The reader may remember that Clemens had written the first half of his Joan of Arc book at the Villa Viviani, in Florence, nearly two years before.  He had closed the manuscript then with the taking of Orleans, and was by no means sure that he would continue the story beyond that point.  Now, however, he was determined to reach the tale’s tragic conclusion.

To H. H. Rogers, in New York: 

Etretat,
Sunday, Sept. 9, ’94. 
Dear Mr. Rogers, I drove the quill too hard, and I broke down—­in my head.  It has now been three days since I laid up.  When I wrote you a week ago I had added 10,000 words or thereabout to Joan.  Next day I added 1,500 which was a proper enough day’s work though not a full one; but during Tuesday and Wednesday I stacked up an aggregate of 6,000 words—­and that was a very large mistake.  My head hasn’t been worth a cent since.

However, there’s a compensation; for in those two days I reached and passed—­successfully—­a point which I was solicitous about before I ever began the book:  viz., the battle of Patay.  Because that would naturally be the next to the last chapter of a work consisting of either two books or one.  In the one case one goes right along from that point (as I shall do now); in the other he would add a wind-up chapter and make the book consist of Joan’s childhood and military career alone.

I shall resume work to-day; and hereafter I will not go at such an intemperate’ rate.  My head is pretty cobwebby yet.

I am hoping that along about this time I shall hear that the machine is
beginning its test in the Herald office.  I shall be very glad indeed to
know the result of it.  I wish I could be there. 
                    Sincerely yours
                              S. L. Clemens.

Rouen, where Joan met her martyrdom, was only a short distance away, and they halted there en route to Paris, where they had arranged to spend the winter.  The health of Susy Clemens was not good, and they lingered in Rouen while Clemens explored the old city and incidentally did some writing of another sort.  In a note to Mr. Rogers he said:  “To put in my odd time I am writing some articles about Paul Bourget and his Outre-Mer chapters—­laughing at them and at some of our oracular owls who find them important.  What the hell makes them important, I should like to know!”

He was still at Rouen two weeks later and had received encouraging news from Rogers concerning the type-setter, which had been placed for trial in the office of the Chicago Herald.  Clemens wrote:  “I can hardly keep from sending a hurrah by cable.  I would certainly do it if I wasn’t superstitious.”  His restraint, though wise, was wasted the end was near.

To H. H. Rogers, in New York: