Talleyrand immediately sent for the American minister and told him what had occurred. Only a few weeks before, with equal appearance of seriousness, Armstrong had been assured that the whole matter was in the Emperor’s hands by the request of the Spanish government. May 3 he was suddenly told that King Charles would on no account consent to alienate Florida. If the first story were true the second must be false. Armstrong hinted as much. “Though I have not seen the overture on paper,” said he, “yet I am not the less assured that it had existence; and if I have not been much deceived, it may at this moment be found in the portfolio of M. Ouvrard.” “That may be,” replied Talleyrand; “but it is not the less true that circumstances have produced an entire change in the dispositions of Spain.” Then, as though to protect himself from the charge of deception by making a counter-charge against Armstrong, he suddenly hinted that Armstrong’s own conduct had much to do with alarming the pride of Spain. “Do you know,” said he, “that Mr. Erving has communicated to the Prince of Peace the confidential propositions of which you were made the depositary last summer, and that they were derived from Mr. Bowdoin, as it would appear for the express purpose of being so communicated?” At this unexpected shock, coming instantly after the other, Armstrong was thunderstruck. “You may readily imagine my confusion and astonishment at this discovery,” he continued in his narrative to Madison. “I had confided the propositions to Mr. Bowdoin under the most solemn injunctions of secrecy.... Could I believe that a man to whom his country has committed so high an office could so flagrantly violate a trust so sacred?” His anger was diverted from Talleyrand to his colleague; but in spite of this successful diversion, one might suppose Armstrong capable, even in anger, of seeing that Talleyrand’s story was not altogether clear,--that he was trying to distract attention from his own failures.