martin guerre-第8节

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〃Go；　fear　not；〃　said　the　old　man；　and　Rose　went　out。　　Pierre　also

left　the　house。



Left　to　herself；　Bertrande　felt　utterly　worn　out　by　so　much　emotion；

indignation　gave　way　to　depression。　　She　began　to　realise　what　she

had　done；　and　the　scandal　which　would　fall　on　her　own　head。　　Just

then　her　baby　awoke；　and　held　out　its　arms；　smiling；　and　calling　for

its　father。　　Its　father；　was　he　not　a　criminal？　　Yes！　but　was　it　for

her　to　ruin　him；　to　invoke　the　law；　to　send　him　to　death；　after

having　taken　him　to　her　heart；　to　deliver　him　to　infamy　which　would

recoil　on　her　own　head　and　her　child's　and　on　the　infant　which　was

yet　unborn？　　If　he　had　sinned　before　God；　was　it　not　for　God　to

punish　him？　　If　against　herself；　ought　she　not　rather　to　overwhelm

him　with　contempt？　　But　to　invoke　the　help；　of　strangers　to　expiate

this　offence；　to　lay　bare　the　troubles　of　her　life；　to　unveil　the

sanctuary　of　the　nuptial　couchin　short；　to　summon　the　whole　world

to　behold　this　fatal　scandal；　was　not　that　what　in　her　imprudent

anger　she　had　really　done？　　She　repented　bitterly　of　her　haste；　she

sought　to　avert　the　consequences；　and　notwithstanding　the　night　and

the　bad　weather；　she　hurried　at　once　to　Pierre's　dwelling；　hoping　at

all　costs　to　withdraw　her　denunciation。　　He　was　not　there：　he　had　at

once　taken　a　horse　and　started　for　Rieux。　　Her　accusation　was　already

on　its　way　to　the　magistrates！



At　break　of　day　the　house　where　Martin　Guerre　lodged　when　at　Rieux

was　surrounded　by　soldiers。　　He　came　forward　with　confidence　and

inquired　what　was　wanted。　　On　hearing　the　accusation；　he　changed

colour　slightly；　then　collected　himself；　and　made　no　resistance。

When　he　came　before　the　judge；　Bertrande's　petition　was　read　to　him；

declaring　him　to　be　〃an　impostor；　who　falsely；　audaciously；　and

treacherously　had　deceived　her　by　taking　the　name　and　assuming　the

person　of　Martin　Guerre；〃　and　demanding　that　he　should　be　required　to

entreat　pardon　from　God；　the　king；　and　herself。



The　prisoner　listened　calmly　to　the　charge；　and　met　it　courageously；

only　evincing　profound　surprise　at　such　a　step　being　taken　by　a　wife

who　had　lived　with　him　for　two　years　since　his　return；　and　who　only

now　thought　of　disputing　the　rights　he　had　so　long　enjoyed。　　As　he

was　ignorant　both　of　Bertrande's　suspicions　and　their　confirmation；

and　also　of　the　jealousy　which　had　inspired　her　accusation；　his

astonishment　was　perfectly　natural；　and　did　not　at　all　appear　to　be

assumed。　　He　attributed　the　whole　charge　to　the　machinations　of　his

uncle；　Pierre　Guerre；　an　old　man；　he　said；　who；　being　governed

entirely　by　avarice　and　the　desire　of　revenge；　now　disputed　his　name

arid　rights；　in　order　the　better　to　deprive　him　of　his　property；

which　might　be　worth　from　sixteen　to　eighteen　hundred　livres。　　In

order　to　attain　his　end；　this　wicked　man　had　not　hesitated　to　pervert

his　wife's　mind；　and　at　the　risk　of　her　own　dishonour　had　instigated

this　calumnious　chargea　horrible　and　unheard…of　thing　in　the　mouth

of　a　lawful　wife。　　〃Ah！　I　do　not　blame　her；〃　he　cried；　〃she　must

suffer　more　than　I　do；　if　she　really　entertains　doubts　such　as　these；

but　I　deplore　her　readiness　to　listen　to　these　extraordinary

calumnies　originated　by　my　enemy。〃



The　judge　was　a　good　deal　impressed　by　so　much　assurance。　　The

accused　was　relegated　to　prison；　whence　he　was　brought　two　days　later

to　encounter　a　formal　examination。



He　began　by　explaining　the　cause　of　his　long　absence；　originating；　he

said；　in　a　domestic　quarrel；　as　his　wife　well　remembered。　　He　there

related　his　life　during　these　eight　years。　　At　first　he　wandered　over

the　country；　wherever　his　curiosity　and　the　love　of　travel　led　him。

He　then　had　crossed　the　frontier；　revisited　Biscay；　where　he　was

born；　and　having　entered　the　service　of　the　Cardinal　of　Burgos；　he

passed　thence　into　the　army　of　the　King　of　Spain。　　He　was　wounded　at

the　battle　of　St。　Quentin；　conveyed　to　a　neighbouring　village；　where

