=3 .sx Hardly noticed by Vicky in her grief and her expectant motherhood , the political scene in Prussia had greatly changed .sx It was only after the birth of her second son in August , that she resumed her old interests .sx Fritz had shielded her from worry in the last weeks of her pregnancy , but now with her second son thriving , delighted with this strong and perfect child , Vicky's vitality renewed itself .sx Fritz , she observed , looked harrassed .sx He seemed unwilling to talk about current events , but her direct questions broke through his reserve .sx It appeared that Roon , the only conservative in the otherwise liberal Ministry , had in accordance with the King's demand , drawn up plans for an army reform , which the King approved , but the Diet did not ; whereupon the King dissolved the Diet , only to have the newly elected one also vote against the reform .sx Furious , by this time , the King dissolved the second Diet ; and the third , although the majority of its members were still in opposition to the King , suggested a reasonable compromise .sx In this crisis , Fritz who was at his wit's end , advised acceptance , and the King then turned upon him , and declared that sooner than step down from the stand he had taken , he would abdicate .sx The abdication document was already drawn up , though not yet signed .sx Vicky listened aghast .sx They had never , she realised been more in need of the Prince Consort's advice .sx " The opinion in the country , " Fritz said bitterly , " is that I am urging my father to abdicate , in order that I may step into his shoes .sx " " What nonsense , oh , what nonsense !sx " Vicky cried .sx " It seems anything but nonsense to our enemies , my dearest .sx " " But who could want to reign under such conditions ?sx How could you make a success of kingship knowing your father was bitterly resentful and hurt ?sx " " Not all sons love their fathers , Vicky .sx " " But you do , don't you ?sx " " Yes ; though not as you loved yours .sx I doubt though , if our opponents credit me with filial affection .sx " " What will you do ?sx " " Refuse the crown if it is offered to me .sx Apart altogether from my father's feelings , if I accepted it , it might well start a civil war .sx If the worst comes to the worst , and the abdication paper is signed , I shall stand down in favour of Willy .sx " " Which , " Vicky said , " would mean a Regency for many years , and heaven only knows who would be appointed Regent .sx There must be some alternative .sx " " The present Diet is trying to find a solution , " Fritz told her .sx " I have said that I will offer no further suggestions , for any advice of mine is suspect .sx Roon has sent for his friend , Otto von Bismarck , hoping that he may find some way to end the deadlock .sx " " Bismarck ?sx Oh yes , of course , the Paris ambassador .sx " Vicky knitted her brows , " Bertie of all people was talking about him , some time ago .sx He said he had heard that this man was the hope of the conservatives ; that he was excessively able and ambitious .sx Bertie , I gathered , thought he might be a very sharp thorn to us .sx " " Odd to think of Bertie being so well-informed , " Fritz commented .sx Feeling rather proud of her brother , Vicky agreed .sx Bertie was much more intelligent than most people supposed .sx Poor , darling Papa had under-rated him , which was natural , as they were so very different from one another .sx Presently , she said :sx " If it were not that we should be throwing poor little Willy to the wolves , and depriving him of his father and mother- for you may be sure that we should have no say in his upbringing- I should be glad to go into exile .sx England would not be that for me , of course .sx It is you .sx . would it be grievously hard on you ?sx " " I can imagine worse fates , and unless my father is pacified , that is what it will come to .sx Willy would not be the first boy king in history , and by the time he was old enough to rule , conditions might have altered for the better .sx My darling , rather than risk a civil war , we should have to give him up .sx " " Prussia might become a republic , " Vicky hazarded .sx " The other States might be co-operative .sx " " That I cannot believe .sx As a whole , Germans are imperial minded .sx No , they would insist on a king , if only a puppet king .sx " " Is there nothing we can do , Fritz ?sx " " Nothing but wait .sx I have no influence over my father , and my poor mother is in despair .sx Bismarck is expected to arrive in Berlin tomorrow , and my father has agreed to receive him .sx " Vicky was silent , unable , though it shamed her , to resist weaving a roseate dream .sx What joy it would be to return to England with Fritz , and to forget these few bitter years as though they had never been .sx Even if they had to leave poor little Willy in the hands of those in authority here , they would have their two younger children , and when everything had settled down , it might not be an absolute parting from their firstborn .sx Victoria would use all her considerable influence to prevent that .sx It was a dream soon to be dispelled .sx The next day the King tore up the abdication document .sx Bismarck promised him that given authority , he would get through the army reform , whatever the disposition of the Diet ; whereupon the King conferred upon him the title and position of Minister President and Foreign Minister of Prussia .sx Hearing this , Fritz and Vicky scarcely knew whether to be relieved or otherwise .sx At least the immediate crisis had been bypassed , and the King , worn out with the struggle was content to leave the affairs of state in the hands of his new adviser .sx Queen Augusta , who had hitherto seen little of Bismarck , but who within twenty-four hours disliked him intensely , wept disconsolate tears .sx Her influence over the King had never been great , but now it was reduced to nil .sx The new President