midnight
Consider the depth , the wisdom of that answer , coming from an ignorant girl . Why , there were not six men in the world who had ever reflected that words forced out of a person by horrible tortures were not necessarily words of verity and truth , yet this unlettered peasant-girl put her finger upon that flaw with an unerring instinct . I had always supposed that torture brought out the truth -- everybody supposed it ; and when Joan came out with those simple common-sense words they seemed to flood the place with light . It was like a lightning-flash at midnight which suddenly reveals a fair valley sprinkled over with silver streams and gleaming villages and farmsteads where was only an impenetrable world of darkness before . Manchon stole a sidewise look at me , and his face was full of surprise ; and there was the like to be seen in other faces there . Consider -- they were old , and deeply cultured , yet here was a village maid able to teach them something which they had not known before . I heard one of them mutter : `` Verily it is a wonderful creature .