For Sceptre and Crown Volume II Part 25

Think over this."

Pietri bowed.

The groom of the chambers announced: "His Excellency Monsieur Drouyn de Lhuys."

The emperor bent his head, took a last whiff from his cigar, and said to his secretary, "Stay near me, I may need you."

Pietri withdrew through the large and heavy portiere, which concealed the steps leading to his own room.

Scarcely had the folds of the curtain closed behind him, when Drouyn de Lhuys entered the emperor's cabinet. He looked as calm and grave as ever, and had his portfolio under his arm.

"Good morning, my dear minister," cried Napoleon, rising slowly and holding out his hand, "well, are you satisfied with the course of events, and the position which the policy of waiting has procured for us?"

"Not entirely, sire," replied Drouyn de Lhuys gravely and quietly. A cloud pa.s.sed over the emperor's brow. Then he said in a friendly voice,--

"You are an incorrigible pessimist, my dear minister; what could you require more? Are we not at this moment the umpire of Europe?"

"An umpire, sire," said Drouyn de Lhuys inexorably, "who does not yet know whether the contending parties will accept his award. The best umpire is he who throws his sword into the balance, of which Brennus the ancestor of the Gauls has given us an example."

"I might be listening to the most fiery of my marshals, and not to my Secretary of State and of Foreign Affairs," said the emperor, laughing, "but to speak gravely, why are you not satisfied? I know that we have before us many involved and difficult negotiations, but," he added courteously, "can that alarm you, the experienced statesman, so capable of finding Ariadne's clue in all such labyrinths? I believe that we have won the game if we can only bring matters upon the field of long negotiations. Sudden events are what I most fear. They exclude logic, combination, and the weapons of the mind."

Drouyn de Lhuys was silent for a moment, and his eyes rested on the emperor's face, so much more animated than usual.

"I know," he then said, "that your majesty loves to tie Gordian knots, but you forget that we have to do with a man who is apt to hew through such works of art with his sword, and who has a very sharp sword in his hand!"

"But, my dear minister," said the emperor, "you would not have me at this moment, when my mediation is accepted, step between the two combatants with my weapon in my hand?"

"Not in your hand, your majesty," replied Drouyn de Lhuys, "but with a sharp sword by your side. Sire, the moment is grave, the French mediation cannot be Platonic; your majesty must clearly perceive what may arise through your intervention."

"In the first place, that this unpleasant din of cannon in Germany will cease,--it makes all calm and skilful diplomacy impossible! _Cedant arma togae!_ And, then--but what is your opinion of the situation, and what do you think we ought to do?" he said, interrupting himself, whilst his half-closed eyes opened and a full glance from his brilliant phosph.o.r.escent pupils fell upon his minister.

He seated himself, pointing with his hand to an easy-chair for Drouyn de Lhuys to occupy.

"Sire," said the latter, as he sat down, "your majesty must be clear as to the influence you wish to exercise upon the events that have already taken place in Germany. Two courses are possible, and with your permission I will a.n.a.lyze them before your majesty. After the information we have received from Benedetti, after what Goltz has imparted to us, it is impossible to imagine that Prussia will entirely give up the advantages she has procured by the amazing success of her arms--upon which we must remember the monarchy of Hohenzollern had staked--perhaps its existence."

The emperor nodded acquiescence.

"According to my information, and my conception of Count Bismarck's character, he will require not only the exclusion of Austria from German affairs, not only the leadership of Germany at least to the Main, for Prussia, he will also require an increase of territory, the annexation of Hanover, Hesse, and Saxony."

The emperor raised his head.

"Hesse," he said, "that touches me not. Hanover, I have a great esteem for King George and sympathise with him, since I knew him at Baden-Baden; but Hanover is England's affair. Saxony," he said, slightly twirling the point of his moustache, "that is different; that touches the traditions of my house. But," he interrupted himself, "go on."

"Austria," said Drouyn de Lhuys, calmly continuing the subject, "will be forced to yield to these demands, for it is in no condition to continue the war. The army of the south will not return in time, and upon Hungary, so my agents a.s.sure me, there is no reliance to be placed; it will therefore depend upon the influence of France whether Prussia obtains what she demands."

The emperor was silent.

"Two paths are possible to your majesty in this position of affairs."

The emperor listened with the greatest interest.

"One course," said Drouyn de Lhuys, "is for your majesty to say: 'The German Confederation, as guaranteed by Europe, is dissolved, and all the German princes have simply become European sovereigns, who are allies of France. France refuses that the balance of power in Germany and in Europe should be disturbed, by any change in their possessions or their sovereign rights.' Your majesty can divide the German Confederation into a North German and a South German group, the first to be under the leadership of Prussia, the second under Austria, and you can forbid all other change. This is the course," added the minister, "that I should advise your majesty to pursue."

The emperor bent himself down thoughtfully.

"And if Prussia rejects this proposal, or rather this award?" he asked.

"Then your majesty must march to the Rhine and follow the example of Brennus," said Drouyn de Lhuys.

"What should I gain?" asked Napoleon. "Would not divided Germany be as ready to unite against France, perhaps more strongly organized in two parts, as was ever the old German Confederation? And the other course?"

he then asked.

"If your majesty will not follow the path I have pointed out," said Drouyn de Lhuys, "then, in my opinion, France must act towards Germany as she acted towards Italy. She must allow events to take their natural course, she must consent to an entire or partial national union beneath Prussia, and to the territorial acquisitions of Prussia,--and she must demand on her part compensation."

The eyes of the emperor lighted up.

"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 const.i.tuted 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.

"Then, sire," continued Drouyn de Lhuys, as he fixed his keen eyes upon the emperor, "we must demand Luxembourg and Mayence."

"That is much," said the emperor, without looking up.

"But not too much!" returned Drouyn de Lhuys. "Luxembourg too is only a question between us and Holland, and only the silent consent of Prussia will be needed. Mayence--well, they may demur about that, but it is better to ask more than you positively intend to take. That is my idea of compensation," he added after a short pause.

"And it is mine," said the emperor, rising; and with his slow halting gait he took several turns about the room.

He stood still before Drouyn do Lhuys, who had also risen, and said,--

"I regret, my dear minister, that I cannot decide upon following the first course you pointed out; since you consider it the right one."