Buttheaccountdoesnotendhere。M。Wallon，inhiselaboratehistoryofJeanned’Arc，statesthatin1436thesupposedMaidvisitedFrance，andappearstohavemetsomeofthemen-at-armswithwhomshehadfought。In1439shecametoOrleans，forintheaccountsofthetownweread，“July28，fortenpintsofwinepresentedtoJeannedesArmoises，14sous。“Andonthedayofherdeparture，thecitizensofOrleans，byaspecialdecreeofthetown-council，presentedherwith210livres，“fortheserviceswhichshehadrenderedtothesaidcityduringthesiege。“Atthesametimetheannualceremoniesforthereposeofhersoulwere，quitenaturally，suppressed。NowwemayaskifitisatallprobablethatthepeopleofOrleans，who，tenyearsbefore，duringthesiege，musthaveseentheMaiddayafterday，andtowhomherwholeappearancemusthavebeenperfectlyfamiliar，wouldhavebeenlikelytoshowsuchattentionsasthesetoanimpostor？“In1440，“saysMr。Delepierre，“thepeoplesofirmlybelievedthatJeanned’Arcwasstillalive，andthatanotherhadbeensacrificedinherplace，thatanadventuresswhoendeavouredtopassherselfoffastheMaidofOrleanswasorderedbythegovernmenttobeexposedbeforethepubliconthemarblestoneofthepalacehall，inordertoprovethatshewasanimpostor。WhywerenotsuchmeasurestakenagainsttherealMaidofOrleans，whoismentionedinsomanypublicdocuments，andwhotooknopainstohideherself？“
　　Thereisyetanotherdocumentbearingonthiscase，drawnfromtheaccountsoftheauditoroftheOrleansestate，intheyear1444，whichwewillheretranslate。“AnislandontheRiverLoireisrestoredtoPierreduLis，knight，’onaccountofthesupplicationofthesaidPierre，allegingthatfortheacquittalofhisdebtofloyaltytowardourLordtheKingandM。theDukeofOrleans，helefthiscountrytocometotheserviceoftheKingandM。theDuke，accompaniedbyhissister，JeannetheMaid，withwhom，downtothetimeofherdeparture，andsince，untothepresenttime，hehasexposedhisbodyandgoodsinthesaidservice，andintheKing’swars，bothinresistingtheformerenemiesofthekingdomwhowerebesiegingthetownofOrleans，andsincethenindiversenterprises，’&c。，&c。“UponthisMr。
　　Delepierrejustlyremarksthatthebrothermighthavepresentedhisclaimsinamuchstrongerlight，“ifin1444，“insteadofsaying’uptothetimeofherdeparture，’hehadbroughtforwardthemartyrdomofhissister，ashavingbeenthemeansofsavingFrancefromtheyokeofEngland。“Theexpressionherecitedanditalicizedintheabovetranslation，mayindeedbeheldtoreferdelicatelytoherdeath，buttheparticularFrenchphraseemployed，“jusquesasonabsentement，“apparentlyexcludessuchaninterpretation。Theexpression，ontheotherhand，mightwellrefertoJeanne’sdepartureforLorraine，andhermarriage，afterwhichthereisnoevidencethatshereturnedtoFrance，exceptforbriefvisits。ThusanotableamountofevidencegoestoshowthatJeannewasnotputtodeathin1431，asusuallysupposed，butwasalive，married，andflourishingin1444。Uponthissupposition，certainallegeddifficultiesinthetraditionalaccountareeasilydisposedof。Mr。DelepierreurgesuponthetestimonyofPercevaldeCagny，thatattheexecutioninRouen“thevictim’sfacewascoveredwhenwalkingtothestake，whileatthesametimeaspothadbeenchosenfortheexecutionthatpermittedthepopulacetohaveagoodview。Whythiscontradiction？Aplaceischosentoenablethepeopletoseeeverything，butthevictimiscarefullyhiddenfromtheirsight。“
　　Whetherotherwiseexplicableornot，thisfactiscertainlyconsistentwiththehypothesisthatsomeothervictimwassecretlysubstitutedforJeannebytheEnglishauthorities。
　　Wehavethusfarcontentedourselveswithpresentingandre-enforcingMr。Delepierre’sstatementofthecase。Itisnowtimetointerposealittlecriticism。Wemustexamineourdatasomewhatmoreclosely，forvaguenessofconceptionallowsalatitudetobeliefwhichaccuracyofconceptionconsiderablyrestricts。
