M. de Giers, the head of the Russian Foreign Office,
has visited Prince Bismarck at Varzin, and held a conversation with him of some hours. He is now upon his way to Vienna and Rome, and, of course, rumour is busy with his purposes. It is not likely that he is merely amusing himself, or improving his acquaintance with leading politicians, but there is no ground for attributing to him any special design. The most popular explanation of his intentions is a wish to arrive at an ...agreement with Austria as to the Egyptian Question, and to this the adherence of Prince Bismarck would first of all be necessary. The theory of the reported agreement is that if Egypt falls directly or indirectly to England, Austria shall annex Bosnia, and Prince Alexander of Bulgaria be elected Prince -of Eastern ROumelia, Aleko Pasha retiring in his favour. Russia would also obtain some concession ou the Armenian side, probably a definite right to protect the Christians. 'There is no sound objection to such an arrangement, which only accelerates inevitable results ; but the idea that it• has been proposed rests on pure conjecture. It is at least as probable that Russia desires the Egyptian question to be submitted to Europe, as Italy is said, falsely, to have already suggested.
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