he
form, cried, 'Ah, that is not the Duke of Monmouth.'" Furthermore,
Sainte-Foix, who sought to prove that the Iron Mask was no other
than the Duke of Monmouth, cited a passage of another English work
by Pyms, in which he says: "Count Landy sent to seek Colonel
Skelton, who was the ex-lieutenant of the Tower, and whom the
Prince of Orange had dismissed to give the place to Lord Lucas."
"Skelton," said Count Landy to him the previous evening, in dining
with Robert Johnston, "you say that the Duke of Monmouth is living
and imprisoned in an English castle?" "I cannot vouch for this,
because I do not really know," said Skelton, "but I affirm that the
night after the pretended execution of the Duke of Monmouth, the
king, accompanied by three men, came himself to the tower and
carried the duke away."

Sainte-Foix cites still another conversation with Father
Tournemine, saying, "The Duchess of Portsmouth said to Father
Tournemine and to the confessor of King James that she always
imputed to that prince the execution of the Duke of Monmouth,
because Charles II., at the moment of his death and when about to
receive the last communion, had made King James (then Duke of York)
promise on the Host, which Huldeston, a Catholic priest, secretly
carried, that whatever revolt the Duke of Monmouth might attempt he
(James) would never punish him with death; so King James did not
put him to death," said Father Sanders.

We will not multiply citations. We only desire to establish that
the foundation of this story is not merely a romantic fiction, and
that if it is not based upon a historic certainty, it is at least
based upon a likely supposition.}

CHAPTER XXVIII.

THE DUKE RELATES THE SACRIFICE TO WHICH HE OWES HIS LIFE.

The chevalier, profoundly moved by the recital of Monmouth, furtively
brushed aside his tears, and said, "I understand now what that animal
Rutler, with his everlasting dagger, meant by speaking to me of my
execution."

"Angela, Angela, my child," exclaimed the duke, lifting his noble
countenance bathed in tears, and pressing the young woman to his heart,
"how can you ever forgive me the murder of Sidney, my friend, my
brother, your only relative, your only protector."

"Alas! have you not replaced him to me, James? I have bewailed his
death, believing him killed on the