orant of the
whole affair.

In June 1864 the British government sent an intimation to China that
they considered the country had no further need for Gordon's services,
and wished him set at liberty to return home. Gordon himself would
perhaps have preferred to remain a little longer, but, as he was given
no choice, he quietly disbanded the Ever-Victorious-Army, fearing that,
if led by unscrupulous men, it might become a danger to the empire. He
then visited the general besieging Nankin, whose name was Tseng-kwo-fan,
and gave him a little advice as to the training of troops, and even took
part in directing some of the assaults. Then he took leave of the
general, and a few hours later he had started on his journey. Tien Wang,
one of the Taeping commanders within the walls of Nankin, seeing that
the cause was tottering to its fall, committed suicide in the manner
proper to his rank by swallowing gold leaf. Shortly after the city
itself was stormed, and Chung Wang, whose presence among the rebels was,
said Gordon, equal to an army of five thousand men, fell into the hands
of the victors. He was sentenced to be beheaded, but was given a week's
respite in order to write the history of the rebellion of the Taepings,
who had invaded sixteen out of the eighteen provinces and destroyed six
hundred cities.

* * * * *

By this time Gordon and Li Hung Chang had begun to know more of each
other and to understand a little better the different views of East and
West. Gordon had gained the trust and respect of everybody, even of the
Taeping chiefs themselves, while the prince Kung, in the name of the
emperor, wrote a letter of the most hearty gratitude for Gordon's
services to the British minister at Pekin. The title of Ti-tu, the
highest rank in the Chinese army, had been conferred on him, and also
the yellow jacket, a distinction dating back to the coming of the
present Manchu dynasty in the seventeenth century, and only given to
generals who had been victorious against rebels. Gordon had besides six
dresses of mandarins, and a book explaining how they should be worn.
They were of course the handsomest that China could produce, and the
buttons on the hats alone were worth 30 l. or 40 l. each. From the two
empresses he received a gold medal specially struck in his honour; and
by this he set great store, though not long after, having spent all his
pay on his boys at Gravesend, he sold it for 10 l., and,