It was an amazing mission; nothing less than to save France from the clutches of England. Her instructions were detailed. She was to go to the governor of a nearby town and ask for an escort to conduct her to Charles VII, who called himself king of France, though he had never been crowned. She was to go to Charles and announce herself as sent by God to raise the siege of Orléans and to conduct him to Rheims (Reemz), where he was to be crowned. The English in the end were to be driven from all France, the Voices assured her. [Illustration: JOAN OF ARC Admonished by an angel to liberate France by the sword. From the painting by J. E. Lenepveu] To Joan of Arc this mission was of supremest importance. She lived in the path of war, and, like many a Belgian, a French, or a Polish girl of today, she had seen her village sacked, her family and her friends obliged to flee saving what they could. Domrémy lived in constant danger of the Burgundian allies of England and of all the pitiless riffraff war breeds. Joan was an ardent patriot and suffered with her country; she loved her king too, looking on him as sent of God. To rescue him was the noblest work which one could be given. After the first revolt she accepted the call without misgivings. It was not for her to question Voices sent by God. The key to the career of Joan of Arc is this unfaltering confidence. She did things from the start utterly preposterous by human standards of conduct. What more unlikely of success than that the governor of a tormented district should turn over for the asking to a child of seventeen, of whom he had never heard, an escort to take her to the king of the land! yet the governor of Vaucouleurs (vo-koo-lurr) did this: not on the first or second asking, to be sure, but on the third, and Joan had never doubted that she would get her escort--"the Voices had told me it would be thus." THE MAID AND THE KING [Illustration: THE ROOM IN WHICH JOAN WAS BORN She was born at Domrémy, France, on January 6, 1412] Her mind was so full of the command laid upon her that once accepted nothing could divert or frighten her. One might expect a girl of her origin to be awestruck at the thought of presenting herself before a court and a king; but not Joan. She passed unabashed through the throng that had gathered to witness her first meeting with Charles, and kneeling told him composedly, "Most noble Lord Dauphin, I am come, and am sent to you from God to give succor to the kingdom and to you."