Tell her that I will take her home with me, if she will come," he
spoke; "for she herself did say that her work would be accomplished
when the crown was placed upon the King's head. Let her be true to
her word; let her return home, and become a modest maiden again
beneath her mother's care, and all shall be well betwixt us. But if
pride and haughtiness possess her soul, and she prefers the company
of courtiers and soldiers to that of her own people, and the life
of camps to the life of home, then I wash my hands of her. Let her
go her own way. She shall no longer be daughter of mine!"

I did not tell those words to the Maid. My lips refused to speak
them. But I told her that her father would remain in the place till
she had leisure to have speech with him; and her eyes kindled with
joy at hearing such news, for it seemed to her as though this would
be the pledge of his forgiveness, the forgiveness for which she had
longed, and for the lack of which none of her triumphs could
altogether compensate.

There was no sleep for the city of Rheims upon that hot summer's
night. Although the coming of the King had been rumoured for some
time, it had never been fully believed possible till news had been
brought of the fall of Troyes, and the instant submission of
Chalons. Then, and only then, did citizens and prelates truly
realise that the talked-of ceremony could become an accomplished
fact, and almost before they had recovered from their amazement at
the rapidity of the march of events, courtiers brought in word that
the King and his army were approaching.

So all night long the people were hard at work decorating their
city, their churches, above all their Cathedral; and the priests
and prelates were in close conference debating what vestments, what
vessels, what rites and ceremonies should be employed, and how the
lack of certain necessary articles, far away at St. Denis, could be
supplied out of the rich treasuries of the Cathedral.

As the dawn of the morning brightened in the east, the sun rose
upon a scene of such splendour and magnificence as perhaps has
seldom been witnessed at such short notice. The whole city seemed
one blaze of triumphal arches, of summer flowers, of costly stuffs
and rich decoration. Every citizen had donned his best and
brightest suit; the girls and children had clothed themselves in
white, and crowned themselves with flowers. Even the war-worn
soldiers had polished their arms, furbished up th