JOHANNA.
Away! away!
LA HIRE.
Art thou terrified At thine own banner, maiden? Look at it!
[He displays the banner.
It is the same thou didst in conquest wave.
Imaged upon it is the queen of heaven, Floating in glory o"er this earthly ball; For so the Holy Mother showed it thee.
[JOHANNA gazing upon it with horror.
"Tis she herself! so she appeared to me.
See, how she looks at me and knits her brow, And anger flashes from her threatening eye!
SOREL.
Alas, she raveth! Maiden, be composed!
Collect thyself! Thou seest nothing real!
That is her pictured image; she herself Wanders above, amid the angelic choir!
JOHANNA.
Thou comest, fearful one, to punish me?
Destroy, o"erwhelm, thy lightnings hurl, And let them fall upon my guilty head.
Alas, my vow I"ve broken. I"ve profaned And desecrated thy most holy name!
DUNOIS.
Woe"s us! What may this mean? What unblest words?
LA HIRE (in astonishment, to DUCHATEL).
This strange emotion canst thou comprehend?
DUCHATEL.
That which I see, I see--I long have feared it.
DUNOIS.
What sayest thou?
DUCHATEL.
I dare not speak my thoughts.
I would to heaven that the king were crowned!
LA HIRE.
How! hath the awe this banner doth inspire Turned back upon thyself? before this sign Let Britons tremble; to the foes of France "Tis fearful, but to all true citizens It is auspicious.
JOHANNA.
Yes, thou sayest truly!
To friends "tis gracious! but to enemies It causeth horror!
[The Coronation march is heard.
DUNOIS.
Take thy banner, then!
The march begins--no time is to be lost!
[They press the banner upon her; she seizes it with evident emotion, and retires; the others follow.
[The scene changes to an open place before the Cathedral.
SCENE IV.
Spectators occupy the background; BERTRAND, CLAUDE MARIE, and ETIENNE come forward; then MARGOT and LOUISON. The Coronation march is heard in the distance.
BERTRAND.
Hark to the music! They approach already!
What had we better do? Shall we mount up Upon the platform, or press through the crowd, That we may nothing lose of the procession?
ETIENNE.
It is not to be thought of. All the streets Are thronged with hors.e.m.e.n and with carriages.
Beside these houses let us take our stand, Here we without annoyance may behold The train as it goes by.
CLAUDE MARIE.
Almost it seems As were the half of France a.s.sembled here, So mighty is the flood that it hath reached Even our distant Lotharingian land And borne us thither!
BERTRAND.
Who would sit at home When great events are stirring in the land!
It hath cost plenty, both of sweat and blood, Ere the crown rested on its rightful head!
Nor shall our lawful king, to whom we give The crown, be worse accompanied than he Whom the Parisians in St. Denis crowned!
He is no loyal, honest-minded man Who doth absent him from this festival, And joins not in the cry: "G.o.d save the King!"
SCENE V.
MARGOT and LOUISON join them.
LOUISON.
We shall again behold our sister, Margot!
How my heart beats!
MARGOT.
In majesty and pomp We shall behold her, saying to ourselves: It is our sister, it is our Johanna!
LOUISON.
Till I have seen her, I can scarce believe That she, whom men the Maid of Orleans name, The mighty warrior, is indeed Johanna, Our sister whom we lost!
[The music draws nearer.