first
generals of France had called impossible was accomplished; in spite of
all that the King's ministers and war-councils could do to prevent it,
this little country-maid at seventeen had carried her immortal task
through, and had done it in four days!

Good news travels fast, sometimes, as well as bad. By the time we were
ready to start homeward by the bridge the whole city of Orleans was one
red flame of bonfires, and the heavens blushed with satisfaction to see
it; and the booming and bellowing of cannon and the banging of bells
surpassed by great odds anything that even Orleans had attempted before
in the way of noise.

When we arrived--well, there is no describing that. Why, those acres
of people that we plowed through shed tears enough to raise the river;
there was not a face in the glare of those fires that hadn't tears
streaming down it; and if Joan's feet had not been protected by iron
they would have kissed them off of her. "Welcome! welcome to the Maid
of Orleans!" That was the cry; I heard it a hundred thousand times.
"Welcome to our Maid!" some of them worded it.

No other girl in all history has ever reached such a summit of glory as
Joan of Arc reached that day. And do you think it turned her head, and
that she sat up to enjoy that delicious music of homage and applause?
No; another girl would have done that, but not this one. That was the
greatest heart and the simplest that ever beat. She went straight to bed
and to sleep, like any tired child; and when the people found she was
wounded and would rest, they shut off all passage and traffic in that
region and stood guard themselves the whole night through, to see that
he slumbers were not disturbed. They said, "She has given us peace, she
shall have peace herself."

All knew that that region would be empty of English next day, and all
said that neither the present citizens nor their posterity would ever
cease to hold that day sacred to the memory of Joan of Arc. That word
has been true for more than sixty years; it will continue so always.
Orleans will never forget the 8th of May, nor ever fail to celebrate it.
It is Joan of Arc's day--and holy. (1)

(1)It is still celebrated every year with civic and military pomps and
solemnities.--TRANSLATOR.

Chapter 23 Joan Inspires the Tawdry King

IN THE earliest dawn of morning, Talbot and his English forces evacuated
their bastilles and marched away, not stopping to burn, destroy, or
carry off