, and after which he invariably showed himself at his best
and in a softer mood than he had been before. Unfortunately, these moments
never lasted long, and he used to revenge himself on those who had
surprised him in such reveries by indulging in the most caustic and cruel
remarks which he could devise in order to goad them out of all patience. A
strange man with strange instincts; and it is no wonder that, once, a
person who knew him well, and who had known him in the days of his youth
when he had not yet developed his strength of character, had said of him
that "One could not help liking him and one could not avoid hating him;
and sometimes one hated him when one liked him most."

Sir Alfred Milner had neither liked nor hated him, perhaps because his
mind was too well balanced to allow him to view him otherwise than with
impartiality and with a keen appreciation of his great qualities. He would
have liked to work with Rhodes, and would gladly have availed himself of
his experience of South Africa and of South African politicians. But Sir
Alfred refused to be drawn into any compromises with his own conscience or
to offend his own sense of right and wrong. He was always sincere, though
he was never given credit for being so in South Africa. Sir Alfred Milner
could not understand why Rhodes, instead of resolutely asserting that he
wanted to enter into negotiations with the Bond in order to win its
co-operation in the great work of organising the new existence of South
Africa on a sound and solid basis, preferred to cause promises to be made
to the Bond which he would never consent to acknowledge.

These tortuous roads, which were so beloved by Rhodes, were absolutely
abhorrent to the High Commissioner. When Rhodes started the agitation for
the suspension of the Constitution, which occupied his thoughts during the
last months of his life--an agitation which he had inaugurated out of
spite against Mr. Sauer and Mr. Hofmeyr, who had refused to dance to
Rhodes' tune--Sir Alfred Milner had at once seen through the underlying
motives of the moment, and what he discerned had not increased his
admiration for Rhodes. Sir Alfred had not opposed the plans, but he had
never been sanguine as to their chance of success, and they were not in
accordance with his own convictions. Had he thought they had the least
chance of being adopted, most certainly he would have opposed them with
just as much energy as Sir Gordon Sprigg had done. He