"A low-born woman! Would they speak thus of the
Blessed Virgin? And yet according to the wisdom of the flesh it
would be as true of one as of the other."
The Treasurer spoke with grave thoughtfulness:
"Truly do I think that any person honoured by the Lord with a
direct mission from Himself becomes something different by virtue
of that mission from what he or she was before. Yet we may not
confound this mission of the Maid here in Orleans with that one
which came to the Blessed Mary."
"Nor had I any thought," answered Bertrand, "of likening one to the
other, save inasmuch as both have been maidens, born in lowly
surroundings, yet chosen for purity of heart and life, and for
childlike faith and obedience, for the honour of receiving a divine
commission. There the parallel stops; for there can be no
comparison regarding the work appointed to each. Yet even as this
Maid shall fulfil her appointed task in obedience to the
injunctions received, she is worthy to be called the handmaid of
the Lord."
"To that I have nought to say but yea," answered the Treasurer
heartily, "and I pray our Lord and the Blessed Virgin to be with
her and strengthen her, for I fear me she will have foes to contend
with from within as well as from without the city; and as all men
know, it is the distrust and contradiction of so-called friends
which is harder to bear than the open enmity of the foe.
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