d. "Then you persist in your appeal to
the ordeal of battle?"

"I do appeal," Perpetua answered, firmly, "hoping that Heaven will
strengthen the hand that is lifted to-day in my cause, which is God's."

The archbishop frowned.

"You are perverse and stubborn, but the law is plain and must be obeyed.
Call the King's challenger."

Sigurd, raising his voice, called loudly:

"In the King's name I call on the King's challenger to appear." Rang out
a great rattle of trumpets, voices hummed in expectation, and all heads
turned in the direction of another archway in the amphitheatre, from
which it was known that the challenger and the champion would appear.

Out of the darkness, into the bright light of the arena stepped a
figure all in armor, with the visor of his helmet down, so that none
could see his face. The armor was plain; the shield bore no device, but
it was buzzed about in all directions that this was the Lord Hildebrand,
and any doubts were answered by the assertion, patently true, that the
Lord Hildebrand did not make one of the glittering group about the King.
The archbishop addressed the new-comer.

"Proclaim your purpose," he commanded.

The challenger, still with his visor lowered, said in a low voice:

"In the King's name I accuse this woman of witchcraft, and will maintain
that charge with my sword, if any be found bold to challenge it."

The archbishop again rose and asked:

"Does any champion answer on the woman's side?"

Out of the same archway came Theron in old and rusty armor, with the
visor of his helmet up, so that all could behold his wrinkled, haggard
face.

"I do," he cried. "I am her father, and I know her stainless soul. This
hand that has so often dealt justice to others may now do justice for
itself."

The archbishop again rose, and spoke.

"Then, by the law, opposer and opposed must do battle to the death. If
the challenger gain the day, his charge is proved and the woman dies by
fire. If the woman's champion win, the woman shall be counted innocent
and her accuser shall die as she would have died. Let them begin."

There was a new flourish of trumpets. Then a number of soldiers ran into
the arena and set up a spacious ring of short painted staves of wood,
colored white and red, and linked together with thick ropes of similarly
colored silk. Into this space the challenger and the champion were
conducted and left facing each other, while Perpetua was led to the
stake, where