eminent victorians-第53章

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place　of　the　brother　who　is　departed。　Could　I　have　said　more　in　

all　the　words　of　the　world？'　



Then　something　happened　which　impressed　and　mystified　the

sensitive　

Chinaman。　'The　Englishman's　face　was　first　filled　with　a　deep

pleasure；　

and　then　he　seemed　to　be　thinking）；　of　something　depressing　and

sad；　for　

the　smile　went　from　his　mouth　and　there　were　tears　in　his　eyes

when　he　

thanked　me　for　what　I　had　said。　Can　it　be　that　he　has；　or　has

had；　some　

great　trouble　in　his　life；　and　that　he　fights　recklessly　to　

forget　it；　or　that　Death　has　no　terrors　for　him？'　But；　as　time　

went　on；　Li　Hung　Chang's　attitude　began　to　change。　'General　

Gordon；'　he　notes　in　July；　'must　control　his　tongue；　even　if　he　

lets　his　mind　run　loose。'　The　Englishman　had　accused　him　of　

intriguing　with　the　Chinese　general；　and　of　withholding　money　due



to　the　Ever　Victorious　Army。　'Why　does　he　not　accord　me　the　

honours　that　are　due　to　me；　as　head　of　the　military　and　civil　

authority　in　these　parts？'　By　September；　the　Governor's　earlier　

transports　have　been　replaced　by　a　more　judicial　frame　of　mind。　

'With　his　many　faults；　his　pride；　his　temper；　and　his　never…

ending　demand　for　money；　（for　one　is　a　noble　man；　and　in　spite　of

all　

I　have　said　to　him　or　about　him）　I　will　ever　think　most　highly　of



him。　。。。　He　is　an　honest　man；　but　difficult　to　get　on　with。'



Disagreements　of　this　kind　might　perhaps　have　been　tided　over　

until　the　end　of　the　campaign；　but　an　unfortunate　incident　

suddenly　led　to　a　more　serious　quarrel。　Gordon's　advance　had　been



fiercely　contested；　but　it　had　been　constant；　he　had　captured　

several　important　towns；　and　in　October　lice　laid　siege　to　the　

city　of　Soo…chow；　once　one　of　the　most　famous　and　splendid　in　

China。　In　December；　its　fall　being　obviously　imminent；　the　

Taiping　leaders　agreed　to　surrender　it　on　condition　that　their　

lives　were　spared。　Gordon　was　a　party　to　the　agreement；　and　laid　

special　stress　upon　his　presence　with　the　Imperial　forces　as　a　

pledge　of　its　fulfilment。　No　sooner；　however；　was　the　city　

surrendered　than　the　rebel　'Wangs'　were　assassinated。　In　his　

fury；　it　is　said　that　Gordon　searched　everywhere　for　Li　Hung　

Chang　with　a　loaded　pistol　in　his　hand。　He　was　convinced　of　the　

complicity　of　the　Governor；　who；　on　his　side；　denied　that　he　was　

responsible　for　what　had　happened。　'I　asked　him　why　I　should　

plot；　and　go　around　a　mountain；　when　a　mere　order；　written　with　

five　strokes　of　the　quill；　would　have　accomplished　the　same　

thing。　He　did　not　answer；　but　he　insulted　me；　and　said　he　would　

report　my　treachery；　as　he　called　it；　to　Shanghai　and　England。　

Let　him　do　so；　he　cannot　bring　the　crazy　Wangs　back。'　The　

agitated　Mandarin　hoped　to　placate　Gordon　by　a　large　gratuity　and



an　Imperial　medal；　but　the　plan　was　not　successful。　'General　

Gordon；'　he　writes；　'called　upon　me　in　his　angriest　mood。　He　

repeated　his　former　speeches　about　the　Wangs。　I　did　not　attempt　

to　argue　with　him。。。　He　refused　the　10；000　taels；　which　I　had　

ready　for　him；　and；　with　an　oath；　said　that　he　did　not　want　the　

Throne's　medal。　This　is　showing　the　greatest　disrespect。'



