o move from Pekin, and bring themselves thus more
into unison with the Chinese people, and thus save that people
the constant humiliations they have to put up with, owing to the
seat of the Central Government being at Pekin. This
recommendation would need no secret societies, no rebellion, no
treason; if taken up and persevered in it must succeed, and not
one life need be lost.

"The Central Government at Pekin could not answer the Chinese
people except in the affirmative when the Chinese people say to
the Central Government--'By your residing aloof from us in Pekin,
where you are exposed to danger, you separate our interests from
yours, and you bring on us humiliation, which we would never have
to bear if you resided in the interior. Take our application into
consideration, and grant our wishes.'

"I have been kindly treated by the Central Pekin Government and
by the Chinese people; it is for the welfare of both parties that
I have written and signed this paper. I may have expressed myself
too strongly with respect to the non-progressive nature of the
Pekin Government, who may desire the welfare of the Middle
Kingdom as ardently as any other Chinese, but as long as the
Pekin Government allow themselves to be led and directed by those
drones of the hive, the Censors, so long must the Pekin
Government bear the blame earned by those drones in plunging
China into difficulties. In the insect world the bees get rid of
the drones in winter."

There was yet a third memorandum of a confidential nature written to
Li Hung Chang himself, of which Gordon did not keep a copy, but he
referred to it in the letter written to myself which I have already
quoted.

Having thus accomplished his double task, viz.: the prevention of war
between Russia and China, and of a rebellion on the part of Li Hung
Chang under European advice and encouragement, Gordon left China
without any delay. When he reached Shanghai on 16th August he found
another official telegram awaiting him: "Leave cancelled, resignation
not accepted." As he had already taken his passage home he did not
reply, but when he reached Aden he telegraphed as follows: "You might
have trusted me. My passage from China was taken days before the
arrival of your telegram which states 'leave cancelled.' Do you insist
on rescinding the same?" The next day he received