"Not the conditions of peace, but the preliminaries of peace," replied Bismarck.

"How am I to understand this?" asked von der Pfordten.

"Very easily," said the Count. "If a treaty such as I have sketched, and which I will immediately have drawn out in detail by the military department, is concluded--a treaty which, for the present, had better be kept secret--yes," he added thoughtfully, "it had much better be kept secret; it will save you so much trouble from the anti-Prussian party--if such a treaty, I say, is agreed to, peace can easily be concluded. This treaty would be a guarantee to Prussia that Bavaria would really and uprightly labour with her at the work of national union, and that all the former faults in her policy were laid aside.

With this guarantee we could easily negotiate peace. It would then be to our interest to maintain Bavaria's power and complete independence in Germany. We shall then only have the expenses of the war to consider, which we shall expect to have paid in full, and perhaps some very unimportant cession of territory, for the sake of the symmetry of our frontier."

"Count," said Herr von der Pfordten, with emotion, "I thank you. You have shown me a way by which, with honour to herself and benefit to Germany, Bavaria may extricate herself from her present melancholy position. I thank you in the name of my king."

"I feel the deepest sympathy for your young king," said Count Bismarck, "and I hope that Bavaria, as Prussia's ally, may yet take the place, which hitherto _she would not_ take. But, my dear baron," he added, rising, "we must not forget that this is only a conversation between two private individuals. Hasten back to your king, and bring his consent to this treaty as soon as possible. When it is signed, hostilities will cease, and I promise the negotiations for peace shall not be difficult nor prolonged; and," he added courteously, "be a.s.sured I do not wish you to retire from public life."

"I know," said Herr von der Pfordten, "what I must do. A new hand must guide Bavaria in new paths; but my good wishes will be as hearty for new Germany as they ever have been for the old."

"One thing more," said Bismarck. "Since we have come to so good an understanding, you might do your allies in Stuttgardt and Darmstadt a service--perhaps to me also; for I wish to treat with Wurtemberg and Hesse in a conciliatory spirit. If these courts are willing to conclude a treaty similar to that of which we have been speaking, I think a reconciliation would be possible. If Herr von Varnbuler and Herr von Dalwigk should come here empowered to conclude such a treaty, the secrecy of which I willingly promise, they would be welcome, and would find moderate and easy terms of peace."

"I do not doubt that they will shortly appear," said Herr von der Pfordten.

"Now, my dear baron, hasten away," cried Count Bismarck, "and return quickly, and so act that Count Bismarck may soon welcome the Bavarian minister fully empowered to conclude peace."

He held out his hand to Herr von der Pfordten, who pressed it heartily and with much feeling, and he accompanied him to the door.

In the ante-room they found von Keudell, and Bismarck begged him to facilitate the Bavarian minister's journey as much as possible.

When Count Bismarck returned to his room, he rubbed his hands with satisfaction, whilst he paced the room with long strides.

"So, messieurs in Paris!" he cried with a laugh, "you wish to split up and divide Germany, and help yourselves to compensation. The skilful engineers are blown up with their own mine. And their compensation? Let them flatter themselves with that hope a little longer. Now to the king!"

He b.u.t.toned up his uniform, took his military cap, and left the room to go to King William's quarters.

In the ante-room he saw an elderly gentleman, with grey hair and a grey beard, in the uniform of a Hanoverian equerry. A Prussian officer had brought him, and now approached the president minister, saying:--

"Lieutenant-Colonel von Heimbruch, the king of Hanover's equerry, wishes to speak to your excellency. I have brought him here, and was about to announce him."

Bismarck turned towards von Heimbruch, touched his cap slightly with his hand, and looked at him inquiringly.

The colonel approached him, and said:

"His majesty the king, my most gracious master, arrived in Vienna a short time ago, and, as negotiations for peace have begun, he sends me to his majesty the King of Prussia with a letter. At the same time, Count Platen sends this note to your excellency."

He handed the Prussian minister a sealed letter.

