Isabel wrote to Gordon, who had now come
home from Egypt, on this and other matters. She received from him the
following letters in answer to her request and inquiries concerning the
state of affairs in Egypt:
"U.S. CLUB, PALL MALL,
"4.2.80.
"MY DEAR MRS. BURTON,
"You write to an orb which is setting, or rather is set. I have no
power to aid your husband in any way. I went to F. O. to-day, and, as
you know, Lord ---- is very ill. Well! the people there were afraid of
me, for I have written hard things to them; and though they knew all,
they would say naught. I said, 'Who is the personification of Foreign
Office?' They said, 'X is.' I saw 'X'; but he tried to evade my
question--_i.e._ Would F. O. do anything to prevent the Soudan falling
into chaos? It was no use. I cornered him, and he then said, '_I am
merely a clerk to register letters coming in and going out_.' So then
I gave it up, and marvelled. I must say I was surprised to see such a
thing; a great Government like ours governed by men who dare not call
their souls their own. Lord ---- rules them with a rod of iron. If
your husband would understand that F. O. at present is Lord ---- (and he
is _ill_), he would see that I can do nothing. I have written letters
to F. O. that would raise a corpse; it is no good. I have threatened
to go to the French Government about the Soudan; it is no good.
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