"And have they named their price?" asked the king, with increased attention.
"I told the ambassador plainly," replied Count Bismarck, "what your majesty had already telegraphed to the Emperor Napoleon from Brünn, on the 18th instant, that a large territorial acquisition would be needful to Prussia, and I pointed out those possessions of the enemy lying between the two halves of our kingdom and Saxony."
"And did he raise any objection?" asked the king.
"He used a few phrases about treaties and the balance of power in Europe, which, in the mouth of a diplomatist of the Napoleon dynasty, sounded rather absurd; but he made no real objection, except as regards Saxony."
"Well?" asked the king.
"As regards Saxony," continued Count Bismarck, "the Emperor Napoleon has, so Benedetti expressed it, identified himself unconditionally with the Austrian demand, that the territorial integrity of Saxony should be maintained."
The king looked on the ground thoughtfully.
"The truth is," added Bismarck, "in Paris they push Austria forward, but nevertheless they seriously mean to support Saxony. Your majesty must therefore decide; will you make a concession on this point or not?"
"What is your opinion?" asked the king.
"To abandon the incorporation of Saxony, your majesty, rather than complicate the present position. Saxony is not absolutely necessary to us, I believe, in a military point of view?" And he looked inquiringly at General von Moltke.