nything and everything of a superstitious sort, in
fact. He said, with a rising hopefulness:

"I wish it might come true. Do you think it will come true?"

"Certainly; I might almost say I know it will, for my dreams hardly ever
fail."

"Noel, I could hug you if that dream could come true, I could, indeed!
To be servant of the first General of France and have all the world hear
of it, and the news go back to the village and make those gawks stare
that always said I wouldn't ever amount to anything--wouldn't it be
great! Do you think it will come true, Noel? Don't you believe it will?"

"I do. There's my hand on it."

"Noel, if it comes true I'll never forget you--shake again! I should be
dressed in a noble livery, and the news would go to the village, and
those animals would say, 'Him, lackey to the General-in-Chief, with the
eyes of the whole world on him, admiring--well, he has shot up into the
sky now, hasn't he!"

He began to walk the floor and pile castles in the air so fast and so
high that we could hardly keep up with him. Then all of a sudden all the
joy went out of his face and misery took its place, and he said:

"Oh, dear, it is all a mistake, it will never come true. I forgot that
foolish business at Toul. I have kept out of her sight as much as I
could, all these weeks, hoping she would forget that and forgive it--but
I know she never will. She can't, of course. And, after all, I wasn't to
blame. I did say she promised to marry me, but they put me up to it and
persuaded me. I swear they did!" The vast creature was almost crying.
Then he pulled himself together and said, remorsefully, "It was the only
lie I've ever told, and--"

He was drowned out with a chorus of groans and outraged exclamations;
and before he could begin again, one of D'Aulon's liveried servants
appeared and said we were required at headquarters. We rose, and Noel
said:

"There--what did I tell you? I have a presentiment--the spirit of prophecy
is upon me. She is going to appoint him, and we are to go there and do
him homage. Come along!"

But the Paladin was afraid to go, so we left him.

When we presently stood in the presence, in front of a crowd of
glittering officers of the army, Joan greeted us with a winning smile,
and said she appointed all of us to places in her household, for she
wanted her old friends by her. It was a beautiful surprise to have
ourselves honored like this when she could have had people of birth and