A LEGEND OF THE IRON MASK.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1980, 12 May 1875, Page 3

A LEGEND OF THE IRON MASK.

During the seventeen gears' confinement of this strange prisoner at St St Mars, who brought him to the fortress, was replaced by a Monsieur de Bonpart, as governor. The daughter of the latter, just emerging from childhood to womanhood, jjrew up with this mystery around her. She had seen the graceful figure of the masked prisoner promenading at night upon the terrace and at worship in the chapel, where- he was forbidden to speak or un- - cover his face, the soldiers in attendance having their pieces always pointed towards h'm if he should do either. She discovered that her father always treated ' him 1 with the greatest respect, serving him bareheaded and standing. His table service was of massive silver, his dress of the richest velvet; he wore,the finest linen ' and the most costly lace. She had heard her father speak of him as " the Prince." No wonder that his sad fate occupied her thoughts by day and his noble figure haunted her dreams by night She, too, was very young and beautiful, aod their * eyes occasiona ly met in, chapel. He sang beautifully, and was a very stil/al performer on the guitar. It is said sne climbed the rocks under the castle terrace, and sang sweet songs to the poor captive. Thus a romantic love sprang up between them, and as it gained strength the young girl dared to purloin the keys from her father, and so obtained accesi to the prisoner. When the goyernor discovered his child's treachery he was struck with the greatest dismay. His p^thwas binding upon him to put immediately to death anyone who had spoken to the prisoner. But she confessed her love for him, and pleaded piteously for her young life. The captive, also, to whom the governor was much attached, joined his prayers to hers, and implored that they might be made man and wife, and then the secret would be safe. The

governor was not stern enough, to immolate his child, and perhaps a gleam of : ambition may have flashed across his mind, as in the event of the death of Louis XIV., the prisoner would be ac-. iknowledged, and his- daughter sit on the throne of France. However, their nuptials were performed by the priest of .the castle in the dead of night, and all were sworn to secrecy. From this union two children were born. A whisper of this reaching the the ears of-the minister, the Marquis of Louvois, the prisoner was immediately to'the Bastille for safe keep-' and the mother, the priest, and disappeared. The children ' were sent to Corsica, to be brought up in obscurity under the name of the grandfather, Bonpart, which was corrupted into Bbonpart. And thus, says the legend, Providence avenged the wrongs; of- the twin brother of liouis i XIV., and restored the oldest branch of - the Bourbon line -to the throne of France. —Scribner's Monthly. ;