第47章 THE SECOND PERIOD.1429-1430.(7)

Denis in a different mood，her heart hot with disappointment and the thwarting of all her plans.From whatever cause it might spring，it was clear that she was no longer buoyed up by that certainty which only a little while before had carried her through every danger and over every obstacle.But to have reached St.Denis at least was something.It was a place doubly sacred，consecrated to that royal House for which she would so willingly have given her life.And at last she was within sight of Paris，the greatest prize of all.Up to this time she had known in actual warfare nothing but victory.If her heart for the first time wavered and feared，there was still no certain reason that，/de par Dieu/，she might not win the day again.

At St.Denis there was once more a cruel delay.Nearly a fortnight passed and there was no news of the King.The Maid employed the time in skirmishes and reconnoissances，but does not seem to have ventured on an attack without the sanction of Charles，whom Alen？on，finally，going back on two several occasions，succeeded in setting in motion.

Charles had remained at Compiègne to carry out his treaty with Burgundy，and the last thing he desired was this attack；but when he could resist no longer he moved on reluctantly to St.Denis，where his arrival was hailed with great delight.This was not until the 5th of September，and the army，wrought up to a high pitch of excitement and expectation，was eager for the fight."There was no one of whatever condition，who did not say，'She will lead the King into Paris，if he will let her，'"says the chronicler.

In the meantime the authorities in Paris were at work，strengthening its fortifications，frightening the populace with threats of the vengeance of Charles，persuading every citizen of the danger of submission.

The /Bourgeois/tells us that letters came from "les Arminoz，"that is，the party of the King，sealed with the seal of the Duc d'Alen？on，and addressed to the heads of the city guilds and municipality inviting their co-operation as Frenchmen."But，"adds the Parisian，"it was easy to see through their meaning，and an answer was returned that they need not throw away their paper as no attention was paid to it."There is no sign at all that any national feeling existed to respond to such an appeal.Paris--its courts of law，Parliaments (salaried by Bedford)，University，Church--every department，was English in the first place，Burgundian in the second，dependent on English support and money.There was no French party existing.The Maid was to them an evil sorceress，a creature in the form of a woman，exercising the blackest arts.Perhaps there was even a breath of consciousness in the air that Charles himself had no desire for the fall of the city.He had left the Parisians full time to make every preparation，he had held back as long as was possible.His favour was all on the side of his enemies；for his own forces and their leaders，and especially for the Maid，he had nothing but discouragement，distrust，and auguries of evil.

Nevertheless，these oppositions came to an end，and Jeanne，though less ready and eager for the assault，found herself under the walls of Paris at last.

[1]"The English，not US，"says Mr.Andrew Lang：and it is pleasant to a Scot to know that this is true.England and Scotland were then twain，and the Scots fought in the ranks of our auld Ally.But for the present age the distinction lasts no longer，and to the writer of an English book on English soil it would be ungenerous to take the advantage.

[2]It is taken as a miraculous sign by another chronicler，Jean Chartier，who tells us that when this fact came to the knowledge of the King the sword was given by him to the workmen to be re-founded--"but they could not do it，nor put the pieces together again：which is a great proof (/grant approbation/)that the sword came to her divinely.And it is notorious that since the breaking of that sword，the said Jeanne neither prospered in arms to the profit of the King nor otherwise as she had done before."[3]"It was her oath，"adds the chronicler；no one is quite sure what it means，but Quicherat is of opinion that it was her /baton/，her stick or staff.Perceval de Cagny puts in this exclamation in almost all the speeches of the Maid.It must have struck him as a curious adjuration.Perhaps it explains why La Hire，unable to do without something to swear by，was permitted by Jeanne in their frank and humorous /camaraderie/to swear by his stick，the same rustic oath.