noon
What could he be speaking of ? He answered as though the question had passed my lips . `` It was May of this present year of grace , '' he said , `` I mind it the better that it was the Feast of the Ascension , and I had kept fast and vigil , had made my confession and received the Holy Sacrament early in the day . I was in my lodging overlooking the market place , and hard by the Castle which as you know hangs , as it were , over the town , guarding or threatening it , as the case may be , when a messenger arrived from my kinsman , De Baudricourt , bidding me to a council which he was holding at noon that day . I went to him without delay ; and he did tell me a strange tale . `` Not long since , so he said , an honest prud ` homme of the neighbouring village of Burey le Petit , Durand Laxart by name , had asked speech with him , and had then told him that a young niece of his , dwelling in the village of Domremy , had come to him a few days since , saying it had been revealed to her how that she was to be used by the God of Heaven as an instrument in His hands for the redemption of France ; and she had been told in a vision to go first to the Seigneur de Baudricourt , who would then find means whereby she should be sent to the Dauphin -LRB- as she called him -RRB- , whom she was to cause to be made King of France . '' `` Mort de Dieu ! ''