"She is wrong, sire, for my devotion belongs equally to my king and to my queen, and the one cannot become Emperor of Germany without the other becoming Empress."
"A dream, my dear count, in which Queen Augusta unfortunately believes, but which is not the dream of a reasonable being."
"Sire, the unity of Germany is as much decreed in the design of Providence as the unity of Italy."
"Excellent," said the king, laughing; "can there be a united Italy while the Italians possess neither Rome nor Venice?"
"Italy is in formation, sire. She began her march in '59 and will not stop on the way. If she looks like stopping, she is only taking breath. Indeed, have we not promised her Venice?"
"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?"