第105章 HOW NORMAN LESLIE SAW THE MAID IN HER PRISON(4)

"The sentinels,belike,are sleeping,or wellnigh sleeping,and Ihave a dagger.O Madame!for the sake of the fortune of France,and the honour of the King"--for this,I knew,was my surest hope--"delay not,nor reck at all of me.I have but one life,and it is thine freely.""They will burn thee,or slay thee with other torments.""Not so,"I said;"I shall not be taken alive.""That were deadly sin,"she answered."I shall not go and leave thee to die for me.Then were my honour lost,and I could not endure to live.Entreat me not,for I will not go forth,as now.

Nay more,I tell thee as I have told my judges,that which the Saints have spoken to me.'Bear this thy martyrdom gently,'they say,'tu t'en viendras en royaume du Paradis.'Moreover,this Iknow,that I am to be delivered with great victory!"Here she clasped her hands,looking upwards,and her face was as the face of an angel.

"Fair victory it were to leave thee in my place,and so make liars of my brethren of Paradise."Then,alas!I knew that I was of no more avail to move her;yet one last art I tried.

"Madame,"I said,"I have prayed you in the name of the fortune of France,and the honour of the King,which is tarnished for ever if you escape not.""I shall be delivered,"she answered.

"I pray you in the dear name of your lady mother,Madame du Lys.""I shall be delivered,"she said,"and with great victory!""Now I pray thee in my own name,and in that of thy first friend,my lady.She has made a vow to give her virginity to Heaven unless either thou art set free,or she have tidings from thee that thou willest her to wed me,without whom I have no desire to live,but far rather this very night to perish.For I am clean confessed,within these six hours,knowing that I was like to be in some jeopardy.""Then,"she said,smiling sweetly,and signing that I should take her hand--"Then live,Norman Leslie,for this is to me an easy thing and a joyous.Thou art a clerk,hast thou wherewithal to write?""Yes,Madame,here in my wallet.""Then write as I tell thee:-"JHESU MARIA""'I,Jehanne la Pucelle,send from prison here in Rouen my tidings of love to Elliot Hume,my first friend among women,and bid her,for my sake,wed him who loves her,Norman Leslie of Pitcullo,my faithful servant,praying that all happiness may go with them.In witness whereto,my hand being guided to write,I set my name,Jehanne la Pucelle,this ninth day of May,in the year Fourteen hundred and thirty-one.'

"So guide my hand,"she said,taking the pen from my fingers;and thus guided,while my tears fell on her hand,she wrote JEHANNE LAPUCELLE.

"Now,"quoth she,smiling as of old,"we must seal this missive.

Cut off one lock of my hair with your dagger,for my last gift to my first friend,and make the seal all orderly."I did as she bade,and,bringing a lighted stick from the brazier,Imelted wax.Then,when it was smooth,she laid on it two hairs from the little sundered lock (as was sometimes her custom),and bade me seal with my own signet,and put the brief in my wallet.

"Now,all is done,"she said.

"Nay,nay,"I said,"to die for thee is more to me than to live in love.Ah,nay,go forth,I beseech thee!""With victory shall I go forth,and now I lay my last commands on the last of all my servants.If in aught I have ever offended thee,in word or deed,forgive me!"I could but bow my head,for I was weeping,though her eyes were dry.

"And so,farewell,"she said -

"As thou art leal and true,begone;it is my order,and make no tarrying.To-morrow I have much to do,and needs must I sleep while these men are quiet.Say to thy lady that I love her dearly,and bid her hope,as I also hope.Farewell!"She moved her thin hand,which I kissed,kneeling.

Again she said "Farewell,"and turned her back on me as if she would sleep.

Then I hung the chain and key again on the neck of the lourdaud;Iput some of the fallen coins in the men's pouches,but bestowed the dice and tablier in my wallet.I opened the door,and went forth,not looking back;and so from the castle,showing my pass,and giving the porter another coin.Then I went home,in the sweet dawn of May,and casting myself on my bed,I wept bitterly,for to-day she should be tormented.

Of the rest I have no mind to tell (though they had not the heart to torture the Maid),for it puts me out of charity with a people who have a name to be Christians,and it is my desire,if I may,to forgive all men before I die.

At Rouen I endured to abide,even until the day of unjust doom,and my reason was that I ever hoped for some miracle,even as her Saints had promised.But it was their will that she should be made perfect through suffering,and being set free through the gate of fire,should win her victory over unfaith and mortal fear.Wherefore Istood afar off at the end,seeing nothing of what befell;yet Iclearly heard,as did all men there,the last word of her sweet voice,and the cry of JHESUS!

Then I passed through the streets where men and women,and the very English,were weeping,and,saddling my swiftest horse,I rode to the east port.When the gate had closed behind me,I turned,and,lifting my hand,I tore the cross of St.George from my doublet.

"Dogs!"I cried,"ye have burned a Saint!A curse on cruel English and coward French!St Andrew for Scotland!"The shafts and bolts hailed past me as I wheeled about;there was mounting of steeds,and a clatter of hoofs behind me,but the sound died away ere I rode into Louviers.

There I told them the tale which was their shame,and so betook me to Tours,and to my lady.