nd not to allow any person whatever to see the prisoner. A
single servant who was in possession of the secret was killed by the
escort on the journey, and his face so disfigured by dagger thrusts that
he could not be recognised.

"The commandant treated his prisoner with the most profound respect; he
waited on him at meals himself, taking the dishes from the cooks at the
door of the apartment, none of whom ever looked on the face of Giafer.
One day it occurred to the prince to scratch, his name on the back of a
plate with his knife. One of the servants into whose hands the plate
fell ran with it at once to the commandant, hoping he would be pleased
and reward the bearer; but the unfortunate man was greatly mistaken, for
he was at once made away with, that his knowledge of such an important
secret might be buried with himself.

"Giafer remained several years in the castle Ormus, and was then
transported to the fortress of Ispahan; the commandant of Ormus having
received the governorship of Ispahan as a reward for faithful service.

"At Ispahan, as at Ormus, whenever it was necessary on account of illness
or any other cause to allow anyone to approach the prince, he was always
masked; and several trustworthy persons have asserted that they had seen
the masked prisoner often, and had noticed that he used the familiar 'tu'
when addressing the governor, while the latter showed his charge the
greatest respect. As Giafer survived Cha-Abas and Sephi-Mirza by many
years, it may be asked why he was never set at liberty; but it must be
remembered it would have been impossible to restore a prince to his rank
and dignities whose tomb actually existed, and of whose burial there were
not only living witnesses but documentary proofs, the authenticity of
which it would have been useless to deny, so firm was the belief, which
has lasted down to the present day, that Giafer died of the plague in
camp when with the army on the frontiers of Flanders. Ali-Homajou died
shortly after the visit he paid to Giafer."

This version of the story, which is the original source of all the
controversy on the subject, was at first generally received as true. On a
critical examination it fitted in very well with certain events which
took place in the reign of Louis XIV.

The Comte de Vermandois had in fact left the court for the camp very soon
after his reappearance there, for he had been banished by the king from
his presence some time before for