I have this **web service**:

```
using System.Web.Services;

namespace Contracts
{
    [WebService(Namespace = "http://tempuri.org/")]
    [WebServiceBinding(ConformsTo = WsiProfiles.BasicProfile1_1)]
    [System.ComponentModel.ToolboxItem(false)]
    public class Second : System.Web.Services.WebService
    {
        [WebMethod]
        public string GetContract()
        {
            return "Contract 1";
        }
    }
}

```

The following WPF application can display the HTML **fine**:

```
using System.Windows;
using System.Net;
using System;

namespace TestConsume2343
{
    public partial class Window1 : Window
    {
        public Window1()
        {
            InitializeComponent();

            WebClient proxy = new WebClient();
            proxy.DownloadStringCompleted += new DownloadStringCompletedEventHandler(proxy_DownloadStringCompleted);
            proxy.DownloadStringAsync(new Uri("http://localhost:57379/Second.asmx?op=GetContract"));
            Message.Text = "loading...";

        }

        void proxy_DownloadStringCompleted(object sender, DownloadStringCompletedEventArgs e)
        {
            Message.Text = e.Result.ToString();
        }
    }
}

```

but when I replace the above line with the **actual web service**:

```
proxy.DownloadStringAsync(new Uri("http://localhost:57379/Second.asmx/GetContract"));

```

it gives me the **error** message:

> 
> The remote server returned the error (500) Internal Server Error.
> 
> 
> 

Although when I look at the same URL in my browser, I see the XML text **fine**:

```
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<string xmlns="http://tempuri.org/">Contract 1</string>

```

**Why is it giving me the 500 error?**