"Yes, but it is not we who will give it her." "Who then?" "France? who has already given her Lombardy, and has let her take the duchies and Naples. France!" said the king. "France let her take all that with quite the best will in the world." "Is Your Majesty aware of the contents of the telegraphic despatches which arrived when I was here and which were delivered as I left?" "Yes, I know. The Emperor Napoleon's speech at Auxerre," answered the king with some embarrassment. "You refer to that, do you not?" "Well, sire, the emperor's speech means war--war not only against Austria but against Germany. It means Venice for Italy and the Rhine provinces for France." "You really think so?" "I mean that if we give France time to arm, the question without becoming desperate becomes grave, but that if we fall promptly and vigorously upon Austria, we shall be on the Moldau with three hundred thousand men before France can reach the Rhine with fifty thousand." "Count, you do not give the Austrians their proper value; the swagger of our young men has gone to your head." "Sire, if I appear to adopt the opinions of the heir-apparent and of Prince Frederic Charles, I can only say that the prince having been born on June 29th, 1801, is scarcely a young man; but the fact is, that in these matters I rely on my own opinion only, and I say deliberately in a war against Prussia, Austria will certainly be beaten." "Really?" said the king doubtfully. "Yet I have heard you speak in high terms of both their generals and their soldiers." "Certainly." "Well then, it does not seem to me so remarkably easy to conquer good soldiers commanded by good generals." "They have good, soldiers, sire, they have good generals, but we shall beat them because our own organization and arrangement are superior to theirs. When I persuaded Your Majesty to undertake the war on Schleswig which Your Majesty did not desire to do--" "If I had not desired to make war on Schleswig it would never have been made!" "That is very true, sire, but Your Majesty hesitated; I had the courage to insist, and Your Majesty approved of my reasons." "Yes, and what is the result of the war on Schleswig? War throughout Germany!" "True, sire, in the first place I like a situation that calls for resolute action; and as I consider war in Germany inevitable, I congratulate you." "Will you explain whence comes your confidence?"