第113章 THE SACRIFICE.MAY 31,1431.(2)

"Ah，"she said，"I would rather be beheaded seven times than burned！Iappeal to God against all these great wrongs they do me."But after a while the passion wore itself out，the child's outburst was stilled；calming herself，she knelt down and made her confession to the compassionate friar，then asked for the sacrament，to "receive her Saviour"as she had so often prayed and entreated before.It would appear that this had not been within Friar Martin's commission.He sent to ask the Bishop's leave，and it was granted "anything she asked for"--as they give whatever he may wish to eat to a condemned convict.

But the Host was brought into the prison without ceremony，without accompanying candles or vestment for the priest.There are always some things which are insupportable to a man.Brother Martin could bear the sight of the girl's anguish，but not to administer to her a diminished rite.He sent again to demand what was needful，out of respect for the Holy Sacrament and the present victim.And his request had come，it would seem，to some canon or person in authority whose heart had been touched by the wonderful Maid in her long martyrdom.This nameless sympathiser did all that a man could do.He sent the Host with a train of priests chanting litanies as they went through the streets，with torches burning in the pure early daylight；some of these exhorted the people who knelt as they passed，to pray for her.She must have heard in her prison the sound of the bell，the chant of the clergy，the pause of awe，and then the rising，irregular murmur of the voices，that sound of prayer never to be mistaken.Pray for her！At last the city was touched to its heart.There is no sign that it had been sympathetic to Jeanne before；it was half English or more.But she was about to die：she had stood bravely against the world and answered like a true Maid；and they had now seen her led through their streets，a girl just nineteen.The popular imagination at least was subjugated for the time.

Thus Jeanne for the first time，after all the feasts were over，received at last "her Saviour"as she said，the consecration of that rite which He himself had instituted before He died.But she was not permitted to receive it in simplicity and silence as becomes the sacred commemoration.All the time she was still /preschée/and admonished by the men about her.A few days after her death the Bishop and his followers assembled，and set down in evidence their different parts in that scene.How far it is to be relied upon，it is difficult to say.The speakers did not testify under oath；there is no formal warrant for their truth，and an anxious attempt to prove her change of mind is evident throughout；still there seem elements of truth in it，and a certain glimpse is afforded of Jeanne in the depths，when hope and strength were gone.The general burden of their testimony is that she sadly allowed herself to have been deceived，as to the liberation for which all along she had hoped.Peter Morice，often already mentioned，importuning her on the subject of the spirits，endeavouring to get from her an admission that she had not seen them at all，and was herself a deceiver：or if not that，at least that they were evil spirits，not good，--drew from her the impatient exclamation："Be they good spirits，or be they evil，they appeared to me."Even in the act of giving her her last communion，Brother Martin paused with the consecrated Host in his hands.

"Do you believe，"he said，"that this is the body of Christ？"Jeanne answered："Yes，and He alone can free me；I pray you to administer."Then this brother said to Jeanne："Do you believe as fully in your voices？"Jeanne answered："I believe in God alone and not in the voices，which have deceived me."L'Advenu himself，however，does not give this deposition，but another of the persons present，Le Camus，who did not live to revise his testimony at the Rehabilitation.

The rite being over，the Bishop himself bustled in with an air of satisfaction，rubbing his hands，one may suppose from his tone."So，Jeanne，"he said，"you have always told us that your 'voices'said you were to be delivered，and you see now they have deceived you.Tell us the truth at last."Then Jeanne answered："Truly I see that they have deceived me."The report is Cauchon's，and therefore little to be trusted；but the sad reply is at least not unlike the sentiment that，even in records more trustworthy，seems to have breathed forth in her.

The other spectators all report another portion of this conversation.

"Bishop，it is by you I die，"are the words with which the Maid is said to have met him."Oh Jeanne，have patience，"he replied."It is because you did not keep your promise.""If you had kept yours，and sent me to the prison of the Church，and put me in gentle hands，it would not have happened，"she replied."I appeal from you to God."Several of the attendants，also according to the Bishop's account，heard from her the same sad words："They have deceived me"；and there seems no reason why we should not believe it.Her mind was weighed down under this dreadful unaccountable fact.She was forsaken--as a greater sufferer was；and a horror of darkness had closed around her.