then she said are you going to be a soldier always these wars are so long � so long they last forever and ever and ever there was a glad flash in s eye as she cried this campaign will do all the really hard work that is in front of it in the next four days the rest of it will be � oh far less bloody yes in four days france will gather another like the of and make her second long step toward freedom started and so did i then she gazed long at like one in a trance murmuring four days � four days as if to herself and unconsciously finally she asked in a low voice that had something of awe in it tell me � how is it that you know that do know i of arc � yes said i know � i know i shall strike � and strike again and before the fourth day is finished i shall strike yet again she became silent we sat wondering and still this was for a whole minute she looking at the floor and her lips moving but uttering nothing then came these words but hardly audible and in a thousand years the english power in france will not rise up from that blow it made my flesh creep it was she was in a trance again � i could see it � just as she was that day in the pastures of when she about us boys in the war and afterward did not know that she had done it she was not conscious now but did not know that and so she said in a happy voice oh i believe it i believe it and i am so glad then you will come back and bide with us all your life long and we will love you so and so honor you a scarcely perceptible flitted across s face and the dreamy voice muttered before two years are sped i shall die a cruel death i sprang forward with a warning hand up that is why did not scream she was going to do that � i saw it plainly then i whispered her to slip out of the place and say nothing of what had happened i said was asleep � asleep and dreaming whispered back and said n oh i am so grateful that it is only a dream it sounded like prophecy and she was gone like prophecy i knew it was prophecy and i sat down crying as knowing we should lose her soon she started shivering slightly and came to herself and looked around and saw me crying there and jumped out of her chair and ran to me all in a whirl of sympathy and compassion and put her hand on my head and said my poor boy i what is it look up and tell me i had to tell her a lie i grieved to do it but there was no other way i picked up an old letter from my table written by heaven knows who about some matter heaven knows what and told her i had just gotten it from p re fronts and that in it it said the children s fairy tree had been down by some or other and � i got no further she snatched the letter from my hand and searched it up and down and all over turning it this way and that and sobbing great sobs and the tears flowing down her cheeks and all the time oh cruel cruel how could any be so heartless ah poor f e de gone � and we children loved it so show me the place where it says it and i still lying showed her the pretended fatal words on the pretended fatal page and she gazed at them through her tears and said she could see her i of arc self that they were hateful ugly words � they had the very look of it then we heard a strong voice down the corridor announcing � � his majesty s messenger � with for her the commander in chief of the armies of france chapter knew she had seen the vision of the tree but when i could not know doubtless before she had lately told the king to use her for that she had but one year left to work m it had not occurred to me at the time but the conviction came upon me now that at that time she had already seen the tree it had brought her a welcome message that was plain otherwise she could not have been so joyous and light hearted as she had been these latter days the death warning had nothing dismal about it for her no it was of exile it was leave to come home yes she had seen the tree no one had taken the prophecy to heart which she made to the king and for a good reason no doubt no one wanted to take it to heart all wanted to banish it away and forget it and all had succeeded and would go on to the end placid and comfortable all but me alone i must carry my awful secret without any to help me a heavy load a bitter burden and would cost me a daily heart break she was to die and so soon i had never dreamed of that how could i and she so strong and fresh and young and every of arc day earning a new right to a peaceful and honored old age for at that time i thought old age valuable i do not know why but i thought so all young people think it i believe they being ignorant and full of she had seen the tree all that miserable night those ancient verses went floating back and forth through my brain and 