　　Onthehypothesisofhersurvival，wherewasJeanne，andwhatwasshedoingallthetimefromhercapturebeforeCompiegne，May24，1430，untilherappearanceatMetz，May20，1436？Mr。DelepierreremindsusthattheDukeofBedford，regentofFrancefortheEnglishking，diedin1435，and“thatmostprobablyJeanned’Arcwasreleasedfromprisonafterthisevent。“Nowthissuppositionlandsusinafatallyabsurdconclusion。Weare，infact，askedtobelievethattheEnglish，whileholdingJeannefastintheirclutches，gratuitouslywentthroughthehorridfarceofburningsomeoneelseinherstead；andthat，afterhavingthusinexplicablybehaved，theyfurtherstultifiedthemselvesbylettinghergoscot-free，thattheirfoolishnessmightbedulyexposedandconfuted。Suchatheoryischildish。IfJeanned’Arceversurvivedthe30thMay，1431，itwasbecausesheescapedfromprisonandsucceededinhidingherselfuntilsafertimes。Whencouldshehavedonethis？InasortiefromCompiegne，May24，1430，shewasthrownfromherhorsebyaPicardarcherandtakenprisonerbytheBastardofVendome，whosoldhertoJohnofLuxembourg。JohnkeptherinclosecustodyatBeaulieuuntilAugust。Whilethere，shemadetwoattemptstoescape；first，apparently，byrunningoutthroughadoor，whenshewasatoncecaughtbytheguards；secondly，byjumpingfromahighwindow，whentheshockofthefallwassogreatthatshelayinsensibleonthegrounduntildiscovered。ShewasthenremovedtoBeaurevoir，wheresheremaineduntilthebeginningofNovember。
　　Bythistime，Philip“theGood，“DukeofBurgundy，hadmadeuphismindtosellhertotheEnglishfor10，000francs；andJeannewasaccordinglytakentoArras，andthencetoCotoy，whereshewasdeliveredtotheEnglishbyPhilip’sofficers。Sofar，allisclear；buthereitmaybeasked，WASshereallydeliveredtotheEnglish，ordidPhilip，pocketinghis10，000francs，cheatanddefraudhisallieswithacounterfeitJeanne？Suchcrookeddealingwouldhavebeeninperfectkeepingwithhischaracter。
　　Thoughafarmoreagreeableandgentlemanlyperson，hewasalmostasconsummateandartisticarascalashisgreat-great-great-grandsonandnamesake，PhilipII。ofSpain。Hisduplicitywassounfathomableandhispolicysoobscure，thatitwouldbehardlysafetoaffirmapriorithathemightnot，forreasonsbestknowntohimself，haveplayedadoublegamewithhisfriendtheDukeofBedford。Onthishypothesis，hewouldofcoursekeepJeanneinclosecustodysolongastherewasanyreasonforkeepinghistreacherysecret。Butin1436，afterthedeathofBedfordandthefinalexpulsionoftheEnglishfromFrance，noharmcouldcomefromsettingheratliberty。
　　Butassoonasweceasetoreasonapriori，thisisseentobe，afterall，alamehypothesis。NoonecanreadthetrialofJeanneatRouen，thequestionsthatwereputtoherandtheanswerswhichshemade，withoutbeingconvincedthatweareheredealingwiththegenuineMaidandnotwithasubstitute。ThefirststepofacounterfeitJeannewouldhavenaturallybeentosaveherselffromtheflamesbyrevealinghertruecharacter。Moreover，amongthemultitudeswhosawherduringhercrueltrial，itisnotlikelythatnonewereacquaintedwiththetrueJeanne’svoiceandfeatures。WemustthereforeconcludethatJeanned’ArcwasreallyconsignedtothetendermerciesoftheEnglish。Aboutthe21stofNovembershewastakenonhorseback，stronglyguarded，fromCotoytoRouen，wherethetrialbeganJanuary9，1431。Onthe21stofFebruarysheappearedbeforethecourt；onthe13thofMarchshewasexaminedintheprisonbyaninquisitor；andonMay24，theThursdayafterPentecost，uponascaffoldconspicuouslyplacedintheCemeteryofSt。Ouen，shepubliclyrecanted，abjuringher“heresies“andaskingtheChurch’spardonforher“witchcraft。“
　　WemaybesurethattheChurchdignitarieswouldnotknowinglyhavemadesuchpublicdisplayofacounterfeitJeanne；norcouldtheywellhavebeendeceivedthemselvesundersuchcircumstances。
