ey burned my beloved
patroness ended England. Now the English are but merchants, and they
have a heretical church.

"You should have seen the honors we paid the Maid here. _Mais,
Monsieur_, she has done much for these islands. The natives love her.
She is a saint. She should be canonized. But the opposition will not
down. There is reason to believe that the devil, Satan himself, or
at least important aides of his, are laboring against the doing of
justice to the Maid. She is powerful now, and doubtless has great
influence with the Holy Virgin in Heaven, but as a true saint she
would be invincible." The old priest's eyes shone with his faith.

"You do not doubt her miraculous intercession?" I asked.

Pere Simeon lit another cigarette, watered his wine, and lifted from
a shelf a sheaf of pamphlets. They were hectographed, not printed
from type, for he is the human printing-press of all this region,
and all were in his clear and exquisite writing. He held them and
referred to them as he went on.

"She was born five hundred years ago on the day of the procession in
Tai-o-hae. That itself is a marvel. Such an anniversary occurs but
twice in a millennium. After all my humble services in these islands
that I should be permitted to be here on such a wonderful day proves
to me the everlasting mercy of God. Here is the account I have
written in Marquesan of her life, and here the record of the fete
upon the anniversary."

As he showed me the brochures written beautifully in purple and red
inks, recording the history of the Maid of Orleans, with many
canticles in her praise, learned dissertations upon her career and
holiness, maps showing her march and starred at Oleane, Kopiegne,
and Rua to indicate that great things had occurred at Orleans, Compiegne,
and Rouen, Pere Simeon pointed out to me that it was of supreme
importance that the Marquesan people should be given a proper
understanding of the historical and geographical conditions of
England and France in Joan's time.

He had spent months, even years, in preparing for the celebration of
her fete-day.

"And _Monsieur_, by the blessed grace of Joan, only the whites got
drunk. Not a Marquesan was far gone in liquor throughout the three
days of the feast. There was temptation in plenty, for though I gave
only the chiefs and a few intimates any wine, several of the
Europeans in their enthusiasm for our dear patroness distributed
absinthe and rum to those who had the pric