"Speak, speak!" shouted the throng.

"Dogs," I cried, in French, "dogs and cowards! You shall see the Maid
closer before nightfall, and fly from her as you have fled before."

"Said I not so?" asked Brother Thomas.

"A miracle, a miracle, the Maid hath a Scots tongue in her head."

Therewith stones began to fall, but the father, holding up his hand, bade
the multitude refrain.

"Harm her not, good brethren, for to-morrow this Maid shall be tried by
the ordeal of fire if that be the will of our governors. Then shall we
see if she can work miracles or not," and so he went on gibing, while
they grinned horribly upon me. Never saw I so many vile faces of the
basest people come together, from their filthy dens in Paris. But as my
eyes ran over them with loathing, I beheld a face I knew; the face of
that violer woman who had been in our company before we came to Chinon,
and lo! perched on her shoulder, chained with a chain fastened round her
wrist, was Elliot's jackanapes! To see the poor beast that my lady loved
in such ill company, seemed as if it would break my heart, and my head
fell on my breast.

"Ye mark, brethren and sisters, she likes not the name of the ordeal by
fire," cried Brother Thomas, whereon I lifted my face again to defy him,
and I saw the violer woman bend her brows, and place her finger, as it
were by peradventure, on her lips; wherefore I was silent, only gazing on
that devil, but then rang out a trumpet-note, blowing the call to arms,
and from afar came an answering call, from the quarter of St. Denis.

"Carry him, or her, or whatever the spy is, into the outer gate tower,"
said a Captain; "put him in fetters and manacles; lock the door and leave
him; and then to quarters. And you, friar, hold your gibing tongue; lad
or lass, he has borne him bravely."

Six men-at-arms he chose out to do his bidding; and while the gates were
cleared of the throng, and trumpets were sounding, and church bells were
rung backwards, for an alarm, I was dragged, with many a kick and blow,
over the drawbridge, up the stairs of the tower, and so was thrown into a
strong room beneath the battlements. There they put me in bonds, gave me
of their courtesy a jug of water and a loaf of black bread by me, and
then, taking my dagger, my sword, and all that was in my pouch, they left
me with curses.

"You shall hear how the onfall goes, belike," they said, "and to-morrow
shall be your judgment."

With that the door g