126 RECOLLECTIONS OF FORTY YEARS. 



and the young lady, after having implored the Queen's 

 clemency, had fallen fainting at her feet. The Queen, 

 deeply moved, had sent for the Prime Minister, who, 

 however, was inflexible, declaring that he should be 

 obliged, in the actual state of affairs, to resign if the 

 sentence was not executed. But as the Queen had 

 not yet affixed her signature to the death-warrant, 

 she left the palace at Madrid and went to Aran- 

 juez a two hours journey followed by all her 

 Ministers. 



It was at this juncture that my intervention was 

 asked for. I could not well refuse it, but there 

 seemed little if any hope of success. I sent for post 

 horses, and during the journey went over everything 

 which I could think of as likely to mollify the severe 

 policy of Narvaez. I at last hit upon what seemed to 

 be the best plan. On reaching the palace I waited in 

 a gallery leading to the room where the Ministers had 

 assembled, previous to submitting to the Queen the 

 death-warrant for signature. I requested an usher to 

 tell the Prime Minister that I wished to speak to him. 

 He at once came out, and as we leant over the balus- 

 trade of the gallery I said quietly to him, u I have 

 come to take leave of you, for you will see that, as 

 the conditions of my mission to Spain were accepted 

 by a sovereign Assembly because I might be able to 

 exercise a salutary influence over your Government, if 

 it is learnt that Mdlle de Montijo, belonging to one of 

 the highest families in Spain, has unsuccessfully soli- 



