added a
remark in which Beaupere, always watchful, always alert, detected a
possible opening--a chance to set a trap. Do you think he jumped at
it instantly, betraying the joy he had in his mind, as a young hand at
craft and artifice would do?

No, oh, no, you could not tell that he had noticed the remark at all. He
slid indifferently away from it at once, and began to ask idle questions
about other things, so as to slip around and spring on it from behind,
so to speak: tedious and empty questions as to whether the Voice had
told her she would escape from this prison; and if it had furnished
answers to be used by her in to-day's seance; if it was accompanied with
a glory of light; if it had eyes, etc. That risky remark of Joan's was
this:

"Without the Grace of God I could do nothing."

The court saw the priest's game, and watched his play with a cruel
eagerness. Poor Joan was grown dreamy and absent; possibly she was
tired. Her life was in imminent danger, and she did not suspect it. The
time was ripe now, and Beaupere quietly and stealthily sprang his trap:

"Are you in a state of Grace?"

Ah, we had two or three honorable brave men in that pack of judges; and
Jean Lefevre was one of them. He sprang to his feet and cried out:

"It is a terrible question! The accused is not obliged to answer it!"

Cauchon's face flushed black with anger to see this plank flung to the
perishing child, and he shouted:

"Silence! and take your seat. The accused will answer the question!"

There was no hope, no way out of the dilemma; for whether she said yes
or whether she said no, it would be all the same--a disastrous answer,
for the Scriptures had said one cannot know this thing. Think what hard
hearts they were to set this fatal snare for that ignorant young girl
and be proud of such work and happy in it. It was a miserable moment for
me while we waited; it seemed a year. All the house showed excitement;
and mainly it was glad excitement. Joan looked out upon these hungering
faces with innocent, untroubled eyes, and then humbly and gently she
brought out that immortal answer which brushed the formidable snare away
as it had been but a cobweb:

"If I be not in a state of Grace, I pray God place me in it; if I be in
it, I pray God keep me so."

Ah, you will never see an effect like that; no, not while you live. For
a space there was the silence of the grave. Men looked wondering into
each other's faces, and some were awed a