The citizen., 1899-02-03
ALegend Of the Atlantic
BY Thomas Wentworth Higginson.
THosE American travellers who lin.

row lanes and picturesque, overharg-
ing roofs of Hohieur, 90 not know what
Q strange Tragedy took place on voy.
age which began in that quaint old port |
three centuries and half ago.
Three tail ships sailed from ElonfleuI
on August %, 1911, and on one of them.
La Grande Herminc-so-cailcd to dis
tinguish it from u smaller boat of that
name, which had previously sailed with
Cartier-were the Sieur de Roberval
his niece and her "gouvernante." She
also had with her u Huguenot nurse,
who had been with her from child,
and cared for her devotedly. Robervai
naturally took with him, for future
needs, the best shipbuilder of St. Malo,
Etienne Gosselin. The voyage was
long, and there is reason to think that
the Sieur de Roberval was not good
sailor, while as to the "gouvernante,
she may have been as helpless as the sea-
sick chaperon of yachting excursions.
Like them, she suffered the most i'm
portant events to pass unobserved, and
It was not till too late that she discov-
cred, what more censorious old ladies
on board had already seen, that her
young charge fingered too often and
too long on the quarter deck when
Etienne Gosselin was planning ships
for the uncle. When she found it out
she was reused to just indignation;
but being. after all, but kindly dowa-
ger, with a heart softened by much
reading of the interminable tales of
Mime. de Scudery, she only remonstrat-
ed with Marguerite, wept over her little
romance, and threatened to break the
sad news to the Sieur de Roberval, yet
never did so. Other ladies were less
considerate; it all broke suddenly upon
the angry uncle; the youth was put in
irons, and threatened with fiogging,
and forbidden to approach the quarter
deck again. But love laughs at lock-
smiths; Gosselin was relieved of his
irons in a day or two because he could
not be spared from his work in de-
signing the Forthcoming ship, and as
both he and Marguerite were of toll
erably determined nature, they in
voked, through the old nurse, the aid
of Huguenot minister on board, who
had before sailed with Cartier to take
charge of the souls of some Protestant
vagabonds on the ship, and who was
now making second trip for the same
reason. That night, after dark, he
Joined the lovers in marriage; within
"a hours Roberval had heard of it, and
had vowed vengeance quick and sure.
The next morning, under his orders,
the vesse! lay to under the lee of rocky
island, then known to the sailors as
"l'Isle des Demons" from the fierce
winds that ragged round it. There was
no house there, no living person, no
tradition of any; only rocks, sand and
deep forests. With dismay, the ships
company heard that it was the firm
purpose of Roberval to put the offend
ing bride on shore, giving her only the
old nurse for company. and there tc
leave her with provisions for three
months, trusting to some other vessel
to take the exiled woman away within
that time. The very ladies whose love
of scandal had first revealed to him the
alleged familiarities, now besought
him with many tears to abandon the
thought of n doom so terrible. Vainly
Nine. de Noailles implored mercy for
the young girl from penalty such as
was never imposed in any Of Nine de
Scudery's romances; vainly the Hugue-
not minister and the Catholic chaplain.
who had fought steadily on questions
of doctrine during the whole voyage.
now united in appeals for pardon. At
least they implored him to let the Of
tenders have a man servant or two with
them to protect them against wild
beasts or buccaneers. He utterly re-
fused until, at last wearied out. his
wild nature yielded to one of those
sudden impulses which were wont to
sweep over it, and he exclaimed: "Gs
1t that they need man servant, thenf
Let this insolent caitilf, Gosselin, be re
lieved of his irons and sent on shore.
Let him be my riece's servant. or, since
q Huguenot marriage is as good as any
in the presence of bears and bucca-
neers, let her call the hound her Eus-
band, if she likes. | have done with
her. and the race from which she came
disowns her forever"
Thus il was done. Etienne was re-
leased from MS c0dlHs anu sent On
shore An arquebus and ammunition
were given him, and. resisting the i'm
pulse to send his first shot through the
heart of his tyrant, he landed, and the
last glimpse seen of the group as the
Grande Hermine sailed away was the
fgure of Marguerite sohbing on his
shoulder, and of the unhappy nurse.
now somewhat plethoric, and certainly
not the person to be selected as pio-
neer, sitting upon rock weeping pro-
fusely. The ships sails filled. the an
CRY Roberval never looked back on his
deserted niece and the night closed
down upon the lonely Isle of Demons,
now newiy occupied by three unexpect-
cd settlers, two of whom at least were
happy in each other.
few boxes of biscuits, a few bottles
of wine had been put on shore with
them. enough to feed them for few
weeks. They had brought flint and
steel to strike fire and some ammuni.
tion. The chief penalty of the crime
did not lie. after all, in the cold and
the starvation and the wild beasts, and
the possible visits of pirates; it lay in
the fact that it was the island of De-
mons. where they were to be left; and
In that supersttions age this meant
everything that wac tnrril,Ia For tLe