"I do not believe it, your majesty," said Klindworth, "though I own my personal judgment fails me where the King of Prussia is concerned. I knew Frederick William IV.," he continued, "I knew the Emperor Nicholas, and I know the Emperor Napoleon. Of the deceased monarchs I could, of the Emperor Napoleon I can, foretell (through the knowledge of human nature I possess) their probable course of action, but as to King William," and a slight tone of injury and dissatisfaction was heard in his voice, "I never could get any nearer to what he would do. I have only the ground of conjecture to go upon where he is concerned."
"And what do you conjecture?" asked Francis Joseph.
"I conjecture that the king will not give way, but that he will fight. He is no longer young, therefore he dreads war, with its misery and distress: he is a Hohenzollern, and all Hohenzollerns have a certain traditional deference for the house of Hapsburg, therefore he especially dreads a war with Austria. But he is a man, a character, and a soldier, therefore he will rather wage war than yield, and make his military organization, which he has perfected after such a severe struggle, the laughing-stock of the world. King William will fight your majesty; threats will not alarm him, therefore to threaten was to blunder, and indecision bears its evil fruit."
"Since, however, the fault of indecision is committed," asked the emperor, "how can we make it good? No statesman can always avoid an error, the great art is to amend it. What can help us now?"
"Quicker decision, and quickest action!" returned Klindworth.
"But you do not know," said the emperor, hesitatingly, "Count Mensdorff----"
"I know all that," returned Klindworth, smiling; "Count Mensdorff is ill, and to sick folks decision is hard."
"How would Metternich, the man of prudence, and of happy combinations, have decided?" asked the emperor, softly, speaking half to himself, half to his companion.
"Metternich would probably never have been in this position, but if he now sat in the state council your majesty's troops would be in Dresden and Hanover."
"But Benedek----" said the emperor.