General von Moltke stuck his pencil into a large notebook which he held in his hand, and said:
"Your majesty has no further commands for me at this moment?"
"May I beg your majesty," said Count Bismarck quickly, "to ask the general to stay,--his opinion is important upon the question before us."
The king bowed approval. The general turned his grave eyes inquiringly upon the president.
"Your majesty," said Count Bismarck, "Benedetti has returned, and brings Austria's consent to the Emperor Napoleon's programme of peace."
"The negotiations can then begin?" asked the king.
"Without delay, your majesty," said Count Bismarck. "Benedetti," he proceeded, "wished to take great credit to himself for having persuaded Austria to accept the programme; he spoke of the great resistance they had made in Vienna, and described Austria's condition as by no means hopeless."
Moltke smiled.
"They can do nothing in Vienna," said the king calmly. "They intended to entice us to Olmütz, and there to hold us fast, to cover Vienna, and to prevail on Hungary to rise. All that is over. By Moltke's advice, we left them alone at Olmütz, and marched straight on. We are before Vienna, and it cannot hold out--the fortifications they have made at Floridsdorf cannot delay us; besides this, we hold the key of Hungary in our hands, and the Hungarians do not seem desirous of assisting Austria in her difficulties."
"I know all this, your majesty," said Count Bismarck; "I know too what these representations of Benedetti mean,--his tactics are to show us difficulties that we may feel the more indebted to France for her mediation, and more willing to pay a high price for it."