idge, one of the
sentries, a great, brawny fellow, half French half Scottish,
uttered an insult to the Maid, accompanying his words by a horrible
blasphemy.

My hand was upon my sword hilt. I could have slain the man where he
stood; but I felt the Maid's touch on my shoulder, and my hand sank
to my side. She paused before the sentry, gazing at him with
earnest eyes, full of mournful reproach and sorrow.

"O Lord Jesu, forgive him!" she breathed softly, and as the fellow,
half ashamed, but truculent still, and defiant, turned upon her as
though he would have repeated either his insult or his blasphemy,
she held up her hand and spoke aloud, so that all who stood by
might hear her words:

"O, my friend, speak not so rashly, but seek to make your peace
with God. Know you not how near you stand to death this night? May
God pardon and receive your soul!"

The man shrank back as one affrighted. It was scarce two hours
later that as he was crossing a narrow bridge-like parapet, leading
from one part of the Castle to another, he fell into the swollen
and rapid stream beneath, and was heard of no more. Some called it
witchcraft, and said that the Maid had overlooked him; but the more
part regarded it as a sign that she could read the future, and that
things unknown to others were open to her eyes; and this, indeed,
none could doubt who were with her at this time, as I shall
presently show.

I had expected that Sir Guy would come to lead us into the chamber
of audience, where we were told the King would receive us. But he
did not come, and we were handed on from corridor to corridor, from
room to room, first by one richly-apparelled servant of the Court,
then by another.

Our men-at-arms, of course, had been detained in one of the
courtyards, where their lodgings were provided. Only Bertrand and I
were suffered, by virtue of our knighthood, to accompany the Maid
into the presence of royalty; and neither of us had ever seen the
King, or knew what his outward man was like.

But she asked no questions of us as to that, nor how she was to
comport herself when she reached the audience chamber. Neither had
she desired to change her travel-stained suit for any other,
though, in truth, there was little to choose betwixt them now; only
methinks most in her case would have provided some sort of gay
raiment wherewith to appear before the King. But the Maid thought
nought of herself, but all of her mission, and she held that this