Then in the morning, with the first of the light, the sword was brought to me; and surely many persons in Fierbois must have sat up all the night, for every speck of rust had been cleansed away, and a velvet scabbard made or found for the weapon, which the priests begged of me to take with it to the Maid as their gift, and with their benediction upon it and her.

My return was awaited with some stir of interest, and before I had well dismounted I was hurried, all travel stained as I was, into the presence of the King.  There was the Maid waiting also, calm and serene, and when she saw the thing which I carried in my hands, her face lighted; she took several steps forward, and bent her knee as she reverently took the sword, as though she received it from some Higher Power.

“It was even as she said?” questioned the King, quickly.

“Even so, Sire; the sword of which no man knew aught, was lying buried beneath the high altar of St. Catherine’s Church, in Fierbois.”

A murmur of surprise and gratification ran through the assembly.  But there was no surprise upon the Maid’s face.

“Did you doubt, Sire?” she asked, and he could not meet the glance of her clear eyes.

CHAPTER VIII.  HOW THE MAID MARCHED FOR ORLEANS.

Methinks the Maid loved that ancient sword better than all her shining armour of silver!  Strange to say, the jewelled sheath of the King’s Toledo blade fitted the weapon from Fierbois, and he supplemented the priests’ gift of a scabbard by this second rich one.  The Maid accepted it with graceful thanks; yet both the gorgeous cases were laid away, and a simple sheath of leather made; for the sword was to be carried at her side into battle, and neither white nor crimson velvet was suited to such a purpose.

Nor would the Maid let us have her sword sharpened for her.  A curious look came upon her face as Bertrand pointed out that although now clean and shining, its edges were too blunt for real use.  She looked round upon us as we stood before her, and passed her fingers lovingly down the edges of the weapon.

“I will keep it as it is,” she answered; “for though I must needs carry it into battle with me, I pray my Lord that it may never be my duty to shed Christian blood.  And if the English King will but listen to the words of counsel which I have sent to him, perchance it may even now be that bloodshed will be spared.”

In sooth, I believe that she would far rather have seen the enemy disperse of their own accord, than win the honour and glory of the campaign, which she knew beforehand would bring to her renown, the like of which no woman in the world’s history has ever won.  She would have gone back gladly, I truly believe, to her home in Domremy, and uttered no plaint, even though men ceased after the event to give her the praise and glory; for herself she never desired such.