save.

Joan was with her own foremost line when the rear fled. They told her of
her danger, she heeded not. For the last time rang out in that girlish
voice: '_Allez avant! Forward, they are ours!_'

Her men seized her bridle and turned her horse's head about. The English
held the entrance from the causeway; Joan and a few men (her brother was
one of them) were driven into a corner of the outer wall. A rush was
made at Joan. 'Yield I yield! give your faith to me!' each man cried.

'I have given my faith to Another,' she said, 'and I will keep my oath.'

Her enemies confess that on this day Joan did great feats of arms,
covering the rear of her force when they had to fly.

Some French historians hold that the gates were closed by treason that
the Maid might be taken. We may hope that this was not so; the commander
of Compiegne held his town successfully for the king, and was rescued by
Joan's friend, the brave Pothon de Xaintrailles.

HOW THE MAID LEAPED FROM THE TOWER OF BEAUREVOIR

The sad story that is still to tell shall be shortly told. There is no
word nor deed of the Maid's, in captivity as in victory, that is not to
her immortal honour. But the sight of the wickedness of men, their
cowardice, cruelty, greed, ingratitude, is not a thing to linger over.

The Maid, as a prisoner of the Bastard of Wandomme, himself a man of
Jean de Luxembourg, was led to Margny, where the Burgundian and English
captains rejoiced over her. They had her at last, the girl who had
driven them from fort and field. Luxembourg claimed her and carried her
to Beaulieu. Not a French lance was laid in rest to rescue her; not a
sou did the king send to ransom her. Where were Dunois and d'Alencon,
Xaintrailles and La Hire? The bold Buccleugh, who carried Kinmont Willie
out of Carlisle Castle, would not have left the Maid unrescued at
Beaulieu. 'What is there that a man does _not_ dare?' he said to the
angry Queen Elizabeth. But Dunois, d'Alencon, Xaintrailles, La Hire,
dared all things. Something which we do not know of must have held
these heroes back, and, being ignorant, it does not become us to blame
them.

Joan was the very spirit of chivalry, but in that age of chivalry she
was shamefully deserted. As a prisoner of war she should properly have
been held to ransom. But, within two days of her capture, the
Vicar-General of the Inquisition in France claimed her as a heretic and
a witch. The English knights let the priests and the U