"And what compensation would you demand?" he asked.
"Benedetti maintains," said Drouyn de Lhuys, "that in Berlin they are much inclined to give us possession of Belgium."
The emperor nodded approval.
"I do not," added the minister, "approve this policy; we shall gain little as far as military position is concerned, and we shall be burdened with great complications towards England."
The emperor shrugged his shoulders slightly.
"But Belgium is French," he said.
"Sire," replied Drouyn de Lhuys, "by the same right Alsace is German."
"Ah! bah!" exclaimed the emperor, involuntarily. "But," said he, "where would you seek compensation?"
"Sire," replied Drouyn de Lhuys, "if the military and political unity of Germany is consolidated under the leadership of Prussia its new power will be very dangerous to France, dangerous to our influence, yes, even to our safety. We must therefore on our side demand guarantees against an aggressive policy from newly constituted Germany. In the next place," he added, as the emperor remained silent, "we must demand, as is only right and moderate, the extension of the French boundaries as established by the Congress of 1814."
The emperor bowed his head with animation.