Volume I Part 20 (1/2)

So the soldier sighed and said he would advertise the ma.s.s, but said he doubted if there was a man in camp that was any more likely to go to it than he was himself. Then there was another surprise for him, for Joan said:

”But, dear man, you are going!”

”I? Impossible! Oh, this is lunacy!”

”Oh, no, it isn't. You are going to the service?twice a day.”

”Oh, am I dreaming? Am I drunk?or is my hearing playing me false? Why, I would rather go to?”

”Never mind where. In the morning you are going to begin, and after that it will come easy. Now don't look downhearted like that. Soon you won't mind it.”

La Hire tried to cheer up, but he was not able to do it. He sighed like a zephyr, and 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 generals.h.i.+p.

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 ma.s.s. 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 s.h.i.+ning armor, with that sweet face to grace the vision and perfect it, the rude host seemed to think they saw the G.o.d of war in person, descended out of the clouds; and first they wondered, then they wors.h.i.+ped. 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 superst.i.tious 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 h.e.l.l with it now.”

Joan and he were inseparable, and a quaint and pleasant contrast they made. He was so big, she so little; he was so gray and so far along in his pilgrimage of life, she so youthful; his face was so bronzed and scarred, hers so fair and pink, so fresh and smooth; she was so gracious, and he so stern; she was so pure, so innocent, he such a cyclopedia of sin. In her eye was stored all charity and compa.s.sion, in his lightnings; when her glance fell upon you it seemed to bring benediction and the peace of G.o.d, but with his it was different, generally.

They rode through the camp a dozen times a day, visiting every corner of it, observing, inspecting, perfecting; and wherever they appeared the enthusiasm broke forth. They rode side by side, he a great figure of brawn and muscle, she a little masterwork of roundness and grace; he a fortress of rusty iron, she a s.h.i.+ning statuette of silver; and when the reformed raiders and bandits caught sight of them they spoke out, with affection and welcome in their voices, and said:

”There they come?Satan and the Page of Christ!”

All the three days that we were in Blois, Joan worked earnestly and tirelessly to bring La Hire to G.o.d?to rescue him from the bondage of sin?to breathe into his stormy heart the serenity and peace of religion.

She urged, she begged, she implored him to pray. He stood out, three days of our stay, begging about piteously to be let off?to be let off from just that one thing, that impossible thing; he would do anything else?anything?command, and he would obey?he would go through the fire for her if she said the word?but spare him this, only this, for he couldn't pray, had never prayed, he was ignorant of how to frame a prayer, he had no words to put it in.

And yet?can any believe it??she carried even that point, she won that incredible victory. She made La Hire pray. It shows, I think, that nothing was impossible to Joan of Arc. Yes, he stood there before her and put up his mailed hands and made a prayer. And it was not borrowed, but was his very own; he had none to help him frame it, he made it out of his own head?saying:

”Fair Sir G.o.d, I pray you to do by La Hire as he would do by you if you were La Hire and he were G.o.d.” 1

Then he put on his helmet and marched out of Joan's tent as satisfied with himself as any one might be who had arranged a perplexed and difficult business to the content and admiration of all the parties concerned in the matter.

If I had know that he had been praying, I could have understood why he was feeling so superior, but of course I could not know that.