MakingtheusualvisitsinBerlinsociety，Ifoundthatpeoplequalifiedtojudgehadagoodopinionofhisabilities;andnotinfrequentwerepropheciesthattheyoungmanwouldsomedayreallyaccomplishsomething。
Myfirstopportunitytoconversewithhimcameathismarriage，whenaspecialreceptionwasgivenbyhimandhisbridetothediplomaticcorps。HespokeatconsiderablelengthonAmericantopics——onrailways，steamers，publicworks，onAmericanswhomhehadmet，andofthethingshemostwishedtoseeonoursidethewater;altogetherheseemedtobebroad—minded，alert，withaquicksenseofhumor，andyetwithacertainsolidityofjudgmentbeneathitall。
AftermydeparturefromBerlinthereflittedovertoAmericaconflictingaccountsofhim，andduringtheshortreignofhisfathertherewasconsiderablegrowthofmythandlegendtohisdisadvantage。Anyattempttodistilthetruthfromitallwouldbefutile;sufficeitthatbothinGermanyandGreatBritaincarefulstatementsbyexcellentauthoritiesonbothsideshaveconvincedmethatinallthattryingcrisistheyoungman’scoursewasdictatedbyamanlysenseofduty。
ThefirstthingafterhisaccessionwhichreallystruckmeasarevelationofhischaracterwashisdismissalofBismarck。Byvastnumbersofpeoplethiswasthoughttheactofanexultantyoungrulereagertoescapeallrestraint，andthisopinionwasconsiderablypromotedinEnglish—speakingcountriesbyanephemeralcause:Tenniel’scartoonin\"Punch\"entitled\"DroppingthePilot。\"Asmostpeoplewhoreadthiswillremember，theironchancellorwasthereinrepresentedasanold，weatherbeatenpilot，instorm—coatandsou’wester，ploddingheavilydownthegangwayatthesideofagreatship;whilefarabovehim，leaningoverthebulwarks，wastheyoungEmperor，jaunty，withasatisfiedsmirk，andwearinghiscrown。Therewasinthatlittledrawingasparkofgenius，anditspedfar;probablynoothercartoonin\"Punch\"everproducedsodeepaneffect，save，possibly，thatwhichappearedduringtheCrimeanWarwiththelegend\"GeneralFebruaryturnedTraitor\";itwenteverywhere，appealingtodeepsentimentinhumanhearts。
Andyet，tome——admiringBismarckasthegreatestGermansinceLuther，butreflectinguponthevastinterestsinvolved——thisactwasaproofthattheyoungmonarchwasastrongermanthananyonehadsupposedhimtobe。Certainlythisdismissalmusthavecausedhimmuchregret;allhispreviouslifehadshownthatheadmiredBismarck——almostadoredhim。Itgaveevidenceofadeeppurposeandastrongwill。LouisXIVhadgainedgreatcreditafterthedeathofMazarinbydeclaringhisintentionofrulingalone——oftakingintohisownhandsthevastworkbegunbyRichelieu;butthatwasthemerestnothingcomparedtothis。Thiswas，apparently，asifLouisXIII，immediatelyafterthetriumphsofRichelieu，haddismissedhimanddeclaredhispurposeofhenceforthbeinghisownprimeminister。TheyoungEmperorhadfoundhimselfatthepartingoftheways，andhaddeliberatelychosentherightpath，andthisinspiteofalmostuniversaloutcriesathomeandabroad。TheOLDEmperorWilliamcouldletBismarckhavehiswaytoanyextent:whenhischancellorsulkedhecoulddrivetothepalaceintheWilhelmstrasse，pathisoldservantontheback，chaffhim，scoldhim，laughathim，andsethimgoingagain，andnoonethoughtlessoftheoldmonarchonthataccount。ButfortheYOUNGEmperorWilliamtodothiswouldbefatal;itwouldclasshimatonceamongtheroisfatneants——themerefigureheads——\"thesolemnlyconstitutedimpostors，\"andinthislaynotmerelydangerstotheyoungmonarch，buttohisdynastyandtotheempire。