presently said:

"Well, I'll do it for you, but before I would do it for another, I swear
I--"

"But don't swear. Break it off."

"Break it off? It is impossible! I beg you to--to--Why--oh, my General, it
is my native speech!"

He begged so hard for grace for his impediment, that Joan left him one
fragment of it; she said he might swear by his baton, the symbol of his
generalship.

He promised that he would swear only by his baton when in her presence,
and would try to modify himself elsewhere, but doubted he could manage
it, now that it was so old and stubborn a habit, and such a solace and
support to his declining years.

That tough old lion went away from there a good deal tamed and
civilized--not to say softened and sweetened, for perhaps those
expressions would hardly fit him. Noel and I believed that when he was
away from Joan's influence his old aversions would come up so strong in
him that he could not master them, and so wouldn't go to mass. But we
got up early in the morning to see.

Satan was converted, you see. Well, the rest followed. Joan rode up
and down that camp, and wherever that fair young form appeared in its
shining armor, with that sweet face to grace the vision and perfect
it, the rude host seemed to think they saw the god of war in person,
descended out of the clouds; and first they wondered, then they
worshiped. After that, she could do with them what she would.

In three days it was a clean camp and orderly, and those barbarians were
herding to divine service twice a day like good children. The women
were gone. La Hire was stunned by these marvels; he could not understand
them. He went outside the camp when he wanted to swear. He was that sort
of a man--sinful by nature and habit, but full of superstitious respect
for holy places.

The enthusiasm of the reformed army for Joan, its devotion to her,
and the hot desire she had aroused in it to be led against the enemy,
exceeded any manifestations of this sort which La Hire had ever seen
before in his long career. His admiration of it all, and his wonder over
the mystery and miracle of it, were beyond his power to put into words.
He had held this army cheap before, but his pride and confidence in it
knew no limits now. He said:

"Two or three days ago it was afraid of a hen-roost; one could storm the
gates of hell with it now."

Joan and he were inseparable, and a quaint and pleasant contrast they
made. He was so big, she so little;