ell as he could. He simply waved the compliment aside with his hand and
said, with complacency:

"It is nothing. I have them often--ideas like that--and even greater
ones. I do not consider this one much."

"You astonish me; you do, indeed. So it is really your own?"

"Quite. And there is plenty more where it came from"--tapping his head
with his finger, and taking occasion at the same time to cant his morion
over his right ear, which gave him a very self-satisfied air--"I do not
need to borrow my ideas, like Noel Rainguesson."

"Speaking of Noel, when did you see him last?"

"Half an hour ago. He is sleeping yonder like a corpse. Rode with us last
night."

I felt a great upleap in my heart, and said to myself, now I am at rest
and glad; I will never doubt her prophecies again. Then I said aloud:

"It gives me joy. It makes me proud of our village. There is not keeping
our lion-hearts at home in these great times, I see that."

"Lion-heart! Who--that baby? Why, he begged like a dog to be let off.
Cried, and said he wanted to go to his mother. Him a lion-heart!--that
tumble-bug!"

"Dear me, why I supposed he volunteered, of course. Didn't he?"

"Oh, yes, he volunteered the way people do to the headsman. Why, when he
found I was coming up from Domremy to volunteer, he asked me to let him
come along in my protection, and see the crowds and the excitement. Well,
we arrived and saw the torches filing out at the Castle, and ran there,
and the governor had him seized, along with four more, and he begged to
be let off, and I begged for his place, and at last the governor allowed
me to join, but wouldn't let Noel off, because he was disgusted with him,
he was such a cry-baby. Yes, and much good he'll do the King's service;
he'll eat for six and run for sixteen. I hate a pygmy with half a heart
and nine stomachs!"

"Why, this is very surprising news to me, and I am sorry and disappointed
to hear it. I thought he was a very manly fellow."

The Paladin gave me an outraged look, and said:

"I don't see how you can talk like that, I'm sure I don't. I don't see
how you could have got such a notion. I don't dislike him, and I'm not
saying these things out of prejudice, for I don't allow myself to have
prejudices against people. I like him, and have always comraded with him
from the cradle, but he must allow me to speak my mind about his faults,
and I am willing he shall speak his about mine, if I have any. And, true
enou