For a few moments Frederic left the lovers to themselves and their happiness. Then, as both raised their eyes to his, as if enquiring what next should be done: "The little sister," said he, "must go and tell all this to her big sister, the big sister will relate it to the grandmother, and the grandmother, who believes in me, will come and talk it over and we will arrange things together." "And when must I go and tell all this to the big sister?" enquired Helen. "At once, if you will." "I will go now! You will wait for me, Karl?" Karl's smile and gesture answered her. Helen glided out of his embrace and vanished like a bird. "Now for our own affairs!" said Frederic. "How! what affairs?" "I have something to tell you." "Anything important?" "Very serious." "Anything about our marriage? You alarm me!" "Suppose this morning when you doubted the possibility of Helen's love I had answered, 'Do not be afraid, Helen loves and will marry you, but there is an obstacle, and the marriage cannot possibly take place in less than a year?'" "What would you have? I should have been in despair at the delay, but transported by the news." "Well, my friend, I tell you now what I should have told you this morning. Helen loves you. She did not ask me to tell you this; she has told it herself, but at this moment there is an insurmountable obstacle." "At least you will explain what the obstacle is?" "I am going to tell you what is yet a secret, Karl. In a week, or at most, a fortnight, Prussia will declare war against Austria." "Ah! I feared it. Bismarck is Germany's evil genius." "Well, now you will understand. As friends we can serve on opposite sides, that happens every day. But--as brothers-in-law--we could not. You can hardly become my brother-in-law at the very moment of unsheathing your sword against me." "You are quite sure of your information?" "Most certainly I am. Bismarck now occupies such a position in regard to the Chambers, and has forced the king into such a position with regard to the other German princes, that, either he must embroil Germany from Berlin to Pest and even to Innspruck, or he will be tried for high treason, and end his days in a fortress! Now, Bismarck is a power--a power of darkness if you will--he will not be tried for high treason, and he will embroil Germany--for this reason: Prussia has nothing to gain by upsetting him, whereas by upsetting Germany she can annex two or three little kingdoms or duchies, which will round off her borders very comfortably." "But the Confederation will be against him." "Little will he care for that, so long as he himself remains indispensable. And, listen to what I tell you; the more enemies Prussia has, the more she will beat them. Our army is organized as no other European army is organized--at the present moment." "You say our army, then you have become a _Prussian_. I thought you were a _German_."