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the King's eye sparkled with pleasure. The Chancellor sprang to his feet and appealed to his Majesty—
"Sire, I claim your protection."
But the King waved him to his seat again, saying—
"Peace. She had a right to be consulted before that thing was undertaken, since it concerned war as well as politics. It is but just that she be heard upon it now."
The Chancellor sat down trembling with indignation, and remarked to Joan—
"Out of charity I will consider that you did not know who devised this measure which you condemn in so candid language."
"Save your charity for another occasion, my lord," said Joan, as calmly as before. "Whenever anything is done to injure the interests and degrade the honor of France, all but the dead know how to name the two conspirators-in-chief."
"Sir, sire! this insinuation—"
"It is not an insinuation, my lord," said Joan, placidly, "it is a charge. I bring it against the King's chief minister and his Chancellor."
Both men were on their feet now, insisting that the King modify Joan's frankness; but he was not minded to do it. His ordinary councils were stale water—his spirit was drinking wine, now, and the taste of it was good. He said—
"Sit—and be patient. What is fair for one must in fairness be allowed the other. Consider—and be just. When have you two spared her? What dark charges and harsh names have you withheld when you spoke of her?" Then he added, with a veiled twinkle in his eyes, "If these are offences I see no particular difference between them, except that she says her hard things to your faces, whereas you say yours behind her back."
He was pleased with that neat shot and the way it shrivelled those two people up, and made La Hire laugh out loud and the other generals softly quake and chuckle. Joan tranquilly resumed—
"From the first, we have been hindered by this policy of
