aps her reasons were misunderstood because they were spiritual and
mystic. She certainly could not have judged that a military mistake
had been made by the bringing of troops and victuals through La
Sologne. As she did not know the roads, it was impossible for her to
tell which was the best. She was ignorant alike of the enemy's
position, of the outworks of the besiegers, and of the defences of the
besieged. She had just learnt on what bank of the river the town was
situated, yet she must have thought she had good ground for complaint;
for she approached the Lord Bastard and inquired sharply: "Are you the
Bastard of Orleans?" "I am he. I rejoice at your coming." "Was it
through your counsel that I came hither on this side of the river, and
that I did not go straight to where Talbot and the English are?" "It
was I and those wiser than I who gave this counsel, believing we acted
for the best and for the greatest safety." But Jeanne retorted: "In
God's name! Messire's counsel is better and wiser than yours. You
thought to deceive me, but you deceive yourselves. For I bring you
surer aid than ever came yet to knight or city; it is the aid of the
King of Heaven and comes from God himself, who not merely for my sake
but at the prayer of Saint Louis and Saint Charlemagne has had pity
upon the town of Orleans, and will not suffer the enemy to hold at
once both the body and the city of the Duke."[927]

[Footnote 926: _Trial_, vol. iii, pp. 5, 6.]

[Footnote 927: _Trial_, vol. iii, pp. 5, 6. _Chronique de la Pucelle_,
p. 284. Boucher de Molandon, _Premiere expedition de Jeanne d'Arc_, p.
49.]

One may conclude that what really vexed her was that she had not been
taken straight to Talbot and the English. She had just heard that
Talbot with his camp was on the right bank. And when she spoke of
Talbot and the English she meant only those English who were with
Talbot. For, as she came down into the Loire valley, near the ford of
Saint-Jean-le-Blanc, she must have seen the bastion of Les Augustins
and Les Tourelles at the end of the bridge; and she must have known
that there were also English on the left bank. But still, it is not
clear why she should have desired to appear first before Talbot and
his English, and why she was now so annoyed at being separated from
him by the Loire. Did she think that the entrenched camp,
Saint-Laurent-des-Orgerils, commanded by Scales, Suffolk, and Talbot
would be attacked immediately? Such an idea