8. At the Same Place

“Glorious! Wouldn’t it? There was once a shepherd girl in France, who drove away all their enemies.”

“Oh!” exclaimed Maroussia, whose eyes shone like stars. “How happy she must have been!”

“She was burned at the stake,” continued Tarass.

“Nevertheless, she was the happiest of women,” said Maroussia.

“Grandfather will tell you her story if you wish. A French lady told it to him in the city. We don’t know those stories here. This girl’s name was Jeanne d’Arc.”

“Jeanne d’Arc!” Maroussia said with her eyes full of tears. “Jeanne d’Arc! Happy girl!”

Tarass’ tongue was started. That which a French girl had done a Ukrainian boy could not fail to do. He confided to Maroussia a multitude of plans which were seething in his little brain. How happily all these glorious projects ended, in his imagination at least! All the good fortune was on his side! While walking in the garden, he explained his ideas concerning the last battle, and regretted very much that the Ataman had been too slow in his attack.

Maroussia listened to him in silence, thinking of this girl, whose name had just been revealed to her, and who had freed her country.

“This little Maroussia has decidedly some intellect,” Tarass said to himself, “how she listens to me! I am very glad that she doesn’t resemble that silly, scolding Mimofka, who always wants to be first, who pretends to teach me this, that, and the other. Mimofka is very disagreeable to me! But Maroussia is a good girl. And very soon I am going to gather some strawberries for her.”

In the meantime, Tarass, leaning on the gate, could not help saying to himself, while looking at Maroussia:

“But how her face brightens! How happy she seems! She could not be more so if she saw all the dainties of the fair spread out before her! I am sure that she has concealed somewhere a quantity of ginger-bread! Nevertheless, she is a very good child, she will share with me! One is never glad without a reason, she surely has some famous morsel in a corner, or she knows she is going to have it! She will soon tell me her secret, and I shall have the half of what she has, perhaps more.”