"They would be great," said Bismarck calmly, "I own it; but we should overcome them, and for the safety of Prussia I despise difficulties." The Bavarian minister sighed. "The complications that such a course would cause!" he said in a low voice, and with a penetrating glance at Bismarck's face. Count Bismarck looked at him firmly. "From whence are they to come?" he asked. "From Austria? In the quarter where complications might arise," he continued, looking proudly at the Bavarian minister, "they would not refuse a share in the spoil." Von der Pfordten bowed his head. "Let us not speak of it," said Bismarck. "We are Germans; let us manage the affairs of Germany without our neighbours." "And the other way?" asked Herr von der Pfordten, with hesitation. "The inner life of Bavaria is foreign to us," said Count Bismarck thoughtfully, "and we would rather not interfere with it. What Germany needs for strength and power--what Prussia needs for safety, is that the supreme direction of the national forces should be placed in the hands of the most powerful military state of the German nation--her natural leader in war. If Bavaria will acknowledge this national necessity--if, in short, she will agree, by a binding treaty, in the event of a national war, to give up the command of her army to the king of Prussia, the needful guarantee for Germany's defence and power, for Prussia's safety, will be obtained." The face of the Bavarian minister cleared up more and more. "The command of the army in a national war?" he asked. "Of course, with certain conditions, which would make a common command, an incorporation of the Bavarian army with the Prussian forces, possible," said Count Bismarck. "Without prejudice to the king's command of the army?" asked Herr von der Pfordten. "I should consider any further curtailment of his powers unnecessary," replied the Count. Herr von der Pfordten drew a deep breath. "These, then, would be your conditions of peace?" he asked. "Not the conditions of peace, but the preliminaries of peace," replied Bismarck. "How am I to understand this?" asked von der Pfordten.