第93章 THE EXAMINATION IN PRISON.LENT,(6)
Asked，if she would like to see the information taken on the spot，answered："I refer myself to God，and not another，and to a good confession."Asked，if her voices ever desired delay for their replies；answered，that St.Catherine always answered her at once，but sometimes she，Jeanne，could not hear because of the tumult round her (/turbacion des personnes/)and the noise of her guards；but that when she asked anything of St.Catherine，sometimes she，and sometimes St.
Margaret asked of our Lord，and then by the command of our Lord an answer was given to her.Asked，if，when they came，there was always light accompanying them，and if she did not see that light when she heard the voice in the castle without knowing whether it was in her chamber or not：answered，that there was never a day that they did not come into the castle，and that they never came without light：and that time she heard the voice，but did not remember whether she saw the light，or whether she saw St.Catherine.Also she said she had asked from her voices three things：one，her release：the other，that God would help the French，and keep the town faithful：and the other the salvation of her soul.Afterwards she asked that she might have a copy of these questions and her answers if she were to be taken to Paris，that she may give them to the people in Paris，and say to them，"This is how I was questioned in Rouen，and here are my replies，"that she might not be exhausted by so many questions.
Asked，what she meant when she said that Monseigneur de Beauvais put himself in danger by bringing her to trial，and why Monseigneur de Beauvais more than others，she answered，that this was and is what she said to Monseigneur de Beauvais："You say that you are my judge.Iknow not whether you are so；but take care that you judge well，or you will put yourself in great danger.I warn you，so that if our Lord should chastise you for it，I may have done my duty in warning you."Asked，what was that danger？she answered，that St.Catherine had said that she should have succour，but that she knew not whether this meant that she would be delivered from prison，or that，when she was before the tribunal，there might come trouble by which she should be delivered；she thought，however，it would be the one or the other.And all the more that her voices told her that she would be delivered by a great victory；and afterwards they said to her："Take everything cheerfully，do not be disturbed by this martyrdom：thou shalt thence come at last to the kingdom of Heaven."And this the voices said simply and absolutely--that is to say，without fail；she explained that she called It martyrdom because of all the pain and adversity that she had suffered in prison；and she knew not whether she might have still more to suffer，but waited upon our Lord.She was then asked whether，since her voices had said that she should go to Paradise，she felt assured that she should be saved and not damned in hell；she answered，that she believed firmly what her voices said about her being saved，as firmly as if she were so already.And when it was said to her that this answer was of great weight，she answered that she herself held it as a great treasure.
We have said that Jeanne's answers to the Inquisitors in prison had a more familiar form than in the public examination；which seem to prove that they were not unkind to her，further，at least，than by the persistence and tediousness of their questions.The Bishop for one thing was seldom present；the sittings were frequently presided over by the Deputy Inquisitor，who had made great efforts to be free of the business altogether，and had but very recently been forced into it；so that we may at least imagine，as he was so reluctant，that he did what he could to soften the proceedings.Jean de la Fontaine，too，was a milder man than her former questioners，and in so small an assembly she could not be disturbed and interrupted by Frère Isambard's well-meant signs and whispers.She speaks at length and with a self-disclosure which seems to have little that was painful in it，like one matured into a kind of age by long weariness and trouble，who regards the panorama of her life passing before her with almost a pensive pleasure.And it is clear that Jeanne's ear，still so young and keen，notwithstanding that attitude of mind，was still intent upon sounds from without，and that Jeanne's heart still expected a sudden assault，a great victory for France，which should open her prison doors--or even a rising in the very judgment hall to deliver her.How could they keep still outside，Dunois，Alen？on，La Hire，the mighty men of valour，while they knew that she was being racked and tortured within？
She who could not bear to be out of the conflict to serve her friends at Compiègne，even when succour from on high had been promised，how was it possible that these gallant knights could live and let her die，their gentle comrade，their dauntless leader？In those long hours，amid the noise of the guards within and the garrison around，how she must have thought，over and over again，where were they？when were they coming？how often imagined that a louder clang of arms than usual，a rush of hasty feet，meant that they were here！
But honour and love kept Jeanne's lips closed.Not a word did she say that could discredit King，or party，or friends；not a reproach to those who had abandoned her.She still looked for the great victory in which Monseigneur，if he did not take care，might run the risk of being roughly handled，or of a sudden tumult in his own very court that would pitch him form his guilty seat.It was but the fourteenth of March still，and there were six weary weeks to come.She did not know the hour or the day，but yet she believed that this great deliverance was on its way.