第78章 THE PUBLIC EXAMINATION.FEBRUARY,(6)

In the meantime there had been，we are told，various interruptions during the examination；perhaps it was then that Nicolas de Houppeville protested against Bishop Cauchon as a partisan and a Burgundian，and therefore incapable by law of judging a member of the opposite party：and had been rudely silenced，and afterwards punished，as we have already heard.Another kind of opposition less bold had begun to be remarked，which was that one of the persons present，by word and sign，whispering suggestions to her，or warning her with his eyes，was helping the unfortunate prisoner in her defence.Probably this did little good，"for she was often troubled and hurried in her answers，"we are told；but it was a sign of good-will，at least.When Frère Isambard，who was the person in question，speaks at a later period he tells us that "the questions put to Jeanne were too difficult，subtle，and dangerous，so that the great clerks and learned men who were present scarcely would have known how to answer them，and that many in the assembly murmured at them."Perhaps the good Frère Isambard might have spared himself the trouble；for Jeanne，however she may have suffered，was probably more able to hold her own than many of those great clerks，and did so with unfailing courage and spirit.One of the other judges，Jean Fabry，a bishop，declared afterwards that "her answers were so good，that for three weeks he believed that they were inspired."Manchon，the reporter，he who had refused to take down the private conversation of Jeanne in her prison with the vile traitor，L'Oyseleur，makes his voice heard also to the effect that "Monseigneur of Beauvais would have had everything written as pleased him，and when there was anything that displeased him he forbade the secretaries to report it as being of no importance for the trial."On another day a humbler witness still，Massieu，one of the officers of the court，who had the charge of taking Jeanne daily from her prison to the hall，and back again，met in the courtyard an Englishman，who seems to have been a singing man or lay clerk "of the King's chapel in England，"probably attached to Winchester's ecclesiastical retinue.This man asked him："What do you think of her answers？Will she be burned？What will happen？""Up to this time，"said Massieu，"I have heard nothing from her that was not honourable and good.She seems to me a good woman，but how it will all end God only knows！"No doubt conversations of this kind were being carried on all over Rouen.Would she be burned？What would happen？Could any one stand and answer like that hour after hour and day by day，inspired only by the devil？There was no popular enthusiasm for her even now.How should there have been in that partisan province，more English than French？

But a chill doubt began to steal into many minds whether she was so bad as had been thought，whether indeed she might not after all be something quite different from what she had been thought？Nature had begun to work in the agitated place，and even in that black-robed，eager assembly.If there was a vile L'Oyseleur trying to get her confidence in private，and so betray her，there was also a kind Frère Isambard，privately plucking at her sleeve，imploring her to be cautious，whispering an answer probably not half so wise as her own natural reply，yet warming her heart with the suggestion of a friend at hand.

On the fourth day，Jeanne was again required to swear，and replied as before，that so far as concerned the trial she would answer truly，but not all she knew."You ought to be satisfied：I have sworn sufficiently，"she said；and with this her judges seem to have been content.Beaupère then resumed his questions，but first asked her，perhaps with a momentary gleam of compassion and a sudden consciousness of the pallor and weariness of the young prisoner，how she did.She answered，one can imagine with what tone of indignant disdain："You see how I am：I am as well as I can be."He then cross-examined her closely as to what voices she had heard since her last appearance in court，but drew from her only the same answer，"The voice tells me to answer boldly，"and that she would tell them as much as she was permitted by God to tell them，but concerning her revelations for the King of France she would say nothing except by permission of her voices.

She was then asked what kind of voices they were which she heard，were they voices of angels，or of saints (/sancti aut sanct？/，male or female saints)or from God Himself？She answered that the voices were those of St.Catherine and St.Margaret，whose heads were crowned with beautiful crowns，very rich and precious."So much as this God allows me to say.If you doubt send to Poitiers，where I was questioned before."(It may perhaps be permissible to suppose that the kind whisperer at her elbow might have suggested the repeated references to Poitiers that follow，but which are not to be found before：though it was most natural she should refer to this place where she was examined at the beginning of her mission.)Asked how she knew which of these two saints，she answered that she could quite distinguish one from the other by the manner of their salutation；that she had been led and guided by them for seven years，and that she knew them because they had named themselves to her.She was then asked how they were dressed？

And answered："I cannot tell you；I am not permitted to reveal this；if you do not believe me send to Poitiers."She said also that at her coming into France she had revealed these things，but could not now.