A LEGEND OF THE IRON MASK.

Waikato Times, Volume VIII, Issue 460, 29 April 1875, Page 2

A LEGEND OF THE IRON MASK.

During the seventeen years' confinement of this strange prisoner at Sainte Marguerite, 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, grew up with this mystery around her. She had seen the graceful figure of tl*e masked prisoner promenading at night upon the terrace and at worship in the chapel, where he was foVbidden to speak *or uncover his face, the soldiers in attendance having their pieces always pointed towards him if he should do either. She discovered that her father always treated him with the greatest respect, serving him bareheaded and standing. His tatyle-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 accidentally spe-ik 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, and their eyes occasionally met in chapel. He sang beautifully, and w,i«t a very skilful performer on the guitar. It is said she climed the rock.s 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 access to the prisoner. When the Governor discovered his child's treachery he was struck with the greatest dismay. His oath was binding upon him to put it immediately to death any one who had spoken to the prisoner. But she confessed her love for him, and pleaded pifeously 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 sectvt would be safe. The Governor was not stern enough to immolate his child, and perhaps a gleam of mnbitiori 1 may have flashed across his mind, as, in the event of the death of Louis XIV., the prisoner would be acknowledged and his daughter sit on the throne of France. However, their nupjrials were perfoimed by the J 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 ears of the Minister, the Marquis of Louvois, the prisoner was immediately removed to the Bastille for safe keeping ; and the mother, the priest, and Governor disappeared. The children were sent to Corsica, to be brought up in obscurity under the name of their grandfather, Bonparc, which was corrupted into Buonaparte. And thus, says the legend, Pro\ idetice avenged the wrongs of the twin-brother of Louis XIV. and restored the oldest branch of the Bourdon line to the throne of France. — "Scribner's Monthly."