e King of it. He is young; he is not firm of
purpose; his own heart has never before been set upon his kingdom.
One cannot expect a man's nature to change in a day, even though
his eyes may have been opened, and his misgivings set at rest. If
one of the Generals were won to her side, the troubles that beset
us would be well-nigh overcome."

A great clamour of sound from the larger audience chamber, from
which we had retired to talk at ease, warned us now that the King
and the Maid had appeared from their private conference. His face
was very grave, and there was more of earnestness and nobility in
his expression than I had thought that countenance capable of
expressing. The Maid was pale, as though with deep emotion; but a
glorious light shone in her eyes, and when the Court ladies and
gallants crowded round her, asking her questions, and gazing upon
her as though she were a being from another sphere, she seemed
lifted up above them into another region, and though she answered
them without fear, she put aside, in some wonderful way, all those
questions which were intrusions into holy things, speaking so
fearlessly and so simply that all were amazed at her.

She came to us at last, weary, yet glad at heart; and her first
question was for her followers, and whether they had been lodged
and fed. We supped with her at her request, and in private, and her
face was very calm and glad, though she spoke nothing of what had
passed between her and the King.

Only when Bertrand said:

"You have done a great work today," did she look at him with a
smile as she replied:

"My work hath but just begun, and may yet be hindered; but have no
fear. The Lord has spoken, and He will bring it to pass. He will
not fail us till all be accomplished."

CHAPTER VII. HOW THE MAID WAS HINDERED; YET MADE PREPARATION.

I have no patience to write of the things which followed. I blush
for the King, for his Council, yea, even for the Church itself!
Here was a messenger sent from God, sent to France in the hour of
her direst need. This messenger had been tried and tested by a
score of different methods already, and had in every case come
forth from the trial like gold submitted to the fire. Priests had
examined and found nothing evil in her. Again and again had she
spoken of that which must follow--and so it had been. If her voices
were not from God, then must they be from the devil; yet it had
been proved again, and yet again, that this