views upon Count Corti, the Italian delegate. He would have been
glad to see the Italians go to Tunis, but Count Corti ingenuously
replied: 'You want to make us quarrel with France.' Meanwhile the
Englishman who represented France and the Englishman who represented
England were discussing the same subject, and out of their discussion
arose the French occupation of Tunis. Disquieting rumours got about at
once, but they were dispelled. 'No French Government would be so
rash,' said Gambetta, 'as to make Italy the _irreconcilable_ foe of
France.' M. Waddington declared that he was personally opposed to the
acquisition of Tunis, and gave his word of honour that nothing would
be done without the full consent of Italy. What was done and how it
was done is known to all. And so it happens that a great French naval
station is in course of construction almost within sight of Sicily
_and of Malta._

In the document communicated by Bismarck to Mazzini, there is a
curious inclusion of Trieste among Italian seaports which seems to
indicate that he was still not averse from a rectification of the
Italian north-east frontier. Whence it may be supposed that he
expected to find Austria ranged on the part of France in the struggle
for the Rhine bank. To explain how it was that this did not happen, we
must leave the Chancellor and the Revolutionist, and see what at the
same time was going on between Napoleon on the one side and Austria
and Italy on the other.

The French Emperor was not so infatuated as to court the risk of
making war on Prussia single-handed if he could avoid it. He hoped for
a triple alliance of France, Austria and Italy, or, if that could not
be compassed, a dual alliance of France with either of these Powers.
Now, wisely or unwisely, both the Italian and Austrian Governments
were far from rejecting these proposals off-hand. The secret
negotiations lasted from 1868 till June 1869. They took the shape of
informal letters between the King of Italy and Napoleon, and of
private communications with Count Beust through Prince Metternich, the
Austrian Ambassador in Paris, who was the intimate friend and
confidant of the Emperor and Empress. General Menabrea was not let
into the secret till later. With regard to Victor Emmanuel, there is
no doubt that he wished with all his heart to be able to do a good
turn to his Imperial ally of 1859 if the occasion presented itself.
Some men see their wives even to old age as they saw the