From Lagny Jeanne went on to various other places in danger，or which wanted encouragement and help.She made two or three hurried visits to Compiègne，which was threatened by both parties of the enemy；at one time raising the siege of Choicy，near Compiègne，in company with the Archbishop of Rheims，a strange brother in arms.On another of her visits to Compiègne there is said to have occurred an incident which，if true，reveals to us with very sad reality the trouble that overshadowed the Maid.She had gone to early mass in the Church of St.
Jacques，and communicated，as was her custom.It must have been near Easter--perhaps the occasion of the first communion of some of the children who are so often referred to，among whom she loved to worship.She had retired behind a pillar on which she leaned as she stood，and a number of people，among whom were many children，drew near after the service to gaze at her.Jeanne's heart was full，and she had no one near to whom she could open it and relieve her soul.As she stood against the pillar her trouble burst forth."Dear friends and children，"she said，"I have to tell you that I have been sold and betrayed，and will soon be given up to death.I beg of you to pray for me；for soon I shall no longer have any power to serve the King and the kingdom."These words were told to the writer who records them，in the year 1498，by two very old men who had heard them，being children at the time.The scene was one to dwell in a child's recollection，and，if true，it throws a melancholy light upon the thoughts that filled the mind of Jeanne，though her actions may have seemed as energetic and her impulses as strong as in her best days.
At last the news came speeding through the country that Compiègne was being invested on all sides.It had been the headquarters of Charles and had received him with acclamations，and therefore the alarm of the townsfolk for the retribution awaiting them，should they fall into the hands of the enemy，was great；it was besides a very important position.Jeanne was at Crespy en Valois when this news reached her.
She set out immediately (May 22，1430)to carry aid to the garrison：
"/F'irai voir mes bons amis de Compiègne/，"she said.The words are on the base of her statue which now stands in the Place of that town.
Something of her early impetuosity was in this impulse，and no apparent dread of any fatality.She rode all night at the head of her party，and arrived before the dawn，a May morning，the 23d，still a month from the fatal "St.Jean."Though the prophecy was always in her ears，she must have felt that whole month still before her，with a sensation of almost greater safety because the dangerous moment was fixed.The town received her with joy，and no doubt the satisfaction and relief which hailed her and her reinforcements gave additional fervour to the Maid，and drove out of her mind for a moment the fatal knowledge which oppressed it.There is some difficulty in understanding the events of this day，but the lucid narrative of Quicherat，which we shall now quote，gives a very vivid picture of it.
Jeanne had timed her arrival so early in the morning，probably with the intention of keeping the adversaries in their camps unaware of so important an addition to the garrison，in order that she might surprise them by the sortie she had determined upon；but no doubt the news had leaked forth somehow，if through no other means，by the sudden ringing of the bells and sounds of joy from the city.She paid her usual visits to the churches，and noted and made all her arrangements for the sortie with her usual care，occupying the long summer day in these preparations.And it was not till five o'clock in the evening that everything was complete，and she sallied forth.We hear nothing of the state of the town，or of any suspicion existing at the time as to the governor Flavy who was afterwards believed by some to be the man who sold and betrayed her.It is a question debated warmly like all these questions.He was a man of bad reputation，but there is no evidence that he was a traitor.The incidents are all natural enough，and seem to indicate clearly the mere fortune of war upon which no man can calculate.We add from Quicherat the description of the field and what took place there：
"Compiègne is situated on the left bank of the Oise.On the other side extends a great meadow，nearly a mile broad，at the end of which the rising ground of Picardy rises suddenly like a wall，shutting in the horizon.The meadow is so low and so subject to floods that it is crossed by an ancient foot of the low hills.Three village churches mark the extent of the landscape visible from the walls of Compiègne；Margny (sometimes spelt Marigny)at the end of the road；Clairoix three quarters of a league higher up，at the confluence of the two rivers，the Aronde and the Oise，close to the spot where another tributary，the Aisne，also flows into the Oise；and Venette a mile and a half lower down.The Burgundians had one camp at Margny，another at Clairoix；the headquarters of the English were at Venette.As for the inhabitants of Compiègne，their first defence facing the enemy was one of those redoubts or towers which the chronicles of the fifteenth century called a boulevard.It was placed at the end of the bridge and commanded the road.
"The plan of the Maid was to make a sortie towards the evening，to attack Margny and afterwards Clairoix，and then at the opening of the Aronde valley to meet the Duke of Burgundy and his forces who were lodged there，and who would naturally come to the aid of his other troops when attacked.She took no thought for the English，having already carefully arranged with Flavy how they should be prevented from cutting off her retreat.The governor provided against any chance of this by arming the boulevard strongly with archers to drive off any advancing force，and also by keeping ready on the Oise a number of covered boats to receive the foot-soldiers in case of a retrograde movement.
