martin guerre-第10节

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a　cheat。〃



A　crucifix　was　placed　before　Bertrande；　she　made　a　sign　as　if　to　push

it　away；　endeavoured　to　speak；　and　feebly　exclaimed；　〃No；〃　then　fell

to　the　ground；　and　was　carried　out　insensible。



This　scene　considerably　shook　the　opinion　of　the　magistrates。　　They

could　not　believe　that　an　impostor；　whatever　he　might　be；　would　have

sufficient　daring　and　presence　of　mind　thus　to　turn　into　mockery　all

that　was　most　sacred。　　They　set　a　new　inquiry　on　foot；　which；　instead

of　producing　enlightenment；　only　plunged　them　into　still　greater

obscurity。　　Out　of　thirty　witnesses　heard；　more　than　three…quarters

agreed　in　identifying　as　Martin　Guerre　the　man　who　claimed　his　name。

Never　was　greater　perplexity　caused　by　more　extraordinary

appearances。　　The　remarkable　resemblance　upset　all　reasoning：　some

recognised　him　as　Arnauld　du　Thill；　and　others　asserted　the　exact

contrary。　　He　could　hardly　understand　Basque；　some　said；　though　born

in　Biscay；　was　that　astonishing；　seeing　he　was　only　three　when　he

left　the　country？　　He　could　neither　wrestle　nor　fence　well；　but

having　no　occasion　to　practise　these　exercises　he　might　well　have

forgotten　them。　　The　shoemakerwho　made　his　shoes　afore…time；

thought　he　took　another　measure；　but　he　might　have　made　a　mistake

before　or　be　mistaken　now。　　The　prisoner　further　defended　himself　by

recapitulating　the　circumstances　of　his　first　meeting　with　Bertrande；

on　his　return；　the　thousand　and　one　little　details　he　had　mentioned

which　he　only　could　have　known；　also　the　letters　in　his　possession；

all　of　which　could　only　be　explained　by　the　assumption　that　he　was

the　veritable　Martin　Guerre。　　Was　it　likely　that　he　would　be　wounded

over　the　left　eye　and　leg　as　the　missing　man　was　supposed　to　be？　　Was

it　likely　that　the　old　servant；　that　the　four　sisters；　his　uncle

Pierre；　many　persons　to　whom　he　had　related　facts　known　only　to

himself；　that　all　the　community　in　short；　would　have　recognised　him？

And　even　the　very　intrigue　suspected　by　Bertrande；　which　had　aroused

her　jealous　anger；　this　very　intrigue；　if　it　really　existed；　was　it

not　another　proof　of　the　verity　of　his　claim；　since　the　person

concerned；　as　interested　and　as　penetrating　as　the　legitimate　wife；

had　also　accepted　him　as　her　former　lover？　　Surely　here　was　a　mass　of

evidence　sufficient　to　cast　light　on　the　case。　　Imagine　an　impostor

arriving　for　the　first　time　in　a　place　where　all　the　inhabitants　are

unknown　to　him；　and　attempting　to　personate　a　man　who　had　dwelt

there；　who　would　have　connections　of　all　kinds；　who　would　have　played

his　part　in　a　thousand　different　scenes；　who　would　have　confided　his

secrets；　his　opinions；　to　relations；　friends；　acquaintances；　to　all

sorts　of　people；　who　had　also　a　wifethat　is　to　say；　a　person　under

whose　eyes　nearly　his　whole　life　would　be　passed；　a　person　would

study　him　perpetually；　with　whom　he　would　be　continually　conversing

on　every　sort　of　subject。　　Could　such　an　impostor　sustain　his

impersonation　for　a　single　day；　without　his　memory　playing　him　false？

》From　the　physical　and　moral　impossibility　of　playing　such　a　part；　was

it　not　reasonable　to　conclude　that　the　accused；　who　had　maintained　it

for　more　than　two　years；　was　the　true　Martin　Guerre？



There　seemed；　in　fact；　to　be　nothing　which　could　account　for　such　an

attempt　being　successfully　made　unless　recourse　was　had　to　an

accusation　of　sorcery。　　The　idea　of　handing　him　over　to　the

ecclesiastical　authorities　was　briefly　discussed；　but　proofs　were

necessary；　and　the　judges　hesitated。　　It　is　a　principle　of　justice；

which　has　become　a　precept　in　law；　that　in　cases　of　uncertainty　the

accused　has　the　benefit　of　the　doubt；　but　at　the　period　of　which　we

are　writing；　these　truths　were　far　from　being　acknowledged；　guilt　was

presumed　rather　than　innocence；　and　torture；　instituted　to　force

confession　from　those　who　could　not　otherwise　be　convicted；　is　only

explicable　by　supposing　the　judges　convinced　of　the　actual　guilt　of

the　accused；　for　no　one　would　have　thought　of　subjecting　a　possibly

innocent　person　to　this　suffering。　　However；　notwithstanding　this

prejudice；　which　has　been　handed　down　to　us　by　some　organs　of　the

public　ministry　always　disposed　to　assume　the　guilt　of　a　suspected

person；notwithstanding　this　prejudice；　the　judges　in　this　case

neither　ventured　to　condemn　Martin　Guerre　themselves　as　an　impostor；

nor　to　demand　the　intervention　of　the　Church。　　In　this　conflict　of

