marvellous story of the
shepherdess and the King: "To all things must you be resigned. And you
will not be delivered until you have seen the King of the English."

To which Jeanne made answer: "But in good sooth I do not desire to see
him. I would rather die than fall into the hands of the English."[2076]

[Footnote 2076: _Trial_, vol. i, pp. 150, 151.]

One day she heard a rumour that the English had come to fetch her. The
arrival of the Lord Bishop of Beauvais who came to offer the blood
money at Beaurevoir may have given rise to the report.[2077]
Straightway Jeanne became frantic and beside herself. She ceased to
listen to her Voices, who forbade her the fatal leap. The keep was at
least seventy feet high; she commended her soul to God and leapt.

[Footnote 2077: _Ibid._, p. 13; vol. v, p. 194.]

Having fallen to the ground, she heard cries: "She is dead."

The guards hurried to the spot. Finding her still alive, in their
amazement they could only ask: "Did you leap?"

She felt sorely shaken; but Saint Catherine spoke to her and said: "Be
of good courage. You will recover." At the same time the Saint gave
her good tidings of her friends. "You will recover and the people of
Compiegne will receive succour." And she added that this succour would
come before Saint Martin's Day in the winter.[2078]

[Footnote 2078: _Ibid._, vol. i, pp. 110, 151, 152.]

Henceforth Jeanne believed that it was her saints who had helped her
and guarded her from death. She knew well that she had been wrong in
attempting such a leap, despite her Voices.

Saint Catherine said to her: "You must confess and ask God to forgive
you for having leapt."

Jeanne did confess and ask pardon of Our Lord. And after her
confession Saint Catherine made known unto her that God had forgiven
her. For three or four days she remained without eating or drinking;
then she took some food and was whole.[2079]

[Footnote 2079: _Trial_, vol. i, p. 166. _Journal d'un bourgeois de
Paris_, p. 268. J. Quicherat, _Apercus nouveaux_, pp. 53, 58.]

Another story was told of the leap from Beaurevoir; it was related
that she had tried to escape through a window letting herself down by
a sheet or something that broke; but we must believe the Maid: she
says she leapt; if she had been attached to a cord, she would not have
committed sin and would not have confessed. This leap was known and
the rumour spread abroad that she had escaped and joined her own
party.[2080]