Minister bluntly announced that he would not tolerate petticoat government , and in this he included the young Crown Princess as much as the Queen .sx He would serve the King , Bismarck said , but him alone , and he had no doubt but that he could serve him to his satisfaction .sx He swore that if the King relied on him , he would finally be not only King of Prussia but Emperor of a United Germany .sx Soon it was realised that the new Minister had an enormous following and with the King's backing , his authority was paramount .sx Within weeks , a new Diet , composed of those who slavishly believed in him , was completely under his sway .sx Fritz was treated as a weakling enemy .sx Vicky as his evil genius .sx Unpopular before Bismarck came into power , she was now hated .sx This hatred took the form of ignoring her whenever it was possible , and had she not been the Princess Royal of Great Britain , and her mother a powerful queen , she and Fritz might , she thought , well have been banished from the country .sx Vicky often wondered that she did not meet with an untimely end .sx There were more ways than one of getting rid of an intransigent princess .sx But it was not Bismarck's policy to so inflame Britain that he had a war on his hands .sx It was far wiser to treat Vicky as an ignorant , hot-headed girl , and while appearing to tolerate Fritz , to estrange the King from him by various subtle means .sx Finally , however , Fritz was forced into open conflict with his father .sx Bismarck , though the Diet was now subservient to him , was constantly criticised by the more liberal newspapers , and he retaliated by passing an emergency decree , which effectually muzzled the Press .sx Now , no political opinion could be newspaper circulated without the approval of the Minister President ; free speech was annihilated .sx On the other hand , any article in praise of him and his government was given extravagant publicity .sx Scurrilous attacks were made on Vicky .sx Nothing was too bad , or too personally insulting to be written about her .sx There were now no objections raised to her visiting England as often as she chose ; the hope was openly expressed that she would never return to Prussia .sx Fritz , whose opinions and principles were outraged , and who was furiously indignant on Vicky's behalf , came out into the open , and when at an official reception at Dantzig he was asked outright by the burgomaster if he had had any hand in bringing about the Press Ordinance , he replied that he had not .sx He had , he said , been absent from Berlin at the time , and had had no part in the councils which had led up to it .sx His short speech which followed , showed clearly where his sympathies lay .sx The burgomaster's question had come as no surprise to him ; he had been warned before the reception that he would be challenged , and Vicky , who was with him , had implored him to make his position plain .sx They had their own following , she argued , though it might be a minority following , and Fritz owed it to them to show that he was not involved in this disgraceful measure .sx Within hours the storm broke about their heads .sx The King threatened to cast Fritz off altogether .sx The Queen Augusta wrote him an hysterical letter , in which she confusedly sympathised with him , reproached him , and laid all the blame on Vicky who was proving herself no friend to her adopted country .sx " I am not , I suppose , " Vicky said sadly .sx " Not to this new Prussia , which is changed and demoralised .sx You would be better without me .sx Even some of your real , true friends doubt me ; they think you have wedded not only me , but my country ; and they would rather put up with this devilish Bismarck than run the danger- they think it is a danger- of being Anglicised .sx I don't blame them in the least .sx I know how repellent it is to me to be Prussianised .sx I should never have loved you , or wanted to marry you , had that been your attitude .sx " " Thank God , it never was , " Fritz said .sx " All I hoped was that you would bring the fresh air of your country , to blow upon the cobwebs in mine .sx " " I haven't sufficient breath for that , " and Vicky smiled wryly .sx " Oh darling- I feel so hopeless .sx Sometimes I am afraid they will contrive to separate us , dearly though we love one another .sx " To think that , was to believe in the reality of a nightmare dream , Fritz chided her , and added :sx " But I only wish you could get away from her- you and the children as well- until the worst storm blows over .sx " " We both ought to get away Fritz- not permanently , but for a respite .sx I , in that way , am strangely free for the first time since I came to live here , and with the King so opposed to you and your views , you can scarcely be more than a figure-head in Prussia .sx Moreover , the hateful Bismarck will see that you are not .sx " " So it seems , " agreed Fritz with a shrug .sx " Why not give the King and the country time to tire of him ?sx " Vicky urged .sx " What good can you do , as things are ?sx Mamma , poor darling , has sufficiently roused herself from her grief to be concerned for us .sx She has a proposition in mind , though it greatly depends upon what she thinks of Alix when she at last meets her .sx If possible she will bring about that marriage , because Papa so much wished it , though Bertie seems more or less indifferent .sx Poor boy , he has been too miserable to think about his future .sx " The Queen , Fritz opined , was certain to approve of the Princess Alexandra , whose inherent gentleness would be an enormous asset to her .sx " Well , we shall see , " Vicky said .sx " The meeting at Laeken has been arranged , and then Mamma has asked if we could take charge of Bertie for a while .sx " " Take charge of him ?sx In Berlin ?sx He would scarcely enjoy himself here just now .sx " " Mamma knows that .sx I am sure she would not advocate it .sx