ions. When they heard that rich voice of hers they must have
thought it was a flute; and when they saw her deep eyes and her face,
and the soul that looked out of that face, you could see that the sight
of her stirred them like a poem, like lofty eloquence, like martial
music. One of them wrote home to his people, and in his letter he said,
"It seemed something divine to see her and hear her." Ah, yes, and it
was a true word. Truer word was never spoken.

He saw her when she was ready to begin her march and open the campaign,
and this is what he said about it:

"She was clothed all in white armor save her head, and in her hand she
carried a little battle-ax; and when she was ready to mount her great
black horse he reared and plunged and would not let her. Then she said,
'Lead him to the cross.' This cross was in front of the church close by.
So they led him there. Then she mounted, and he never budged, any more
than if he had been tied. Then she turned toward the door of the church
and said, in her soft womanly voice, 'You, priests and people of the
Church, make processions and pray to God for us!' Then she spurred
away, under her standard, with her little ax in her hand, crying
'Forward--march!' One of her brothers, who came eight days ago, departed
with her; and he also was clad all in white armor."

I was there, and I saw it, too; saw it all, just as he pictures it.
And I see it yet--the little battle-ax, the dainty plumed cap, the
white armor--all in the soft June afternoon; I see it just as if it were
yesterday. And I rode with the staff--the personal staff--the staff of
Joan of Arc.

That young count was dying to go, too, but the King held him back for
the present. But Joan had made him a promise. In his letter he said:

"She told me that when the King starts for Rheims I shall go with him.
But God grant I may not have to wait till then, but may have a part in
the battles!"

She made him that promise when she was taking leave of my lady the
Duchess d'Alencon. The duchess was exacting a promise, so it seemed a
proper time for others to do the like. The duchess was troubled for her
husband, for she foresaw desperate fighting; and she held Joan to her
breast, and stroked her hair lovingly, and said:

"You must watch over him, dear, and take care of him, and send him
back to me safe. I require it of you; I will not let you go till you
promise."

Joan said:

"I give you the promise with all my heart; and it