between her mother and Father Paul.

"Every cause has its Joan of Arc, or its Maria Theresa," he
cried, looking steadfastly at Miss Carson. "No cause has
succeeded without some good woman to aid it. To help us, my
friends, we have a daughter of the people, as was Joan of Arc,
and a queen, as was Maria Theresa, for she comes from that
country where every woman is a queen in her own right, and
where the love of liberty is inherent." The King took a quick
step backward, and taking Miss Carson's hand drew her forward
beside him and placed her facing his audience, while the girl
made vain efforts to withdraw her hand. "This is she," he
said earnestly, "the true daughter of the Church who has made
it possible for us to return to our own again. It is due to
her that the King of Messina shall sit once more on his
throne; it is through her generosity alone that the churches
will rise from their ruins and that you will once again hear
the Angelus ring across the fields at sunset. Remember her,
my friends and cousins, pray for her as a saint upon earth,
and fight gloriously to help her to success!"

Gordon had restrained himself with difficulty while this scene
was being enacted; he could not bear the thought of the King
touching the girl's hand. He struggled to prevent himself
from crying out at the false position into which he had
dragged her; and yet there was something so admirably sincere
in the King's words, something so courteous and manly, that it
robbed his words of all the theatrical effect they held, and
his tribute to the girl filled even Gordon with an emotion
which on the part of the young nobles found expression in