第66部分(第3/7 頁)

ve　understood；　one　of　the　habits　of　the　Rhodes　entourage　not　to　trouble　to　open　letters　that　came　by　post。　Unless　these　were　of　known　importance　they　only　attended　to　those　that　were　sent　by　hand；　or　to　telegrams；　and　the　replies　were　generally　verbal　or　telegraphic。　Perhaps　this　was　owing　to　press　of　business；　or　perhaps　to　a　pose；　or　to　a　bination　of　both。

The　last　time　that　I　ever　saw　Rhodes　must　have　been　about　a　year　later；　probably　when　he　was　in　England　after　the　Jameson　Raid　affair。　I　went　to　call　on　him　on　some　matter　—　I　entirely　forget　what　it　was　—　at　the　Burlington　Hotel；　and　found　him　alone。　We　talked　for　a　long　while；　though　again　I　forget　the　subject　of　our　conversation。　What　I　remember　is　the　appearance　of　the　man　as　he　paced　restlessly　up　and　down　the　long　room　like　a　lion　in　a　cage；　throwing　out　his　words　in　jerky；　isolated　sentences；　and　in　a　curious　high　voice　that　sometimes　almost　attained　to　a　falsetto。　He　gave　me　the　idea　of　being　in　a　very　nervous　state；　as　I　dare　say　was　the　case。

His　was　one　of　those　big；　mixed　natures　of　which　it　is　extremely　difficult　to　form　a　just　opinion。　My　own；　for　what　it　is　worth；　is　that　he　loved　his　country　and　desired　above　all　things　to　advance　her　interests；　also　that　he　was　personally　very　ambitious。　He　set　great　ends　before　himself　and　went　to　work　to　attain　them　at　any　cost。　To　begin　with；　he　saw　that　money　was　necessary；　so　he　rubbed　shoulders　with　speculators；　with　Jews；　with　anybody　who　was　useful；　and　by　means　of　this　deal　or　that　deal　made　the　money；　not　for　its　own　sake；　but　that　he　might　use　it　to　fulfil　the　purposes　of　his　busy　and　far…reaching　brain。　He　outwitted　Kruger；　he　destroyed　the　Matabele；　he　seized　the　vast　territories　of　Rhodesia；　and　persuaded　the　British　public　to　find　him　th