"Negotiations have been carried on with Count Andrassy and the Deak party, and if they will but grant a self-constituted government, and agree to the arming of the Honveds, a mighty rising may be expected in Hungary." "_If_ they grant it," said Count Bismarck. "Hungary has been often deceived, besides our troops have been before Presburg ever since the battle of Blumenau, and have only _not_ taken it on account of the armistice. The key of Hungary is in our hands." "They are persuaded in Vienna," proceeded Benedetti, "that the Prussian army has suffered greatly in the various engagements, and also from sickness." "We suffer most from standing still," cried Bismarck vehemently. "For all these reasons," said the ambassador quietly, "it was not easy to gain Austria's consent to the peace programme drawn up by my sovereign. It was very hard to the emperor Francis Joseph to agree to the exclusion of Austria from Germany. At last he yielded to the urgent representations I made in the name of the emperor, and that he might no longer expose Austria to the chances and burdens of war, and no longer endanger the peace of Europe, the emperor of Austria at last accepted the programme." Count Bismarck bit his moustache. "This programme is now definite, with the consent of Austria?" he asked. He invited the ambassador to be seated by a movement of the hand, and took a chair opposite to him. "Nothing has been altered," replied Monsieur Benedetti, "the integrity of Austria, but its exclusion from Germany as newly constituted; the formation of a North German Union under the military leadership of Prussia; the right of the southern states to form an independent confederated union, but the maintenance of a national connexion between North and South Germany, which connexion is to be determined by a free and general consent of the various states." As the ambassador slowly and distinctly repeated this programme Count Bismarck accompanied each phrase with a quick nod of approval, whilst he slightly clasped the fingers of both his hands. "Those are the rules laid down for the position of Austria, and for our own position in Germany," he said, "as we before agreed. As the foundation of the negotiations, since Austria accepts them, they suffice, but as the basis of a definite peace a further understanding is needful. Peace with Austria does not affect and must not affect our proceedings with regard to the other German states with whom we are at war." "Austria leaves each of these states to conclude its own peace," said Benedetti. "To conclude peace!" cried Count Bismarck. "These governments would be willing enough to conclude peace now, and on the first opportunity to begin the game afresh!" After a short pause he continued in a calm voice: