and breathing smoke and thunder i would god i might see you at it and go tell your mother that would help her sleep poor thing here � teach me the arts of the soldier that i may explain them to her and she did it she gave him a and put him through the manual of arms and made him do the steps too his marching was awkward and and so was his with the but he didn t know it and was wonderfully pleased with himself and excited and charmed with the ringing crisp words of command i am obliged to say that if looking proud and happy when one is marching were sufficient he would have been the perfect soldier and he wanted a lesson in sword play and got it but of course that was beyond him he was too old it was beautiful to see handle the of arc but the old was a bad failure he was afraid of the and and and scrambled like a woman who has lost her mind on account of the arrival of a bat he was of no good as an exhibition but if la hire had only come in that would have been another matter � those two often j i saw them many times true was easily his master but it made a good show for all that for la hire was a grand what a swift creature was i you would see her standing erect with her ankle bones together and her foil arched over her head the in one hand and the button in the other � the old general opposite bent forward left hand on his back his foil advanced slightly and his watching eye straight into hers � and all of a sudden she would give a spring forward and back gain and there she was with the foil arched over her head as before la hire had been hit but all the spectator saw of it was a something like a flash of light in the air but nothing distinct nothing definite we kept the moving for that would p the and the landlord and old nd d arc got to feeling quite comfortable but being what you could call they got t the presents which they had been buying to carry � humble things and cheap but they would fine there and welcome and they gave to p from fire and one from her mother of arc � the one a little leaden image of the holy n the other half a yard of blue silk ribbon and she was as pleased as a child and touched too as one could see plainly enough yes she kissed those poor things over and over again as if they had been something costly and wonderful and she pinned the virgin on her and sent for her and tied the ribbon on that first one way then another then a new way then another new way and with each effort the on her hand and holding it off this way and that and her head to one side and then the other examining the effect as a bird does when it has got a new and she said she could almost wish she was going to the wars again for then she would fight with the better courage as having always with her something which her mother s touch had blessed old said he hoped she would go to the wars again but home first for that all the people there were cruel anxious to see her � and so he went on they are proud of you dear yes than any village ever was of anybody before and indeed it is right and rational for it is the first time a village has ever had anybody like you to be proud of and call its own and it is strange and beautiful how they try to give your name to every creature that has a sex that is convenient it is but half a year since you began to be spoken of and left us and so it is surprising to see how many babies there rf arc are already in that r on that are named for you first it was just then it was then and now the next ones will have a lot of towns and the added of course yes and the animals the same they know how you love animals and so they try to do you honor and show their love for you by all those creatures after you that if a body should step out and call of arc � come there would be a of cats and all such things each supposing it was the one wanted and all willing to take the benefit of the doubt anyway for the sake of the food that might be on delivery the you left behind � the last you fetched home � bears your name now and belongs to p re and is the pet and pride of the village and people have come miles to look at it and pet it and stare at it and wonder over it because it was of arc s cat everybody will tell you that and one day when a stranger threw a stone at it not knowing it was your cat the village rose against him as one man and hanged him and but for p re � there was an interruption it was a messenger from the king bearing a note for which i read to her saying he had reflected and had consulted his other and was obliged to ask her to remain at the head of the army and withdraw her resignation also would she come immediately and attend a council of war straightway at a little of arc distance military commands and the of drums broke on the still night and we knew that 