she would have done so at the request of these two dames
rather than for any other dame of France, the Queen excepted.[2072]

[Footnote 2072: _Trial_, vol. i, pp. 95, 231.]

A noble of the Burgundian party, one Aimond de Macy, often came to see
her and was pleased to converse with her. To him she seemed modest in
word and in deed. Still Sire Aimond, who was but thirty, had found her
personally attractive.[2073] If certain witnesses of her own party are
to be believed, Jeanne, although beautiful, did not inspire men with
desire.

[Footnote 2073: _Ibid._, vol. ii, pp. 438, 457; vol. iii, p. 121.]

This singular grace however applied to the Armagnacs only; it was not
extended to the Burgundians, and Seigneur Aimond did not experience
it, for one day he tried to thrust his hand into her bosom. She
resisted and repulsed him with all her strength. Lord Aimond concluded
as more than one would have done in his place that this was a damsel
of rare virtue. He took warning.[2074]

[Footnote 2074: _Trial_, vol. iii, pp. 120, 121.]

Confined in the castle keep, Jeanne's mind was for ever running on her
return to her friends at Compiegne; her one idea was to escape.
Somehow there reached her evil tidings from France. She got the idea
that all the inhabitants of Compiegne over seven years of age were to
be massacred, "to perish by fire and sword," she said; and indeed such
a fate was bound to overtake them if the town were taken.

Confiding her distress and her unconquerable desire to Saint
Catherine, she asked: "How can God abandon to destruction those good
folk of Compiegne who have been so loyal to their Lord?"[2075]

[Footnote 2075: _Ibid._, vol. i, p. 150.]

And in her dream, surrounded by saints, like the donors in church
pictures, kneeling and in rapture, she wrestled with her heavenly
counsellors for the poor folk of Compiegne.

What she had heard of their fate caused her infinite distress; she
herself would rather die than continue to live after such a
destruction of worthy people. For this reason she was strongly tempted
to leap from the top of the keep. And because she knew all that could
be said against it, she heard her Voices putting her in mind of those
arguments.

Nearly every day Saint Catherine said to her: "Do not leap, God will
help both you and those of Compiegne."

And Jeanne replied to her: "Since God will help those of Compiegne, I
want to be there."

And once again Saint Catherine told her the