employing for a national cause the services of a soldier
who added the fervour and modesty of Wolfe to the genius of Clive
should have been allowed to pass by unutilised.

A casual meeting with Nubar Pasha at Constantinople, on his way back
from the Crimea in 1872, was destined to exercise what may be styled a
determining influence on the rest of Gordon's life. At that meeting
Nubar Pasha sounded him as to his willingness to take service under
the Khedive, and Gordon, attracted by the prospect of doing good work
on a larger sphere, expressed his own readiness to take up the task of
establishing authority, and suppressing slavery in the Soudan,
provided that the permission of his own Government were granted. He
heard nothing more of the matter for twelve months, but at the end of
September 1873 he received a communication to the effect that the
Khedive wished to appoint him to succeed Sir Samuel Baker, and that
the British Government were quite willing to grant him the necessary
permission. In a letter of 8th November 1873 to the Adjutant-General
he said:--

"I have written an account of what I know of the Khedive's having
asked me to take Baker's place. It came about from a
conversation I had with Nubar Pasha at our Embassy at
Constantinople. This was twelve months ago. The next thing was a
telegram a month ago. I have not determined what to do, but the
Government have no objection."

He was not long, however, in making up his mind, and early in 1874 he
was _en route_ for Alexandria. One characteristic act in connection
with his appointment deserves mention. The Khedive fixed his salary at
L10,000 a year, but Gordon absolutely refused to accept more than
L2000 a year--the same sum as he received for his post on the Danube.
Various reasons have been given for this decision, but there is no
ground for supposing that it was due to such a very narrow-minded
prejudice as "that he would take nothing from a heathen." If he ever
used these words, they must have been intended as a joke, and are not
to be accepted seriously. A sufficient explanation of his decision is,
that he had a supreme disdain for money, and the sum offered seemed
far in excess of the post and work he had to perform. To have received
L10,000 a year would have added immensely to his worries. He would not
have known what to do with it, and the voluntary cutting of his salary
relieved him of a weight of responsibility. Perhaps