Chapter 18

⁠​​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​​⁠The Alberian Ambassador, Prince d'Alchingen, considered himself a diplomatist of the Metternich school. He had imagination, sentimentality, and humour: he preferred to attack the strength rather than the weaknesses of mankind, and in all his schemes he counted inconsistency among the passions, and panic among the virtues. He still hoped that Orange might be tempted by the prospect of immediate hap