2 s.
Without their aid I could not have come to the King. They believed in me even
before Sire Robert did. And they shall go with me to Orléans, if they wish.”
“We do wish,” came from the knights simultaneously. “To Orléans, or to any place that promises fighting for France.”
“Would that we were now bound for Orléans,” sighed Jeanne as the four set forth for the castle.
Up the steep approach to the castle they wended their way once more. And now,
being daylight, it was seen that the long mass of embattled walls, of keeps, towers, turrets, curtains, ramparts, and watch-towers were three castles separated
one from the other by dyke, barrier, postern, and portcullis. Arriving on the ridge of hill Sire de Gaucourt led them past the long line of machicolated battlements of the Middle Château where the King dwelt, and across the bridge of the inner
moat. A curtain of stone connected a high tower on the moat bank with another
battlemented tower built into the buttressed cliff wall. There was an archway in the curtain at the end of the bridge, through which they passed to the Tower of Coudray.
Ascending a stairway they paused at its top, for here the lieutenant of the tower, Guillaume Bellier, the King’s Major Domo, waited to greet them.
“You are to lodge with my own family, Pucelle,” he said, making Jeanne a deep
obeisance. “My wife comes now to bear you to your chamber for rest and refreshment.”
As he spoke a pleasant faced woman came forward from an adjoining room, and
greeted the maiden warmly. She showed plainly her surprise at Jeanne’s attire, but seemed charmed by her youth and beauty. Sire Bertrand gave a sigh of satisfaction as he saw the maiden depart in the lady’s company, and remarked to De Metz in a low tone:
“Glad am I to see the Maid in such good hands as those of Madame Bellier. She
is a devout woman, and the two will take much pleasure in each other’s company. It hath gone to my heart to see such a mere girl without any of her own sex near her.”
“Yes; but she hath angel visitors to bring her comfort and solace, Bertrand, the like of which no other maid had ever before. I believe her in very truth to be a messenger from the blessed Saints that love France. Still, with you, I am glad that Madame Bellier hath her in her care.”
Jeanne’s chambers were in the upper story of the tower, and Lieutenant Bellier
sent her for a servant one of his own pages, Louis de Coutes, sometimes called
Mugot, who came from an old warrior family which had been in service of the
house of Orléans for a century. Her two knights with their servants had chambers just beneath hers.
And now that the King had taken her under his charge people flocked to see her.
Churchmen came to test her orthodoxy; Captains to ask her about her knowledge
of war; and all the lords and ladies to question her concerning her mission, for it was dull at Chinon, and a witch was worth looking at any day. Jeanne was impatient to be about her work, but she answered them all so aptly, and was so
gentle and simple, that all who met her grew to believe in her.
Many too were curious concerning the oak wood, asking if the Bois Chesnu were not in her country, for every one now recalled Merlin’s prophecy, and was
impressed by it. Every day the King had her brought to him. He was weak and
timorous, but her simple faith impressed him, as it impressed all who saw her, and her entire trust in him gave him some courage and self-reliance. He wished
to give the Maid men-at-arms at once, as he had promised, but the Royal Council over-ruled him. The Counsellors acknowledged that it was not unusual for princes to have the counsel of devout women; that women in whom was the voice of God were not to be scorned; that even the kings of England were no less ready than the kings of France to heed the words of saintly men and women; still, it behooved him to proceed carefully in the matter, lest he should be charged with helping himself by witchcraft.
In the Middle Ages it was the custom for saints to speak with kings and for kings to listen to them, but sorcery was the unpardonable sin. Therefore, it was the opinion of the Royal Council that, before giving the maiden the men-at-arms for which she asked, she should be subjected to a more searching examination than
any that had yet been made. And while the talk waged pro and con the fame of
Jeanne grew and filled all mouths. She fired the zeal of the captains who came to see her, and shamed them into some hope of saving France; she charmed the ladies of the Court by her modesty; while the common people told wonderful stories of her piety, exploits and adventures. To bring this about in the short time that she had been in Chinon was no mean achievement for a girl of seventeen, but Jeanne, believing God to be the author of the whole work, wondered only that any one should hesitate for a moment to trust His messenger.
One day she attended mass in the royal chapel, as was her daily custom, and when her devotions were finished she rose to find the King and a young nobleman standing beside her. Jeanne courtesied to the monarch, whereupon he
said:
“We have brought our cousin, the Duke of Alençon, to see you, Jeanne. He hath
great interest in the house of Orléans, having married the daughter of Duke Charles.”
“He is welcome,” spoke Jeanne simply. “The more of the blood royal there are
here the better.”
“So we believe,” said the King, smiling. “It is our pleasure that you dine with us to-day, that our cousin may learn more of your mission.”
