"I do not doubt, your majesty, the gravity of the position, but I do not believe a war will really ensue. We have so often seen great échauffements in the political world, which yet have all cooled down again. I then humbly give my opinion that the moment has not yet come for forming or expressing any decision."
A slight, almost imperceptible, smile passed over the king's face. General von Tschirschnitz shook his head.
"If it were needful to take a definite and positive course," added Count Platen, "it would certainly not be my advice that we should place ourselves decidedly on one or the other side. We have interests on both sides to consider, and we do not know which will be victorious. Neutrality appears to me our natural course."
"You would advise me, then, to conclude a treaty of neutrality?" asked the king.
"A treaty, your majesty!" replied Count Platen, his slender figure seeming to contract; "a treaty is the last step I should recommend; it would give great offence in Vienna, and if a war never broke out we should scarcely be forgiven."
"But how are we to maintain neutrality without a treaty?" asked the king.
"We can conclude it at any moment," said Platen; "they will be only too delighted in Berlin to find we shall not act against them."
"You would then----" asked the king.
"Gain time, your majesty--gain time," said Count Platen; "we are now in request on both sides, and we should lose our favourable position if we decided positively for either. The longer we wait, the more advantageously we can place ourselves."
The king covered his face and eyes with his hand, and remained silent for a moment; then he turned to the other side, and said:--