JOAN’S VOICE. Will he let us go, Polly? POULENGEY. Come up. Come in. [_Turning to Robert_] Shall I leave you with her? ROBERT. No: stay here; and back me up. _Poulengey sits down on the chest. Robert goes back to his magisterial chair, but remains standing to inflate himself more imposingly. Joan comes in, full of good news._ JOAN. Jack will go halves for the horse. ROBERT. Well!! [_He sits, deflated_]. POULENGEY [_gravely_] Sit down, Joan. JOAN [_checked a little, and looking to Robert_] May I? ROBERT. Do what you are told. _Joan curtsies and sits down on the stool between them. Robert outfaces his perplexity with his most peremptory air._ ROBERT. What is your name? JOAN [_chattily_] They always call me Jenny in Lorraine. Here in France I am Joan. The soldiers call me The Maid. ROBERT. What is your surname? JOAN. Surname? What is that? My father sometimes calls himself d’Arc; but I know nothing about it. You met my father. He— ROBERT. Yes, yes; I remember. You come from Domremy in Lorraine, I think. JOAN. Yes; but what does it matter? we all speak French. ROBERT. Dont ask questions: answer them. How old are you? JOAN. Seventeen: so they tell me. It might be nineteen. I dont remember. ROBERT. What did you mean when you said that St Catherine and St Margaret talked to you every day? JOAN. They do. ROBERT. What are they like? JOAN [_suddenly obstinate_] I will tell you nothing about that: they have not given me leave. ROBERT. But you actually see them; and they talk to you just as I am talking to you? JOAN. No: it is quite different. I cannot tell you: you must not talk to me about my voices. ROBERT. How do you mean? voices? JOAN. I hear voices telling me what to do. They come from God. ROBERT. They come from your imagination. JOAN. Of course. That is how the messages of God come to us. POULENGEY. Checkmate. ROBERT. No fear! [_To Joan_] So God says you are to raise the siege of Orleans? JOAN. And to crown the Dauphin in Rheims Cathedral. ROBERT. [_gasping_] Crown the D⸺! Gosh! JOAN. And to make the English leave France. ROBERT [_sarcastic_] Anything else? JOAN [_charming_] Not just at present, thank you, squire. ROBERT. I suppose you think raising a siege is as easy as chasing a cow out of a meadow. You think soldiering is anybody’s job? JOAN. I do not think it can be very difficult if God is on your side, and you are willing to put your life in His hand. But many soldiers are very simple. ROBERT [_grimly_] Simple! Did you ever see English soldiers fighting? JOAN. They are only men. God made them just like us; but He gave them their own country and their own language; and it is not His will that they should come into our country and try to speak our language.