　　Itmayindeedbesaid，toexhaustallpossiblesuppositions，thatayounggirlwonderfullysimilarinfeatureandvoicetoJeanned’ArcwaspalmedoffupontheEnglishbyDukePhilip，andafterwards，onhertrial，comportedherselfliketheMaid，trustinginthisrecantationtoeffectherrelease。Butweconsidersuchanhypothesisextremelyfar-fetched，nordoesitaccordwiththeeventswhichimmediatelyfollowed。ItseemshardlyquestionablethatitwastherealJeannewhopubliclyrecantedonthe24thofMay。Thiswasonlysixdaysbeforetheexecution。Fourdaysafter，onMondaythe28th，itwasreportedthatJeannehadrelapsed，thatshehad，indefianceoftheChurch’sprohibition，clothedherselfinmaleattire，whichhadbeenleftinaconvenientplacebytheauthorities，expresslytotesthersincerity。Onthenextdaybutone，thewomanpurportingtobetheMaidofOrleanswasledout，withherfacecarefullycovered，andburntatthestake。
　　Hereisthefirstcombinationofcircumstanceswhichbearsasuspiciouslook。ItdisposesofourBurgundyhypothesis，forafalseJeanne，afterrecantingtosecurehersafety，wouldneverhavestultifiedherselfbysuchabarefacedrelapse。ButthetrueJeanne，afterrecanting，mightcertainlyhaveescaped。Somecompassionateguard，whobeforewouldhavescrupledtoassistherwhileunderthebanoftheChurch，mighthavedeemedhimselfexcusableforlendingherhisaidaftershehadbeenabsolved。
　　Postulating，then，thatJeanneescapedfromRouenbetweenthe24thandthe28th，howshallweexplainwhathappenedimmediatelyafterward？
　　TheEnglishfearedJeanned’Arcasmuchastheyhatedher。Shehad，byhermerepresenceattheheadoftheFrencharmy，turnedtheirapparenttriumphintoignominiousdefeat。Inthosedaysthetruepsychologicalexplanationofsuchaneventwasbynomeansobvious。WhiletheFrenchattributedtheresulttocelestialinterpositionintheirbehalf，theEnglish，equallyreadytoadmititssupernaturalcharacter，consideredthepowersofhellratherthanthoseofheaventohavebeentheprimeinstigators。
　　IntheireyesJeannewasawitch，anditwasatleasttheircuetoexhibitherassuch。TheymighthaveputhertodeathwhenshefirstreachedRouen。Somepersons，indeed，wentsofarastoadvisethatsheshouldbesewedupinasackandthrownatonceintotheSeine；butthiswasnotwhattheauthoritieswanted。Thewholeelaboratetrial，andtheextortedrecantation，weredevisedforthepurposeofdemonstratinghertobeawitch，andthusdestroyinghercreditwiththecommonpeople。Thattheyintendedafterwardstoburnhercannotforaninstantbedoubted；thatwastheonlyfitconsummationfortheirevilwork。
　　Nowwhen，attheendoftheweekafterPentecost，thebishopsandinquisitorsatRouenlearned，totheirdismay，thattheirvictimhadescaped，whatweretheytodo？Confessthattheyhadbeenfoiled，andcreateapanicinthearmybythenewsthattheirdreadedenemywasatliberty？Orboldlycarryouttheirpurposesbyafictitiousexecution，trustingintheauthoritywhichofficialstatementsalwayscarry，andshrewdlyforeseeingthat，afterherrecantation，thedisgracedMaidwouldnomoreventuretoclaimforherselftheleadershipoftheFrenchforces？
　　Clearly，thelatterwouldhavebeenthewisercourse。Wemayassume，then，that，bytheafternoonofthe28th，thestoryoftherelapsewaspromulgated，asasuitablepreparationforwhatwastocome；andthatonthe30ththepoorcreaturewhohadbeenhastilychosentofigureasthecondemnedMaidwasledout，withfacecloselyveiled，toperishbyaslowfireintheoldmarket-place。MeanwhilethetrueJeannewouldhavemadeherway，doubtless，inwhattoherwastheeffectualdisguiseofawoman’sapparel，tosomeobscureplaceofsafety，outsideofdoubtfulFranceandtreacherousBurgundy，perhapsinAlsaceortheVosges。
　　Hereshewouldremain，untilthefinalexpulsionoftheEnglishandtheconclusionofatreatyofpeacein1436madeitsafeforhertoshowherself；whenshewouldnaturallyreturntoLorrainetoseekherfamily。