Gordon　resigned　his　command；　and　it　was　only　with　the　utmost　

reluctance　that　he　agreed　at　last　to　resume　it。　An　arduous　and　

terrible　series　of　operations　followed；　but　they　were　successful；



and　by　June；　1864；　the　Ever　Victorious　Army；　having　accomplished　

its　task；　was　disbanded。　The　Imperial　forces　now　closed　round　

Nankin；　the　last　hopes　of　the　Tien　Wang　had　vanished。　In　the　

recesses　of　his　seraglio；　the　Celestial　King；　judging　that　the　

time　had　come　for　the　conclusion　of　his　mission；　swallowed　gold　

leaf　until　he　ascended　to　Heaven。　In　July；　Nankin　was　taken；　the　

remaining　chiefs　were　executed；　and　the　rebellion　was　at　an　end。　

The　Chinese　Government　gave　Gordon　the　highest　rank　in　its　

military　hierarchy；　and　invested　him　with　the　yellow　jacket　and　

the　peacock's　feather。　He　rejected　an　enormous　offer　of　money；　

but　he　could　not　refuse　a　great　gold　medal；　specially　struck　in　

his　honour　by　order　of　the　Emperor。　At　the　end　of　the　year　he　

returned　to　England；　where　the　conqueror　of　the　Taipings　was　made



a　Companion　of　the　Bath。



That　the　English　authorities　should　have　seen　fit　to　recognise　

Gordon's　services　by　the　reward　usually　reserved　for　industrious　

clerks　was　typical　of　their　attitude　towards　him　until　the　very　

end　of　his　career。　Perhaps　if　he　had　been　ready　to　make　the　most　

of　the　wave　of　popularity　which　greeted　him　on　his　returnif　he　

had　advertised　his　fame　and；　amid　high　circles；　played　the　part　

of　Chinese　Gordon　in　a　becoming　manner　the　results　would　have　

been　different。　But　he　was　by　nature　farouche；　his　soul　revolted　

against　dinner　parties　and　stiff　shirts；　and　the　presence　of　

ladies　especially　of　fashionable　ladies　filled　him　with　

uneasiness。　He　had；　besides；　a　deeper　dread　of　the　world's　

contaminations。　And　so；　when　he　was　appointed　to　Gravesend　to　

supervise　the　erection　of　a　system　of　forts　at　the　mouth　of　the　

Thames；　he　remained　there　quietly　for　six　years；　and　at　last　was　

almost　forgotten。　The　forts；　which　were　extremely　expensive　and　

quite　useless；　occupied　his　working　hours；　his　leisure　he　devoted



to　acts　of　charity　and　to　religious　contemplation。　The

neighbourhood　

was　a　poverty…stricken　one；　and　the　kind　Colonel；　with　his

tripping　

step　and　simple　manner；　was　soon　a　familiar　figure　in　it；

chatting　

with　the　seamen；　taking　provisions　to　starving　families；　or

visiting　

some　bedridden　old　woman　to　light　her　fire。　He　was　particularly

fond　

of　boys。　Ragged　street　arabs　and　rough　sailor…lads　crowded　about

him。　

They　were　made　free　of　his　house　and　garden；　they　visited　him　in

the　

evenings　for　lessons　and　advice；　he　helped　them；　found　them

employment；　

corresponded　with　them　when　they　went　out　into　the　world。　They　

were；　he　said；　his　Wangs。　It　was　only　by　a　singular　austerity　of　

living　that　he　was　able　to　afford　such　a　variety　of　charitable　

expenses。　The　easy　luxuries　of　his　class　and　station　were　unknown



to　him：　his　clothes　verged　upon　the　shabby；　and　his　frugal　meals　

were　eaten　at　a　table　with　a　drawer；　into　which　the　loaf　and　

plate　were　quickly　swept　at　the　approach　of　his　poor　visitors。　

Special　occasions　demanded　special　sacrifices。　When；　during　the　

Lancashire　famine；　a　public　subscription　was　opened；　finding　

that　he　had　no　ready　money；　he　remembered　his　Chinese　medal；　

and；　after　effacing　the　inscription；　dispatched　it　as　an　

anonymous　gift。



Except　for　his　boys　and　his　paupers；　he　lived　alone。　In　his　

solitude；　he　ruminated　upon　the　mysteries　of　the　universe；　and　

those　religious　tendencies；　which　had　already　shown　themselves；　

now　became　a　fixed　and　dominating　factor　in　his　life。　His　reading



was　confined　almost　entirely　to　the　Bible；　but　the　Bible　he　read　

and　re…read　with　an　untiring；　unending　assiduity。　There；　he　

was　convinced；　all　truth　was　to　be　found；　and　he　was　equally　

convinced　that　he　could　find　it。　The　doubts　of　philosophers；　the　

investigations　of　commentators；　the　smiles　of　men　of　the　world；　

the　dogmas　of　Churches　such　things　meant　nothing　to　the

Colonel。　

Two　facts　alone　were　evident：　there　was　the　Bible；　and　there　was　

himself；　and　all　that　remained　to　be　done　was　for　him　to　discover



what　were　the　Bible's　instructions；　and　to　act　accordingly。　In　

order　to　make　this　discovery　it　was　only　necessary　for　him　to　

read　the　Bible　over　and　over　again；　and　therefore；　for　the　rest　

of　his　life；　he　did　so。



The　faith　that　he　evolved　was　mystical　and　fatalistic；　it　was　

also　highly　unconventional。　His　creed；　based　upon　the　narrow　

foundations　of　Jewish　Scripture；　eked　out　occasionally　by　some　

English　evangelical　manual；　was　yet　wide　enough　to　ignore　every　

doctrinal　difference；　and　even；　at　moments；　to　transcend　the　

bounds　of　Christianity　itself。　The　just　man