It was all that. I got word that I
should learn by a later mail what was to be the upshot. A friendly member
of the Government wrote me a note beginning: "Dear Grey, you have done
for yourself at last; I always feared it would come to this." My own
position was very plain. Here was an unconstitutional thing, but a
necessary thing.
'Meanwhile I had news from Bombay, that it was the provident arrival of
the Germans which, most likely, prevented the outbreak that had been
feared. I put the despatch in my pocket, with the reflection: "Ah, they
can now interfere with me from London if they will!" There, I judged,
they had similar information from Bombay, for I heard nothing farther as
to what was to be done with me.
'When the first tidings of the trouble in India reached me, I laid it
down that all previous orders and directions from England were cancelled.
These had been given before the new position arose, and were, in my
judgment, over-borne by the new perils.
'As for myself, in a personal way, I felt that I should not feel it a
disgrace to be recalled for doing what I regarded as my duty. I had not
very much, but, at the worst, I had enough to live upon.'
Without a masterful Pro-Consul at the Cape, Lucknow might have fallen,
before there were forces to relieve it.
Pages:
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181