l, ugly words--they "had the
very look of it."

Then we heard a strong voice down the corridor announcing:

"His majesty's messenger--with despatches for her Excellency the
Commander-in-Chief of the Armies of France!"

29 Fierce Talbot Reconsiders

I KNEW she had seen the wisdom of the Tree. But when? I could not know.
Doubtless before she had lately told the King to use her, for that she
had but one year left to work in. It had not occurred to me at the time,
but the conviction came upon me now that at that time she had already
seen the Tree. It had brought her a welcome message; that was plain,
otherwise she could not have been so joyous and light-hearted as she had
been these latter days. The death-warning had nothing dismal about it
for her; no, it was remission of exile, it was leave to come home.

Yes, she had seen the Tree. No one had taken the prophecy to heart which
she made to the King; and for a good reason, no doubt; no one wanted to
take it to heart; all wanted to banish it away and forget it. And all
had succeeded, and would go on to the end placid and comfortable. All
but me alone. I must carry my awful secret without any to help me. A
heavy load, a bitter burden; and would cost me a daily heartbreak. She
was to die; and so soon. I had never dreamed of that. How could I, and
she so strong and fresh and young, and every day earning a new right
to a peaceful and honored old age? For at that time I thought old age
valuable. I do not know why, but I thought so. All young people think
it, I believe, they being ignorant and full of superstitions. She
had seen the Tree. All that miserable night those ancient verses went
floating back and forth through my brain:

And when, in exile wand'ring, we
Shall fainting yearn for glimpse of thee,
Oh, rise upon our sight!

But at dawn the bugles and the drums burst through the dreamy hush of
the morning, and it was turn out all! mount and ride. For there was red
work to be done.

We marched to Meung without halting. There we carried the bridge by
assault, and left a force to hold it, the rest of the army marching away
next morning toward Beaugency, where the lion Talbot, the terror of
the French, was in command. When we arrived at that place, the English
retired into the castle and we sat down in the abandoned town.

Talbot was not at the moment present in person, for he had gone away to
watch for and welcome Fastolfe and his reinforcement of