Directly the Pope’s answer had been received the King was pressed to make a fresh will, and to destroy that which he had previously made in favour of the Archduke.  The new will accordingly was at once drawn up and signed; and the old one burned in the presence, of several witnesses.  Matters having arrived at this point, it was thought opportune to admit others to the knowledge of what had taken place.  The council of state, consisting of eight members, four of whom were already in the secret, was made acquainted with the movements of the new party; and, after a little hesitation, were gained over.

The King, meantime, was drawing near to his end.  A few days after he had signed the new will he was at the last extremity, and in a few days more he died.  In his last moments the Queen had been kept from him as much as possible, and was unable in any way to interfere with the plans that had been so deeply laid.  As soon as the King was dead the first thing to be done was to open his will.  The council of state assembled for that purpose, and all the grandees of Spain who were in the capital took part in it, The singularity and the importance of such an event, interesting many millions of men, drew all Madrid to the palace, and the rooms adjoining that in which the council assembled were filled to suffocation.  All the foreign ministers besieged the door.  Every one sought to be the first to know the choice of the King who had just died, in order to be the first to inform his court.  Blecourt, our ambassador, was there with the others, without knowing more than they; and Count d’Harrach, ambassador from the Emperor, who counted upon the will in favour of the Archduke, was there also, with a triumphant look, just opposite the door, and close by it.

At last the door opened, and immediately closed again.  The Duc d’Abrantes, a man of much wit and humour, but not to be trifled with, came out.  He wished to have the pleasure of announcing upon whom the successorship had fallen, and was surrounded as soon as he appeared.  Keeping silence, and turning his eyes on all sides, he fixed them for a moment on Blecourt, then looked in another direction, as if seeking some one else.  Blecourt interpreted this action as a bad omen.  The Duc d’Abrantes feigning at last to discover the Count d’Harrach, assumed a gratified look, flew to him, embraced him, and said aloud in Spanish, “Sir, it is with much pleasure;” then pausing, as though to embrace him better, he added:  “Yes, sir, it is with an extreme joy that for all my life,” here the embraces were redoubled as an excuse for a second pause, after which he went on—­“and with the greatest contentment that I part from you, and take leave of the very august House of Austria.”  So saying he clove the crowd, and every one ran after him to know the name of the real heir.

The astonishment and indignation of Count d’Harrach disabled him from speaking, but showed themselves upon his face in all their extent.  He remained motionless some moments, and then went away in the greatest confusion at the manner in which he had been duped.