The officiating clergy are the Bishop of London, the Bishop of Oxford, and the Dean of Windsor. Next the bride on the left is the Queen, then the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the Princess of Wales and her two sons, and other members of the Royal Family. The bridegroom is supported by Earl Percy and Lord Ronald Gower, behind whom are the Duke and Duchess of Argyll, his parents. Mr. Disraeli is in the right hand corner of the picture, and Mr. Gladstone sits in the centre of the same row.] CHAPTER XIV. 1870-1880. The Franco-German War--Russia seizes her Opportunity--The Irish University Bill--Defeat and Resignation of Ministers--Mr. Gladstone resumes Office--Dissolution of Parliament--Conservative Victory--The Ashanti War--Mr. Disraeli's Third Administration--Mr. Gladstone Retires from the Leadership--Annexation of the Fiji Islands--Purchase of Suez Canal Shares--Visit of the Prince of Wales to India--The Queen's New Title--Threatening Action of Russia--The Bulgarian Massacres--Disraeli becomes Earl of Beaconsfield--The Russo-Turkish War--Great Britain Prepares to Defend Constantinople--Secession of Lord Carnarvon and Lord Derby--The "Jingo" Party--The Berlin Congress and Treaty--"Peace with Honour"--Massacre at Cabul--War with Afghanistan--The Zulu War--Disaster of Isandhlana. [Sidenote: The Franco-German War.] [Sidenote: Russia Seizes her Opportunity.] The hurricane which, breaking over Western Europe in the summer of 1870, had swept away the Imperial Dynasty of France before the close of the year, was not felt in Great Britain with any alarming effect. Nothing occurred seriously to endanger her neutrality; she was enjoying a period of commercial prosperity strangely in contrast to the savage strife beyond the sea, until a sudden and ominous act on the part of the Russian Government redoubled the anxious vigilance of Her Majesty's Government. The Treaty of Paris had established the neutrality of the Black Sea, throwing open its waters to the mercantile marine of all nations, and interdicting them to the flag of war, "either of the Powers possessing its coasts, or of any other Power." By this provision Russia now proclaimed she would no longer be bound. She could not have chosen a better opportunity for her own purpose. The Western Alliance was dislocated; two of the signatories to the Treaty of Paris were engaged in mortal strife; a third--Austria--could not be expected to take action independently of Prussia; was it incumbent on Great Britain--the fourth Power--to vindicate, single-handed, the sanctity of the treaty? Few responsible people could be found to contemplate seriously such a course; yet it was peculiarly galling to the national pride to have to acquiesce in the action of Russia. Lord Granville proposed a conference of the Powers to be held in London, and the proposal was accepted. The