"Yes; but anxious to remain master and King in fact, he will not tolerate that any other than himself find the means to save Gaul. The Sire of La Tremouille will, you may rest assured, reject Joan's intervention. Write, on the contrary, direct to Charles VII. He will be struck by the strangeness of the occurrence. If only out of curiosity he will want to see Joan. He finds the day long in his retreat of Loches or Chinon. The blandishments even of his mistresses are often unavailing to draw him from his ennui. The arrival of Joan will be a novelty to him; a pastime." "You are a good adviser. I shall write direct to the King and expedite a messenger to him on the spot. Should the answer be favorable to Joan, would you still think of accompanying her?" "Then more than ever!" "The journey is long. You will have to traverse part of Burgundy and of Champagne, both of them occupied by the enemy." "I shall take with me my equerry Bertrand of Poulagny, a prudent and resolute man. I shall join to him four well armed valets. A small troop passes more easily unperceived. Moreover, as Joan wisely proposed, we shall avoid the towns all we can by traveling by night, and shall rest by day in isolated farm-houses." "Do not forget that you will have to cross many rivers; since the war, the bridges are everywhere destroyed." "We will find ferries at all the rivers. From here we shall go to St. Urbain, where we can stay without danger; we shall avoid Troyes, St. Florentin, and Auxerre; arrived at Gien, we shall be on friendly soil. We shall then proceed to Loches or Chinon, the royal residences." "Admit it, Sire of Novelpont, are you not slightly smitten by the beauty of Joan?" "Sire Robert of Baudricourt, I feel proud of being the knight of the warrior-maid and heroine, who, perhaps, may yet save Gaul." CHAPTER XVIII. "GOOD LUCK, JOAN!" Towards sun-down of February 28 of the year 1429, a large crowd consisting of men, women and children pressed around the Castle of Vaucouleurs. The crowd was impatient; it was enthusiastic. "Are you sure the pretty Joan will leave the castle by this gate?" asked one of the crowd, addressing at random his nearest neighbor. "I think so--she can not go out on horseback by the postern gate. She is to ride along the ramparts with the Sire of Novelpont, who is to escort her on her long journey. We shall be able to get a good view of her here on her fine white horse." "Our hearts all go out to her," remarked a third. "The prophecy of Merlin is fulfilled. Well did he say--_Gaul, lost by a woman, will be saved by a virgin from the borders of Lorraine and a forest of old oaks!_" said a fourth. "She will deliver us from the English! The poor will again be able to breathe! Peace and work for all!" "No more war alarms; no more conflagrations; no more pillaging; no more massacres! May her name be blessed!" "It is God who sent us Joan the Maid--Glory to God!" "And yet a daughter of the field--a simple shepherdess!"