Germany?"

"On the contrary, we shall try to take as much as possible from her;
we shall try to humiliate and isolate her, in order to deprive her
of the power of injuring us. We shall endeavor so to arrange the
peace we are going to conclude with France as to benefit Austria,
and injure Prussia as much as we can. In the north, we shall
increase our territory by the acquisition of Bavaria; in the south,
by the annexation of Venice."

"By the annexation of Venice!" ejaculated Count Saurau, greatly
astonished at what he had heard. "But did you not just tell me that
Venice still stood firm?"

"We must bring about her fall, my dear count; that is our great task
just now; for, I repeat, Venice is to compensate us on our southern
frontier for our losses elsewhere. Of course, we ought to receive
some substantial equivalent for ceding Belgium to France, and if it
cannot be Bavaria, then let it be Venice."

"Nevertheless, I do not comprehend--"

"My dear count, if my schemes were so easily fathomed, they could
not be very profound. Everybody may guess the game I am playing now;
but the cards I have got in my hand must remain a secret until I
have played them out, or I would run the risk of losing every thing.
But this time I will let you peep into my cards, and you shall help
me win the game. Venice is the stake we are playing for, my dear
count, and we want to annex her to Austria. How is that to be
brought about?"