and get has been taken away from her. There is something infinitely
pathetic about this. France owes Domremy a hundred years of taxes, and
could hardly find a citizen within her borders who would vote against the
payment of the debt. -- NOTE BY THE TRANSLATOR.



36 Joan Hears News from Home

WE MOUNTED and rode, a spectacle to remember, a most noble display of
rich vestments and nodding plumes, and as we moved between the banked
multitudes they sank down all along abreast of us as we advanced, like
grain before the reaper, and kneeling hailed with a rousing welcome the
consecrated King and his companion the Deliverer of France. But by and by
when we had paraded about the chief parts of the city and were come near
to the end of our course, we being now approaching the Archbishop's
palace, one saw on the right, hard by the inn that is called the Zebra, a
strange t--two men not kneeling but standing! Standing in the front rank
of the kneelers; unconscious, transfixed, staring. Yes, and clothed in
the coarse garb of the peasantry, these two. Two halberdiers sprang at
them in a fury to teach them better manners; but just as they seized them
Joan cried out "Forbear!" and slid from her saddle and flung her arms
about one of those peasants, calling him by all manner of endearing
names, and sobbing. For it was her father; and the other was her uncle,
Laxart.

The news flew everywhere, and shouts of welcome were raised, and in just
one little moment those two despised and unknown plebeians were become
famous and popular and envied, and everybody was in a fever to get sight
of them and be able to say, all their lives long, that they had seen the