A Heroine of France

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A Heroine of France

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Everett-Green
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Title: A Heroine of France
Author: Evelyn Everett-Green
Release Date: September 19, 2004 [eBook #13500]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A HEROINE
OF FRANCE***
E-text prepared by Martin Robb

A HEROINE OF FRANCE

The Story of Joan of Arc
by
EVELYN EVERETT-GREEN

Contents
CHAPTER I.
HOW I FIRST HEARD OF THE MAID.
CHAPTER II.
HOW I FIRST SAW THE MAID.
CHAPTER III.
HOW THE MAID CAME TO VAUCOULEURS.
CHAPTER IV.
HOW THE MAID WAS TRIED AND TESTED.
CHAPTER V.
HOW THE MAID JOURNEYED TO CHINON.
CHAPTER VI.
HOW THE MAID CAME TO THE KING.
CHAPTER VII.
HOW THE MAID WAS HINDERED; YET MADE PREPARATION.

CHAPTER VIII.
HOW THE MAID MARCHED FOR ORLEANS.
CHAPTER IX.
HOW THE MAID ASSUMED COMMAND AT ORLEANS.
CHAPTER X.
HOW THE MAID LED US INTO BATTLE.
CHAPTER XI.
HOW THE MAID BORE TRIUMPH AND TROUBLE.
CHAPTER XII.
HOW THE MAID RAISED THE SIEGE.
CHAPTER XIII.
HOW THE MAID WON A NEW NAME.
CHAPTER XIV.
HOW THE MAID CLEARED THE KING'S WAY.
CHAPTER XV.
HOW THE MAID RODE WITH THE KING.
CHAPTER XVI.
HOW THE MAID ACCOMPLISHED HER MISSION.
CHAPTER XVII.

HOW THE MAID WAS PERSUADED.
CHAPTER XVIII.
HOW I LAST SAW THE MAID.
CHAPTER I.
HOW I FIRST HEARD OF THE MAID.
"The age of Chivalry--alas!--is dead. The days of miracles are past and
gone! What future is there for hapless France? She lies in the dust. How
can she hope to rise?"
Sir Guy de Laval looked full in our faces as he spoke these words, and
what could one reply? Ah me!--those were sad and sorrowful days for
France--and for those who thought upon the bygone glories of the past,
when she was mistress of herself, held high her head, and was a power
with hostile nations. What would the great Charlemagne say, could he
see us now? What would even St. Louis of blessed memory feel, could
he witness the changes wrought by only a century and a half? Surely it
were enough to cause them to turn in their graves! The north lying
supine at the feet of the English conqueror; licking his hand, as a dog
licks that of his master, lost to all sense of shame that an English infant
in his cradle (so to speak) should rule through a regent the fair realm of
France, whilst its own lawful King, banished from his capital and from
half his kingdom, should keep his Court at Bourges or Chinon, passing
his days in idle revelry, heedless of the eclipse of former greatness,
careless of the further aggressions threatened by the ever-encroaching
foe.
Was Orleans to fall next into the greedy maw of the English
adventurers? Was it not already threatened? And how could it be saved
if nothing could rouse the King from his slothful indifference? O for
the days of Chivalry!--the days so long gone by!
Whilst I, Jean de Novelpont, was musing thus, a curious look
overshadowed the face of Bertrand de Poulengy, our comrade and

friend, with whom, when we had said adieu to Sir Guy a few miles
farther on, I was to return to Vaucouleurs, to pay a long-promised visit
there. I had been journeying awhile with Sir Guy in Germany, and he
was on his way to the Court at Chinon; for we were all of the
Armagnac party, loyal to our rightful monarch, whether King or only
Dauphin still, since he had not been crowned, and had adopted no truly
regal state or authority; and we were earnestly desirous of seeing him
awaken from his lethargy and put himself at the head of an army,
resolved to drive out the invaders from the land, and be King of France
in truth as well as in name. But so far it seemed as though nothing short
of a miracle would effect this, and the days of miracles, as Sir Guy had
said, were now past and gone.
Then came the voice of Bertrand, speaking in low tones, as a man
speaks who communes with himself; but we heard him, for we were
riding over the thick moss of the forest glade, and the horses' feet sank
deep and noiseless in the sod, and our fellows had fallen far behind, so
that their laughter and talk no longer broke upon our ears. The dreamy
stillness of