wing how his diplomatic adversaries at that
critical period had been like puppets in his hands, and how he had
managed the German princes as they grouped themselves on one side or
the other. Then he came to speak of the battle of Koeniggraetz, and
especially of that "anxious moment" in it before the arrival of the
Crown Prince in the rear of the Austrians, when some Prussian attacks
had failed and there were signs of disorder among the repulsed
troops.

"It was an anxious moment," said Bismarck, "a moment on the decision
of which the fate of empire depended. What would have become of us if
we had lost that battle? Squadrons of cavalry, all mixed up, hussars,
dragoons, uhlans, were streaming by the spot where the king, Moltke,
and myself stood, and although we had calculated that the Crown Prince
might long have appeared behind the Austrian rear, no sign of the
Crown Prince! Things began to look ominous. I confess I felt not a
little nervous. I looked at Moltke, who sat quietly on his horse and
did not seem to be disturbed by what was going on around us. I thought
I would test whether he was really as calm as he appeared. I rode up
to him and asked him whether I might offer him a cigar, since I
noticed he was not smoking. He replied that he would be glad if I had
one to spare. I presented to him my open case in which there were only
two cigars, one a very good Havana, and the other of rather poor
quality. Moltke looked at them and even handled them with great
attention, in order to ascertain their relative value, and then with
slow deliberation chose the Havana. 'Very good,' he said composedly.
This reassured me very much. I thought, If Moltke can bestow so much
time and attention upon the choice between two cigars, things cannot
be very bad. Indeed, a few minutes later we heard the Crown Prince's
guns, we observed unsteady and confused movements on the Austrian
positions, and the battle was won."

I said that we in America who had followed the course of events with
intense interest were rather surprised, at the time, that the
conclusion of peace followed the battle of Koeniggraetz so quickly and
that Prussia did not take greater advantage of her victory. Bismarck
replied that the speedy conclusion of peace had been a great surprise
to many people, but that he thought it was the best thing he had ever
done, and that he had accomplished it against the desire of the king
and of the military party, who were greatly elated