"Who is your Lord?"

"He is God."

Then the Sieur de Metz, following the impressive old feudal fashion,
knelt and laid his hands within Joan's in sign of fealty, and made oath
that by God's help he himself would take her to the king.

The next day came the Sieur Bertrand de Poulengy, and he also pledged his
oath and knightly honor to abide with her and follower witherosever she
might lead.

This day, too, toward evening, a great rumor went flying abroad through
the town--namely, that the very governor himself was going to visit the
young girl in her humble lodgings. So in the morning the streets and
lanes were packed with people waiting to see if this strange thing would
indeed happen. And happen it did. The governor rode in state, attended by
his guards, and the news of it went everywhere, and made a great
sensation, and modified the scoffings of the people of quality and raised
Joan's credit higher than ever.

The governor had made up his mind to one thing: Joan was either a witch
or a saint, and he meant to find out which it was. So he brought a priest
with him to exorcise the devil that was in her in case there was one
there. The priest performed his office, but found no devil. He merely
hurt Joan's feelings and offended her piety without need, for he had
already confessed her before this, and should have known, if he knew
anything, that devils cannot abide the confessional, but utter cries of
anguish and the most profane and furious cursings whenever they are
confronted with that holy office.