He knew it was so, andobstinately held out against
her, waiting for the surrender. If she was in love,she ought to EXERT herself, in
some way, loving.
If only you did just this, that, and the
other.
She stood there absolutely helpless, shuddering
herdry sobs and her mouth trembling rapidly.
She WOULD be an independentwoman to the
last.
She wanted to see,to know, to
understand.
Nevertheless there is one reason forcrediting her
with a very remarkable face.
He wanted to veil her womans spirit, asOrientals
veil the womans face.
It is surmised that Joan served unconsciously asthe
sculptors model. Henry looked up at her, and met her queer, round-pupilled, weakeyes
staring behind her spectacles. So she gazed on him as ifsightless, yet looking up to
him.
After a long time he stooped to her and took her
hands. Let us be clear about the meaning of the terms.
But the seers of visions and the hearers
ofrevelations are not always criminals. If he turned even a hairs breadth in the
wrongdirection, he would lose the power.
Marie Antoinette, for instance, at Joans age could
notspell her own name correctly.
They went to Cornwall, to his own village, on the
sea. Little, foolish successes in money or inambition.
No,she had to be passive, to acquiesce, and to be
submerged under thesurface of love.
Ready, then, he said, taking the axe, looking round
to see he wasclear. Noone saw her crouch a little and receive the blow on the back
of theneck.
Ready, then, he said, taking the axe, looking round
to see he wasclear.
There would be no more of this
awfulstraining.
He wanted to make her submit, yield, blindly pass
away outof all her strenuous consciousness. He wanted totake away from her all her
effort, all that seemed her very raisondetre.
And his heart heldperfectly still, in the terrible
pure will that she should notmove. And so, she assumes the responsibility and sets
off towardsher goal. Helooked away, up at the weak, leaning tree.