contrary　testimony；　which　seemed　to　reveal　the　truth　only　to

immediately　obscure　it　again；　in　this　chaos　of　arguments　and

conjectures　which　showed　flashes　of　light　only　to　extinguish　them　in

greater　darkness；　consideration　for　the　family　prevailed。　　The

sincerity　of　Bertrande；　the　future　of　the　children；　seemed　reasons

for　proceeding　with　extreme　caution；　and　this　once　admitted；　could

only　yield　to　conclusive　evidence。　　Consequently　the　Parliament

adjourned　the　case；　matters　remaining　in　'statu　quo'；　pending　a　more

exhaustive　inquiry。　　Meanwhile；　the　accused；　for　whom　several

relations　and　friends　gave　surety；　was　allowed　to　be　at　liberty　at

Artigues；　though　remaining　under　careful　surveillance。



Bertrande　therefore　again　saw　him　an　inmate　of　the　house；　as　if　no

doubts　had　ever　been　cast　on　the　legitimacy　of　their　union。　　What

thoughts　passed　through　her　mind　during　the　long　'tete…a…tete'？　　She

had　accused　this　man　of　imposture；　and　now；　notwithstanding　her

secret　conviction；　she　was　obliged　to　appear　as　if　she　had　no

suspicion；　as　if　she　had　been　mistaken；　to　humiliate　herself　before

the　impostor；　and　ask　forgiveness　for　the　insanity　of　her　conduct；

for；　having　publicly　renounced　her　accusation　by　refusing　to　swear　to

it；　she　had　no　alternative　left。　　In　order　to　sustain　her　part　and　to

save　the　honour　o￡　her　children；　she　must　treat　this　man　as　her

husband　and　appear　submissive　and　repentant；　she　must　show　him　entire

confidence；　as　the　only　means　of　rehabilitating　him　and　lulling　the

vigilance　of　justice。　　What　the　widow　of　Martin　Guerre　must　have

suffered　in　this　life　of　effort　was　a　secret　between　God　and　herself；

but　she　looked　at　her　little　daughter；　she　thought　of　her　fast

approaching　confinement；　and　took　courage。



One　evening；　towards　nightfall；　she　was　sitting　near　him　in　the　most

private　corner　of　the　garden；　with　her　little　child　on　her　knee；

whilst　the　adventurer；　sunk　in　gloomy　thoughts；　absently　stroked

Sanxi's　fair　head。　Both　were　silent；　for　at　the　bottom　of　their

hearts　each　knew　the　other's　thoughts；　and；　no　longer　able　to　talk

familiarly；　nor　daring　to　appear　estranged；　they　spent；　when　alone

together；　long　hours　of　silent　dreariness。



All　at　once　a　loud　uproar　broke　the　silence　of　their　retreat；　they

heard　the　exclamations　of　many　persons；　cries　of　surprise　mixed　with

angry　tones；　hasty　footsteps；　then　the　garden　gate　was　flung

violently　open；　and　old　Marguerite　appeared；　pale；　gasping；　almost

breathless。　　Bertrande　hastened　towards　her　in　astonishment；　followed

by　her　husband；　but　when　near　enough　to　speak　she　could　only　answer

with　inarticulate　sounds；　pointing　with　terror　to　the　courtyard　of

the　house。　　They　looked　in　this　direction；　and　saw　a　man　standing　at

the　threshold；　they　approached　him。　　He　stepped　forward；　as　if　to

place　himself　between　them。　　He　was　tall；　dark；　his　clothes　were

torn；　he　had　a　wooden　leg；　his　countenance　was　stern。　　He　surveyed

Bertrande　with　a　gloomy　look：　she　cried　aloud；　and　fell　back

insensible；　。　。　。　she　recognised　her　real　husband！



Arnauld　du　Thill　stood　petrified。　　While　Marguerite；　distracted

herself；　endeavoured　to　revive　her　mistress；　the　neighbours；

attracted　by　the　noise；　invaded　the　house；　and　stopped；　gazing　with

stupefaction　at　this　astonishing　resemblance。　　The　two　men　had　the

same　features；　the　same　height；　the　same　bearing；　and　suggested　one

being　in　two　persons。　　They　gazed　at　each　other　in　terror；　and　in

that　superstitious　age　the　idea　of　sorcery　and　of　infernal

intervention　naturally　occurred　to　those　present。　　All　crossed

themselves；　expecting　every　moment　to　see　fire　from　heaven　strike　one

or　other　of　the　two　men；　or　that　the　earth　would　engulf　one　of　them。

Nothing　happened；　however；　except　that　both　were　promptly　arrested；

in　order　that　the　strange　mystery　might　be　cleared　up。



The　wearer　of　the　wooden　leg；　interrogated　by　the　judges；　related

that　he　came　from　Spain；　where　first　the　healing　of　his　wound；　and

then　the　want　of　money；　had　detained　him　hitherto。　　He　had　travelled

on　foot；　almost　a　beggar。　　He　gave　exactly　the　same　reasons　for

leaving　Artigues　as　had　been　given　by　the　other　Martin　Guerre；

namely；　a　domestic　quarrel　caused　by　jealous　suspicion；　the　desire　of

seeing　other　countries；　and　an　adventurous　disposition。　　He　had　gone

back　to　his　birthplace；　in　Biscay；　thence　he　entered　the　service　of

the　Cardinal　of　Burgos；　then　the　cardinal's　brother　had　taken　him　to

the　war；　and　he　had　served　with　the　Spanish　troo