ompany, heard her cry--

"By my baton, I will never go back till I take that city." {31}

These words Percival de Cagny also heard, a good knight, and maitre
d'hotel of the house of Alencon. Thereon arose some dispute, D'Alencon
being eager, as indeed he always was, to follow where the Maiden led, and
some others holding back.

Now, as they were devising together, some for, some against, for men-at-
arms not a few had fallen in the onfall, there came the sound of horses'
hoofs, and lo! Messire de Montmorency, who had been of the party of the
English, and with them in Paris, rode up, leading a company of fifty or
sixty gentlemen of his house, to join the Maid. Thereat was great joy
and new courage in all men of goodwill, seeing that, within Paris itself,
so many gentlemen deemed ours the better cause and the more hopeful.

Thus there was an end of all dispute, our companies were fairly arrayed,
and we were marching to revenge ourselves for the losses of yesterday,
when two knights came spurring after us from St. Denis. They were the
Duc de Bar, and that unhappy Charles de Bourbon, Comte de Clermont, by
whose folly, or ill-will, or cowardice, the Scots were betrayed and
deserted at the Battle of the Herrings, where my own brother fell, as I
have already told. This second time Charles de Bourbon brought evil
fortune, for he came on the King's part, straitly forbidding D'Alencon
and the Maid to march forward another lance's length. Whereat D'Alencon
swore profane, and the Maiden, weeping, rebuked him. So, with heavy
hearts, we turned, all the host of us, and went back to quarters, the
Maid to pray in the chapel, and the men-at-arms to drink and speak ill of
the King.

All this was on the ninth of September, a weary day to all of us, though
in the evening word came that we were to march early next morning and
attack Paris in another quarter, crossing the river by a bridge of boats
which the Duc d'Alencon had let build to that end. After two wakeful
nights I was well weary, and early laid me down to sleep, rising at dawn
with high hopes. And so through the grey light we marched silently to
the place appointed, but bridge there was none; for the King, having
heard of the Maid's intent, had caused men to work all night long,
destroying that which the gentle Duke had builded. Had the King but
heard the shouts and curses of our company when they found nought but the
bare piles standing, the grey water flowing, and th