eral days went by and
the 14th of February was come. Then Joan went to the castle and said:

"In God's name, Robert de Baudricourt, you are too slow about sending
me, and have caused damage thereby, for this day the Dauphin's cause has
lost a battle near Orleans, and will suffer yet greater injury if you do
not send me to him soon."

The governor was perplexed by this speech, and said:

"To-day, child, to-day? How can you know what has happened in that
region to-day? It would take eight or ten days for the word to come."

"My Voices have brought the word to me, and it is true. A battle was
lost to-day, and you are in fault to delay me so."

The governor walked the floor awhile, talking within himself, but
letting a great oath fall outside now and then; and finally he said:

"Harkye! go in peace, and wait. If it shall turn out as you say, I will
give you the letter and send you to the King, and not otherwise."

Joan said with fervor:

"Now God be thanked, these waiting days are almost done. In nine days
you will fetch me the letter."

Already the people of Vaucouleurs had given her a horse and had armed
and equipped her as a soldier. She got no chance to try the horse and
see if she could ride it, for her great first duty was to abide at her
post and lift up the hopes and spirits of all who would come to talk
with her, and prepare them to help in the rescue and regeneration of
the kingdom. This occupied every waking moment she had. But it was no
matter. There was nothing she could not learn--and in the briefest time,
too. Her horse would find this out in the first hour. Meantime the
brothers and I took the horse in turn and began to learn to ride. And we
had teaching in the use of the sword and other arms also.

On the 20th Joan called her small army together--the two knights and
her two brothers and me--for a private council of war. No, it was not a
council, that is not the right name, for she did not consult with us,
she merely gave us orders. She mapped out the course she would travel
toward the King, and did it like a person perfectly versed in geography;
and this itinerary of daily marches was so arranged as to avoid here and
there peculiarly dangerous regions by flank movements--which showed that
she knew her political geography as intimately as she knew her physical
geography; yet she had never had a day's schooling, of course, and was
without education. I was astonished, but thought her Voices must have