A circumstance, apparently insignificant, destroyed all the hopes that had been entertained by several who wished the Colossus well.  Certain papers were brought to Rhodes; these contained information likely to prove of use to him as well as to the English Government.  After he had read them he asked that they should be left with him until the following day.  The person in charge of the documents had been asked not to part with them even for a single hour, as it was important that no one should be able to copy documents which might seriously compromise certain people.  Therefore, she refused.  Rhodes thereupon flew into a terrible passion and demanded to know the reason for the apparent distrust.  When told that it was not so much a question of distrust as the impossibility of breaking a promise once given, he exclaimed that he would have nothing more to do with the whole business, and started almost immediately afterwards his agitation for the suspension of the Constitution in Cape Colony.  But—­and this is an amusing detail to note—­Rhodes used every possible effort to obtain possession of the papers he had been allowed to see, going so far as to have the house searched of the person who had refused to allow him to keep the documents—­a revenge which was as mean as it was useless, because the papers in question had been at once returned to their rightful owners.

The request made by Rhodes to keep these documents produced a very bad impression on those who had begun to entertain hopes that he might be induced to throw the weight of his personality into the scale of a settlement.  It confirmed the suspicions held by the Afrikander party ever since the Raid.

They say that everyone is afforded once the chance of one’s lifetime.  In the case of Rhodes, he certainly missed by that action the one opportunity of reinstating himself once again upon the pinnacle whence the adventure of Doctor Jameson had caused him to fall.

I remember that whilst these events were going on a political man, well acquainted with all details of the endeavour to secure a reconciliation between the Afrikander Bond and Rhodes, came to see me one evening.  We talked over the whole situation.  He told me that there were people who thought it would be a good thing to inform Sir Alfred Milner of what was going on, in the hope that he might give Rhodes an inkling that he knew that intrigue was rife at Groote Schuur, and at the same time express to Rhodes with what satisfaction he personally would view the good offices of the Colossus to influence both the South African League and the Afrikander Bond.  But we agreed that it was quite impossible.  Such a course would not inspire the High Commissioner with an exalted idea as to our morality in matters of trust, and, besides, it would not be playing the game in regard to Rhodes and his group.  So the matter dropped; but Rhodes suspected, and never forgave us or any of those whose thoughts ran on the same lines.