; and could have looked upon the crowning itself, and carried
that home to tell. Ah, why did you use me so, and send me no word?"

The old father was embarrassed, now, quite visibly embarrassed, and had
the air of one who does not quite know what to say. But Joan was looking
up in his face, her hands upon his shoulders--waiting. He had to speak;
so presently he drew her to his breast, which was heaving with emotion;
and he said, getting out his words with difficulty:

"There, hide your face, child, and let your old father humble himself
and make his confession. I--I--don't you see, don't you understand?--I
could not know that these grandeurs would not turn your young head--it
would be only natural. I might shame you before these great per--"

"Father!"

"And then I was afraid, as remembering that cruel thing I said once in
my sinful anger. Oh, appointed of God to be a soldier, and the greatest
in the land! and in my ignorant anger I said I would drown you with my
own hands if you unsexed yourself and brought shame to your name and
family. Ah, how could I ever have said it, and you so good and dear
and innocent! I was afraid; for I was guilty. You understand it now, my
child, and you forgive?"

Do you see? Even that poor groping old land-crab, with his skull full of
pulp, had pride. Isn't it wonderful? And more--he had conscience; he had
a sense of right and wrong, such as it was; he was able to find remorse.
It looks impossible, it looks incredible, but it is not. I believe that
some day it will be found out that peasants are people. Yes, beings in
a great many respects like ourselves. And I believe that some day they
will find this out, too--and then! Well, then I think they will rise up
and demand to be regarded as part of the race, and that by consequence
there will be trouble. Whenever one sees in a book or in a king's
proclamation those words "the nation," they bring before us the upper
classes; only those; we know no other "nation"; for us and the kings no
other "nation" exists. But from the day that I saw old D'Arc the peasant
acting and feeling just as I should have acted and felt myself, I have
carried the conviction in my heart that our peasants are not merely
animals, beasts of burden put here by the good God to produce food
and comfort for the "nation," but something more and better. You
look incredulous. Well, that is your training; it is the training of
everybody; but as for me, I thank that incident f