222 Ten Years of my Life. 



the moment nothing could he done, but even if lie should he 

 condemned to death he would-not be executed, on which he 

 gave me his hand and his word of honour. 



The Emperor had been sentenced to death at the time I wars 

 on the road, and Vvas to be shot three days later. Baron 

 Magnus was still in San Luis when I reached that place. He 

 again saw the President, but was assured that nothing could 

 save the Emperor. The Baron pleaded for another delay of 

 three days, and the President consented only because Baron 

 Magnus wished it, and because he did not desire to show 

 extraordinary haste or unnecessary severity ; but it was useless. 

 The Prussian minister w^as so perfectly convinced of it that, 

 when he left San Luis for Queretaro, he took a physician with 

 him — to embalm the Emperor ! Now, I ask, what sense was 

 there in such behaviour ? To ask for a respite of three days 

 under such a conviction was an act not only of sickly weak- 

 ness, but of cruelty ; for it could not but inspire the poor 

 Emperor with delusive hopes, which made their final failure 

 far more difficult to bear. The only excuse I have for the 

 step of the Baron is that at that time he was really almost unac- 

 countable for what he did, for he w^as walking about like a man 

 who had lost half a dozen of his five senses. 



Had this gentleman remained in Queretaro and scrawled his 

 name under a good bill of exchange, on which ready gold 

 would have been provided at once, instead of opening his 

 diplomatic windbag and squandering his pinchbeck coin of 

 valueless words in San Luis, he v/ould have saved the Emperor; 

 the Prussian Court would have rejoiced in paying for such a 

 purpose ; decorations of all sizes would have been showered 

 upon him, and he would have earned a reputation for ever 

 remembered by history, instead of regretting now in vain what 

 he might have done, ' if he had known.' 



I was like one distracted during all that time, and day and 

 night I revolved in my head how the Emperor might still be 

 saved. I frequently saw Mr. Iglesia, but each time I left him 

 I became more and more convinced that the Emperor was lost 

 beyond hope. Again I tried to obtain another delay of eight 

 days, on better grounds than those of Baron Magnus, though 

 rather weak also, until I should receive an answer from Presi- 

 dent Johnson, whom I knew well, and whom I would urge by 

 telegraph to send another more energetic protest against the 



