trouble further about his motives.

"Do you know what my whole anxiety is, at this moment?" he asked. "I am
afraid of Germany seizing the convenient opportunity, and attacking
us in our rear. Your nation does not love ours; let us make no mistake
about it. There was a time when Teutonism played a great role in our
national life. But all that has changed since the days of Alexander the
Third. We also cannot forget that at the Berlin Congress Master Bismarck
cheated us of the prize of our victory over the Turks."

"Pardon me, Prince, for contradicting you on this point. The fault
was solely Gortchakow's in not understanding how to follow up his
opportunity. The English took advantage of that. No doubt Bismarck would
have agreed to every Russian demand. But I can assure you that there
is no question of national German enmity against Russia, in educated
circles especially."

"It is possible, but Russia will always consider this aversion as a
factor to be taken into account at critical moments, otherwise the
treaty with France would probably never have been made. I, for one, can
hardly blame your nation for entertaining a certain degree of hostility
towards us. We possess diverse territories geographically belonging more
naturally to Germany. If your country could take eight million peasants
from your superfluous population and settle them in Poland it would be
a grand thing for her. Were I at the head of your Government I should,
first, with Austria's consent, seize Russian Poland, and then crush
Austria, annex Bohemia, Moravia, Carinthia, Styria and the Tyrol as
German territory, and limit the Austrian dynasty to Transleithania."

Heideck could not help smiling.

"Those are bold fancies, Prince! Rest assured that nobody in Germany
seriously entertains such plans."

"Strange, if that is so. I should think it would seem the most natural
thing for you. What, then, do you mean by a German Empire, if the most
German countries do not belong to it? Do you not consider the population
of Austria's German provinces is more closely related to you than that
of North-East Prussia? But possibly you are too conscientious and too
treaty-abiding to carry out a policy of such dimensions."

Heideck, not unintentionally, turned the conversation back to the
original subject of discussion.

"Which route do you intend taking? Have you decided for Peshawar, or are
you also taking Quetta into your consideration?"

"I have not as yet qui