He had good reason to do so; he had just received intelligence that the Emperor of Russia was making an official demand for a congress and fresh news had come from France.  On the 25th Benedetti had again come to him and had sounded him with regard to the recompense which France might receive.  On the 26th, just as Bismarck was going to the final sitting of the Conference, the French Ambassador again called on him, this time to lay before him a despatch in which Drouyn de Lhuys stated that he had not wished to impede the negotiations with Austria, but would now observe that the French sanction to the Prussian annexations presupposed a fair indemnification to France, and that the Emperor would confer with Prussia concerning this as soon as his role of mediator was at an end.  What madness this was!  As soon as the role of mediator was at an end, as soon as peace was arranged with Austria, the one means which France had for compelling the acquiescence of Prussia was lost.

What had happened was this:  Napoleon had, in conversation with Goltz, refused to consider the question of compensation:  it was not worth while, he said; the gain of a few square miles of territory would not be of any use.  He therefore, when he still might have procured them, made no conditions.  Drouyn de Lhuys, however, who had disapproved of the whole of the Emperor’s policy, still remained in office; he still wished, as he well might wish, to strengthen France in view of the great increase of Prussian power.  He, therefore, on the 21st again approached Napoleon and laid before him a despatch in which he brought up the question of compensation.  He was encouraged to this course by the reports which Benedetti had sent of his conversations with Bismarck; it was clear that Bismarck expected some demand; he had almost asked that it should be made.  “We wish to avoid any injury to the balance of power,” Goltz had said; “we will either moderate our demands or discuss those of France.”  It appeared absurd not to accept this offer.  Napoleon was still reluctant to do so, but he was in a paroxysm of pain.  “Leave me in peace,” was his only answer to his Minister’s request, and the Minister took it as an assent.

Bismarck, when Benedetti informed him of the demand that was to be made, at once answered that he was quite ready to consider the proposal.  Benedetti then suggested that it would probably concern certain strips of territory on the left bank of the Rhine; on this, Bismarck stopped him:  “Do not make any official announcements of that kind to me to-day.”  He went away, the Conference was concluded, the preliminaries were signed and ratified.  France had been too late, and when the demand was renewed Bismarck was able to adopt a very different tone.

Let us complete the history of these celebrated negotiations.