When the judges asked Joan if she were as willing to answer the questions put to her, standing in the presence of the Pope, as she had done in the presence of the Bishop of Beauvais, she replied that she would willingly do so.  The idea of referring her case to the Pope was not at all what Cauchon wished to enter her mind; and when he found that John de la Fontaine and two monks had visited the prisoner and advised her to submit herself to Rome, he was furious, and threatened them with condign punishment.  They only escaped the Bishop’s anger by taking flight from Rouen.  It was not too soon for Cauchon’s object that the trial was now conducted with closed doors.  Joan of Arc’s courage, firmness, and simplicity, accompanied by her transparent truth and pure fervent belief in her mission, impressed even her judges—­and much more so those who had attended the public days of her trial as spectators.  Now and again, after one of her straightforward and brave answers, which would expose and lay bare the malicious intention of the question, voices were heard to say in the great hall, ‘Well spoken, Joan!’ and an English knight was overheard to declare that, for his part, he regretted that such a courageous maid had not been born an Englishwoman.  A reaction in favour of the heroine might have set in, and, as we have already said, it was for fear of this that Cauchon caused the trial in future to be held in private.  It is clear from the previous narrative that the prisoner had no one to advise her, no one to support her.  At the commencement of the trial she asked to be allowed counsel, but Cauchon refused this most just demand.  Among the crowd of doctors and clergy it was impossible but that, now and again, some feeling of interest, even of sympathy, should gain a few of these men, who, in spite of their education and surroundings, were human beings after all.  But whenever such feeling was shown, Cauchon, ever on the watch, sternly repressed its manifestation.  The name of Isambard de la Pierre should be remembered for good; for he, although one of the creatures of the detestable Inquisition, showed humanity to Cauchon’s victim.  During the examinations it was the wont of Isambard to place himself as near as possible to Joan of Arc, and by nudging her, or by some sign, he attempted to help her and advise her in her answers to the questions of the judges.  Cauchon’s evil eye, however, at length detected Isambard’s conduct, and he informed Warwick of it.  Soon after, Isambard was confronted by Warwick, and the latter, with many abusive words, threatened to have him drowned in the Seine if he dared assist Joan of Arc.