¶ After the Austrian war the deputies whom Bismarck had fought granted immunity to Bismarck for those four turbulent years of unconstitutional rule; the overjoyed people readily forgave him for exacting 12,000,000 thalers for the secret war chest. * * * * * ¶ The millions who had looked on him as a madman now hailed him as little under the stature of a demigod, loaded him with estates, gold, diamonds, medals, stocked his cellars with the choicest vintages, sent him train-loads of presents, thousands of felicitations on parchments done up with blue ribbons, threw up their hats in frenzy only to see his rattling old coach pass along the streets of Berlin; and in the National excitement to do something or say something that nobody had ever thought of, became as children to the extent of offering presents to Bismarck's dogs. Also, in the grand distribution of Austrian prize money, Bismarck was awarded $300,000. With this unexpected good fortune he bought Varzin estate in Pomerania. ¶ Of late years, his unpopularity has been made clear in a thousand ways, some harmless, others bloodthirsty; his very life was demanded more than once, by assassins. But now all had changed. ¶ It is related that a German professor, in Greece, caught out after dark was beset by bandits. ¶ "Who are you?" they inquired menacingly. ¶ "I am a German." ¶ "Who is your king?" ¶ "The King of Prussia!" ¶ "Ah! Then you are Bismarck!" ¶ And the robbers pulled off their hats and ran headlong in the night. * * * * * ¶ In America, shops sold Bismarck pipes, Bismarck cravats, Bismarck hairbrushes, and one came across such advertisements as this: "What is the difference between Jones' paste and Prince Bismarck? Answer, there is no difference, because each sticks so fast that once either gets a hold it is impossible to get away from it." ¶ After Koeniggraetz, the growing sense of German nationality impressed itself in a thousand joyful ways. In Spain, lucifer matches bore on the boxes this doggerel: Als Wilhelm wirkt und Bismarck span Gott hatte seine Freude dran. Or, "As William worked and Bismarck spun, God had his joy thereon." The fashionable world dressed in Bismarck brown; ironclads bore his name; in Paraguay the "Citizen Bismarck" ran up and down the river; Bismarck, South Dakota; Bismarck and von Moltke streets; huge Bismarck strawberries--and what more you please. ¶ The Brandenburg Cuirassiers made him drink out of a silver tankard, holding a level quart of champagne; Bismarck, at the officers' revel, put the goblet to his lips and drained the draught in a few long gulps. ¶ "Another!" cried the National hero. ¶ "Alas," sighed a dyspeptic Frenchman, who heard of it, "champagne and smoke agree with him--happy man!"