ch was covertly but earnestly
attempting to lead Jeanne into an appeal to the Pope, which would have
conveyed her out of the hands of the English at least, and gained time,
probably deliverance for her, could Jeanne have been made to understand
it.

This, however, was by no means the wish of Cauchon, whose spy and
whisperer, L'Oyseleur, was working against it in the background. Jeanne
evidently failed to take up what they meant. She did not understand the
distinction between the Church militant and the Church triumphant: that
God alone was her judge, and that no tribunal could decide upon the
questions which were between her Lord and herself, was too firmly fixed
in her mind: and again and again the men whose desire was to make her
adopt this expedient, were driven back into the ever repeated questions
about St. Catherine and St. Margaret.

One other of her distinctive sayings fell from her in the little
interval that remained, in a series of useless questions about her
standard. Was it true that this standard had been carried into the
Cathedral at Rheims when those of the other captains were left behind?
"It had been through the labour and the pain," she said, "there was good
reason that it should have the honour."

This last movement of a proud spirit, absolutely disinterested and
without thought of honour or advancement in the usual sense of the word,
gives a sort of trumpet note at the end of these wonderful wranglings
in prison, in which, however, there is a softening of tone visible
throughout, and evident effect of human nature bringing into immediate
contact divers human creatures day after day. Jeanne is often at her
best, and never so frequently as during these less formal sittings
utters those flying words, simple and noble and of absolute truth to
nature, which are noted everywhere, even in the most rambling records.

*****

The private examination, concluding with that last answer about the
banner, came to an end on the 17th March, the day before Passion Sunday.
Several subsequent days were occupied with repeated consultations in
the Bishop's palace, and the reading over of the minutes of the
examinations, to the judges first and afterwards to Jeanne, who
acknowledged their correctness, with one or two small amendments. It is
only now that Cauchon reappears in his own person. On the morning of the
following Sunday, which was Palm Sunday, he and four other doctors with
him had a conversation with Jeann