called to her, saying, 'Fille de
Dieu, va, va, va! Je serai en ton aide. Va!' {27} The Dauphin is much
confirmed in his faith by this sign, and has vowed that he will indeed
march with the Maid to Reims, though his enemies hold all that country
which lies between. But first she must take the towns which the English
hold on Loire side, such as Jargeau. Now on Jargeau, while you lay
knowing nothing, the Bastard of Orleans, and Xaintrailles, and other good
knights, made an onslaught, and won nothing but loss for their pains,
though they slew Messire Henry Bisset, the captain of the town. But if
the Maid takes Jargeau, the Dauphin will indeed believe in her and follow
her."

"He is hard of heart to believe, and would that I were where he should
be--under her holy pennon, for thereon, at least, I should see the face
painted of my lady. But how does all this bring me nearer the hope of
hearing about her, and how she fares?"

"There are many messengers coming and going to Tours, for the Dauphin is
gathering force under the Maid, and has set the fair Duc d'Alencon to be
her lieutenant, with the Bastard, and La Hire, and Messire Florent
d'Illiers. And all are to be here in Orleans within few days; wherefore
now write to the father of thy lady, and I will myself write to her."
With that she gave me paper and pen, and I indited a letter to my master,
telling him how I had lain near to death of my old wound, in Orleans, and
that I prayed him of his goodness to let me know how he did, and to lay
me at the feet of my lady. Then Charlotte showed me her letter, wherein
she bade Elliot know that I had hardly recovered, after winning much fame
(for so she said) and a ransom of gold from an English prisoner, which
now lay in the hands of her father, the Duke's treasurer. Then she said
that a word from Elliot, not to say the sight of her face, the fairest in
the world (a thing beyond hope), would be of more avail for my healing
than all the Pharaoh powders of the apothecaries. These, in truth, I had
never taken, but put them away secretly, as doubting whether such
medicaments, the very dust of the persecuting Egyptian and idolatrous
race, were fit for a Christian to swallow, with any hope of a blessing.
Thus my kind nurse ended, calling herself my lady's sister in the love of
France and of the Maid, and bidding my lady be mindful of so true a
lover, who lay sick for a token at her hands. These letters she sealed,
and intrusted