STE. MARGUERITE. 223 



produce similar vegetation to that in tlie Montagnes 

 des Maures. 



CHAPTER TV. 



The island of Ste. Marguerite lies about three quar- 

 ters of a mile from the extreme point of the Croisette and 

 can be reached bv boat in twenty minutes. Twice a dav 

 a small steamer plies between the port of Cannes and the 

 lies de Lerins. It touches at both islands, and the ex- 

 cursion may be prolonged into the afternoon if ^•ou go b}' 

 the first steamer and return bv the last. We wished to 

 see the coast lighted up at evening from the lies de 

 Lerins, so took a boat at the Croisette in the afternonn. 

 The brilliant sunlight reflected on the smooth sea made it 

 look like burnished steel. A bluish haze la}- on the water. 

 The island opposite drew nearer till the walls surrounding 

 the Fort, built by Richelieu, were sharply outlined. Above 

 the rocks to the east peep forth the windows of this no- 

 torious prison which has on more than one occasion so 

 strangely riveted the attention of the public. For here was 

 incarcerated that mysterious prisoner, known as the "Man 

 in the Iron Mask'', whose identity* has exercised the 

 ingenuity of historians. Marius Topin has counted no less 

 than fort\'-two authors, from the time of \'oltaire to the 

 year 1870, who have written about this prisoner. Neverthe- 

 less the riddle was not solved and renewed attempts were 

 made to elucidate the mystery. The result was, as Paul 

 deSaint -^^ictor expressed it, "un concours crOedipesauloLjr 

 du Sphinx encliaine". Voltaire had maintained that the 

 mysterious prisoner was a brother of Louis Xl\^, and b}- 



