But Bismarck laughed in his sleeve.  This arch-diplomatist had his reasons, which he did not care to explain.  He had in view the weakening of the power of the Diet, and a quarrel with Austria.  True, he had embraced Austria, but after the fashion of a bear.  He knew that Austria and Prussia would wrangle about the division of the spoil, which would lead to misunderstandings, and thus furnish the pretext for a war, which he felt to be necessary before Prussia could be aggrandized and German unity be effected, with Prussia at its head,—­the two great objects of his life.  His policy was marvellously astute; but he kept his own counsels, and continued to hug his secret enemy.

On the 30th of October, 1864, the Treaty of Vienna was signed, by which it was settled that the king of Denmark should surrender Schleswig-Holstein and Lauenburg to Austria and Prussia, and he bound himself to submit to what their majesties might think fit as to the disposition of these three duchies.  Probably both parties sought an occasion to quarrel, since their commissioners had received opposite instructions,—­the Austrians defending the claims of Frederick of Augustenburg, as generally desired in Germany, and the Prussians now opposing them.  Prussia demanded the expulsion of the pretender; to which Austria said no.  Prussia further sounded Austria as to the annexation of the duchies to herself, to which Austria consented, on condition of receiving an equivalent of some province in Silesia.  “What!” thought Bismarck, angrily, “give you back part of what was won for Prussia by Frederic the Great?  Never!” Affairs had a gloomy look; but war was averted for a while by the Convention of Gastein, by which the possession of Schleswig was assigned to Prussia, and Holstein to Austria; and further, in consideration of two and a half millions of dollars, the Emperor Francis Joseph ceded to King William all his rights of co-proprietorship in the Duchy of Lauenburg.

But the Chamber of Berlin boldly declared this transaction to be null and void, since the country had not been asked to ratify the treaty.  It must be borne in mind that the conflict was still going on between Bismarck, as the defender of the absolute sovereignty of the king, and the liberal and progressive members of the Chamber, who wanted a freer and more democratic constitution.  Opposed, then, by the Chamber, Bismarck dissolved it, and coolly reminded his enemies that the Chamber had nothing to do with politics,—­only with commercial affairs and matters connected with taxation.  This was the period of his greatest unpopularity, since his policy and ultimate designs were not comprehended.  So great was the popular detestation in which he was held that a fanatic tried to kill him in the street, but only succeeded in wounding him slightly.