Dunois conceded that the council did know it to be the most desirable, but considered it impracticable; and he excused the council as well as he could by saying that inasmuch as nothing was really and rationally to be hoped for but a long continuance of the siege and wearying out of the English, they were naturally a little afraid of Joan’s impetuous notions.  He said: 

“You see, we are sure that the waiting game is the best, whereas you would carry everything by storm.”

“That I would!—­and moreover that I will!  You have my orders—­here and now.  We will move upon the forts of the south bank to-morrow at dawn.”

“And carry them by storm?”

“Yes, carry them by storm!”

La Hire came clanking in, and heard the last remark.  He cried out: 

“By my baton, that is the music I love to hear!  Yes, that is the right time and the beautiful words, my General—­we will carry them by storm!”

He saluted in his large way and came up and shook Joan by the hand.

Some member of the council was heard to say: 

“It follows, then, that we must begin with the bastille St. John, and that will give the English time to—­”

Joan turned and said: 

“Give yourselves no uneasiness about the bastille St. John.  The English will know enough to retire from it and fall back on the bridge bastilles when they see us coming.”  She added, with a touch of sarcasm, “Even a war-council would know enough to do that itself.”

Then she took her leave.  La Hire made this general remark to the council: 

“She is a child, and that is all ye seem to see.  Keep to that superstition if you must, but you perceive that this child understands this complex game of war as well as any of you; and if you want my opinion without the trouble of asking for it, here you have it without ruffles or embroidery—­by God, I think she can teach the best of you how to play it!”

Joan had spoken truly; the sagacious English saw that the policy of the French had undergone a revolution; that the policy of paltering and dawdling was ended; that in place of taking blows, blows were ready to be struck now; therefore they made ready for the new state of things by transferring heavy reinforcements to the bastilles of the south bank from those of the north.

The city learned the great news that once more in French history, after all these humiliating years, France was going to take the offensive; that France, so used to retreating, was going to advance; that France, so long accustomed to skulking, was going to face about and strike.  The joy of the people passed all bounds.  The city walls were black with them to see the army march out in the morning in that strange new position—­its front, not its tail, toward an English camp.  You shall imagine for yourselves what the excitement was like and how it expressed itself, when Joan rode out at the head of the host with her banner floating above her.