He opened it, and read through the contents quickly.

He turned gravely to Colonel von Heimbruch.

"Will you have the goodness to wait for me here. I am going to his majesty, and I shall shortly return."

With a military salute he walked on.

In the king's ante-room there were several generals and other officers.

They all rose as Count Bismarck entered and saluted the generals.

The equerry on duty, Baron von Loe, advanced towards the minister president.

"Is his majesty alone?" asked Count Bismarck.

"General von Moltke is with the king," replied Baron von Loe, "but his majesty commanded me to announce your excellency at once."

He entered the king's cabinet, after knocking at the door, and returned almost immediately to open it to the president.

King William stood before a large table, spread over with maps, on which long arrows of various colours marked the position of the armies.

He wore a campaigning overcoat, the Iron Cross in his b.u.t.ton-hole, and the Order of Merit around his neck.

The king's eyes were attentively following the lines which General von Moltke drew in the air above the map with the pencil in his hand, sometimes pointing out a line here, sometimes there, for the elucidation of his dispositions. The tall, slender form of the general was bent slightly forwards as he gazed at the maps, his calm face, with its grave and n.o.ble features, recalling Sharnhorst's portraits, was somewhat animated, whilst he unfolded his ideas to the king, who listened in silence, from time to time signifying his approval by slightly bowing his head.

"I am glad you have come," cried the king, as his minister entered.

"You can explain everything. Moltke has just told me that General Manteuffel has sent in word that Prince Karl of Bavaria proposes a week's suspension of hostilities, and that Wurzburg, now threatened by Manteuffel, should be spared, since a treaty for the cessation of hostilities and negotiations for peace with Bavaria are about to commence immediately. General Manteuffel, who knows nothing of all this, does not refuse to treat, but demands that Wurzburg should be given up to him in return for the suspension of arms, and he has sent to us to know what he is to do. What are these negotiations with Bavaria?"

Count Bismarck smiled.

"Herr von der Pfordten has just left me, your majesty," he replied.

"Ah!" cried the king; "do they beg for peace? What did you say?"

"Your majesty," replied Bismarck, "this is all part of the present situation upon which I am most desirous of consulting your majesty, and of receiving your supreme decision."

General von Moltke stuck his pencil into a large notebook which he held in his hand, and said:

"Your majesty has no further commands for me at this moment?"

"May I beg your majesty," said Count Bismarck quickly, "to ask the general to stay,--his opinion is important upon the question before us."

The king bowed approval. The general turned his grave eyes inquiringly upon the president.

"Your majesty," said Count Bismarck, "Benedetti has returned, and brings Austria's consent to the Emperor Napoleon's programme of peace."

"The negotiations can then begin?" asked the king.

"Without delay, your majesty," said Count Bismarck. "Benedetti," he proceeded, "wished to take great credit to himself for having persuaded Austria to accept the programme; he spoke of the great resistance they had made in Vienna, and described Austria's condition as by no means hopeless."

Moltke smiled.

"They can do nothing in Vienna," said the king calmly. "They intended to entice us to Olmutz, and there to hold us fast, to cover Vienna, and to prevail on Hungary to rise. All that is over. By Moltke's advice, we left them alone at Olmutz, and marched straight on. We are before Vienna, and it cannot hold out--the fortifications they have made at Floridsdorf cannot delay us; besides this, we hold the key of Hungary in our hands, and the Hungarians do not seem desirous of a.s.sisting Austria in her difficulties."

"I know all this, your majesty," said Count Bismarck; "I know too what these representations of Benedetti mean,--his tactics are to show us difficulties that we may feel the more indebted to France for her mediation, and more willing to pay a high price for it."

"And have they named their price?" asked the king, with increased attention.

"I told the amba.s.sador plainly," replied Count Bismarck, "what your majesty had already telegraphed to the Emperor Napoleon from Brunn, on the 18th instant, that a large territorial acquisition would be needful to Prussia, and I pointed out those possessions of the enemy lying between the two halves of our kingdom and Saxony."