s, let alone one.

So he set to work again straight off next day; and with high confidence,
too, intimating with brutal cheerfulness that he should succeed this
time. It took him and the other scavengers nine days to dig matter
enough out of Joan's testimony and their own inventions to build up
the new mass of charges. And it was a formidable mass indeed, for it
numbered sixty-six articles.

This huge document was carried to the castle the next day, March 27th;
and there, before a dozen carefully selected judges, the new trial was
begun.

Opinions were taken, and the tribunal decided that Joan should hear the
articles read this time.

Maybe that was on account of Lohier's remark upon that head; or maybe it
was hoped that the reading would kill the prisoner with fatigue--for, as
it turned out, this reading occupied several days. It was also decided
that Joan should be required to answer squarely to every article, and
that if she refused she should be considered convicted. You see, Cauchon
was managing to narrow her chances more and more all the time; he was
drawing the toils closer and closer.

Joan was brought in, and the Bishop of Beauvais opened with a speech to
her which ought to have made even himself blush, so laden it was with
hypocrisy and lies. He said that this court was composed of holy and
pious churchmen whose hearts were full of benevolence and compassion
toward her, and that they had no wish to hurt her body, but only a
desire to instruct her and lead her into the way of truth and salvation.

Why, this man was born a devil; now think of his describing himself and
those hardened slaves of his in such language as that.

And yet, worse was to come. For now having in mind another of Lovier's
hints, he had the cold effrontery to make to Joan a proposition which,
I think, will surprise you when you hear it. He said that this court,
recognizing her untaught estate and her inability to deal with the
complex and difficult matters which were about to be considered, had
determined, out of their pity and their mercifulness, to allow her to
choose one or more persons out of their own number to help her with
counsel and advice!

Think of that--a court made up of Loyseleur and his breed of reptiles.
It was granting leave to a lamb to ask help of a wolf. Joan looked up to
see if he was serious, and perceiving that he was at least pretending to
be, she declined, of course.

The Bishop was not expecting any other