His face flushed a dull
crimson with a sudden, unexpected shame. To do him justice be it
said, that (as we later heard) he had been against this deception
after having seen the Maid; but there were now many notable
generals and marshals and officers with the army, all of whom were
resolved upon this course of action, which had been agreed upon
beforehand with Dunois, and they had overborne his objections,
which were something faint-hearted perhaps, for with his love and
admiration for the Maid, he trembled, as he now explained to her,
to lead her by so perilous a route, and declared that she could
well be conducted into the city through the Burgundy gate, by
water, without striking a blow, instead of having to fight her way
in past the English bastions.
"I thank you for your care for me, my friend," she answered, "but
it were better to have obeyed my voice. The English arrows could
not have touched me. We should have entered unopposed. Now much
precious time must needs be lost, for how can this great army be
transported across yonder river?--and the bridge, even if we could
dislodge the English from the tower of Les Tourelles, is broken
down and useless.
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