such　a

laborious；　such　a　painful　deliberation；　that　at　last　their　work

was　accomplishedsurely；　firmly；　completely；　in　the　best　English

manner；　and　too　late。



Seven　stages　may　be　discerned　in　the　history　of　Lord　Hartington's

influence　upon　the　fate　of　General　Gordon。　At　the　end　of　the

first　stage；　he　had　become　convinced　that　he　was　responsible　for

Gordon's　appointment　to　Khartoum。　At　the　end　of　the　second；　he

had　perceived　that　his　conscience　would　not　allow　him　to　remain

inactive　in　the　face　of　Gordon's　danger。　At　the　end　of　the　third；

he　had　made　an　attempt　to　induce　the　Cabinet　to　send　an

expedition　to　Gordon's　relief。　At　the　end　of　the　fourth；　he　had

realised　that　the　Cabinet　had　decided　to　postpone　the　relief　of

Gordon　indefinitely。　At　the　end　of　the　fifth；　he　had　come　to　the

conclusion　that　he　must　put　pressure　upon　Mr。　Gladstone。　At　the

end　of　the　sixth；　he　had　attempted　to　put　pressure　upon　Mr。

Gladstone；　and　had　not　succeeded。　At　the　end　of　the　seventh；　he

had　succeeded　in　putting　pressure　upon　Mr。　Gladstone；　the　relief

expedition　had　been　ordered；　he　could　do　no　more。



The　turning…point　in　this　long　and　extraordinary　process　occurred

towards　the　end　of　April；　when　the　Cabinet；　after　the　receipt　of

Sir　Evelyn　Baring's　final　dispatch；　decided　to　take　no　immediate

measures　for　Gordon's　relief。　From　that　moment　it　was　clear　that

there　was　only　one　course　open　to　Lord　Hartington　to　tell　Mr。

Gladstone　that　he　would　resign　unless　a　relief　expedition　was

sent。　But　it　took　him　more　than　three　months　to　come　to　this

conclusion。　He　always　found　the　proceedings　at　Cabinet　meetings

particularly　hard　to　follow。　The　interchange　of　question　and

answer；　of　proposal　and　counterproposal；　the　crowded　counsellors；

Mr。　Gladstone's　subtleties；　the　abrupt　and　complicated

resolutionsthese　things　invariably　left　him　confused　and

perplexed。　After　the　crucial　Cabinet　at　the　end　of　April；　he　came

away　in　a　state　of　uncertainty　as　to　what　had　occurred；　he　had　to

write　to　Lord　Granville　to　find　out；　and　by　that　time；　of　course；

the　Government's　decision　had　been　telegraphed　to　Egypt。　Three

weeks　later；　in　the　middle　of　May；　he　had　grown　so　uneasy　that　he

felt　himself　obliged　to　address　a　circular　letter　to　the　Cabinet

proposing　that　preparations　for　a　relief　expedition　should　be　set



on　foot　at　once。　And　then　he　began　to　understand　that　nothing

would　ever　be　done　until　Mr。　Gladstone；　by　some　means　or　other；

had　been　forced　to　give　his　consent。　A　singular　combat　followed。

The　slippery　old　man　perpetually　eluded　the　cumbrous　grasp　of　his

antagonist。　He　delayed；　he　postponed；　he　raised　interminable

difficulties；　he　prevaricated；　he　was　silent；　he　disappeared。

Lord　Hartington　was　dauntless。　Gradually；　inch　by　inch；　he　drove

the　Prime　Minister　into　a　corner。　But　in　the　meantime　many　weeks

had　passed。　On　July　1st；　Lord　Hartington　was　still　remarking　that

he　'really　did　not　feel　that　he　knew　the　mind　or　intention　of　the

Government　in　respect　of　the　relief　of　General　Gordon'。　The　month

was　spent　in　a　succession　of　stubborn　efforts　to　wring　from　Mr。

Gladstone　some　definite　statement　upon　the　question。　It　was

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　wh