he　recovered；　although　threatened　with　amputation。　　Anxious　to　again

behold　his　wife　and　child；　his　other　relations　and　the　land　of　his

adoption；　he　returned　to　Artigues；　where　he　was　immediately

recognised　by　everyone；　including　the　identical　Pierre　Guerre；　his

uncle；　who　now　had　the　cruelty　to　disavow　him。　　In　fact；　the　latter

had　shown　him　special　affection　up　to　the　day　when　Martin　required　an

account　of　his　stewardship。　　Had　he　only　had　the　cowardice　to

sacrifice　his　money　and　thereby　defraud　his　children；　he　would　not

to…day　be　charged　as　an　impostor。　　〃But；〃　continued　Martin；　〃I

resisted；　and　a　violent　quarrel　ensued；　in　which　anger　perhaps

carried　me　too　far；　Pierre　Guerre；　cunning　and　revengeful；　has　waited

in　silence。　　He　has　taken　his　time　and　his　measures　to　organise　this

plot；　hoping　thereby　to　obtain　his　ends；　to　bring　justice　to　the　help

of　his　avarice；　and　to　acquire　the　spoils　he　coveted；　and　revenge　for

his　defeat；　by　means　of　a　sentence　obtained　from　the　scruples　of　the

judges。〃　　Besides　these　explanations；　which　did　not　appear　wanting　in

probability；　Martin　vehemently　protested　his　innocence；　demanding

that　his　wife　should　be　confronted　with　him；　and　declaring　that　in

his　presence　she　would　not　sustain　the　charge　of　personation　brought

against　him；　and　that　her　mind　not　being　animated　by　the　blind　hatred

which　dominated　his　persecutor；　the　truth　would　undoubtedly　prevail。



He　now；　in　his　turn；　demanded　that　the　judge　should　acknowledge　his

innocence；　and　prove　it　by　condemning　his　calumniators　to　the

punishment　invoked　against　himself；　that　his　wife；　Bertrande　de

Rolls；　should　be　secluded　in　some　house　where　her　mind　could　no

longer　be　perverted；　and；　finally；　that　his　innocence　should　be

declared；　and　expenses　and　compensations　awarded　him。



After　this　speech；　delivered　with　warmth；　and　with　every　token　of

sincerity；　he　answered　without　difficulty　all　the　interrogations　of

the　judge。　　The　following　are　some　of　the　questions　and　answers；　just

as　they　have　come　down　to　us：



〃In　what　part　of　Biscay　were　you　born？〃



〃In　the　village　of　Aymes；　province　of　Guipuscoa。〃



〃What　were　the　names　of　your　parents？〃



〃Antonio　Guerre　and　Marie　Toreada。〃



〃Are　they　still　living？〃



〃My　father　died　June　15th；　1530；　my　mother　survived　him　three　years

and　twelve　days。〃



〃Have　you　any　brothers　and　sisters？〃



〃I　had　one　brother；　who　only　lived　three　months。　　My　four　sisters；

Inez；　Dorothea；　Marietta；　and　Pedrina；　all　came　to　live　at　Artigues

when　I　did；　they　are　there　still；　and　they　all　recognised　me。〃



〃What　is　the　date　of　your　marriage？〃



〃January　10；　1539。〃



〃Who　were　present　at　the　ceremony？〃



〃My　father…in…law；　my　mother…in…law；　my　uncle；　my　two　sisters；　Maitre

Marcel　and　his　daughter　Rose；　a　neighbour　called　Claude　Perrin；　who

got　drunk　at　the　wedding　feast；　also　Giraud；　the　poet；　who　composed

verses　in　our　honour。〃



〃Who　was　the　priest　who　married　you？〃



〃The　old　cure；　Pascal　Guerin；　whom　I　did　not　find　alive　when　I

returned。〃



〃What　special　circumstances　occurred　on　the　wedding…day？〃



〃At　midnight　exactly；　our　neighbour；　Catherine　Boere；　brought　us　the

repast　which　is　known　as　'medianoche。'　　This　woman　has　recognised　me；

as　also　our　old　Marguerite；　who　has　remained　with　us　ever　since　the

wedding。〃



〃What　is　the　date　of　your　son's　birth？〃



〃February　10；　1548；　nine　years　after　our　marriage。　　I　was　only　twelve

when　the　ceremony　took　place；　and　did　not　arrive　at　manhood　till

several　years　later。〃



〃Give　the　date　of　your　leaving　Artigues。〃



〃It　was　in　August　1549。　　As　I　left　the　village；　I　met　Claude　Perrin

and　the　cure　Pascal；　and　took　leave　of　them。　　I　went　towards

Beauvais；　end　I　passed　through　Orleans；　Bourges；　Limoges；　Bordeaux；

and　Toulouse。　　If　you　want　the　names　of　people　whom　I　saw　and　to　whom

I　spoke；　you　can　have　them。　　What　more　can　I　say？〃



Never；　indeed；　was　there　a　more　apparently　veracious　statement！　　All

the　doings　of　Martin　Guerre　seemed　to　be　most　faithfully　described；

and　surely　only　himself　could　thus　narrate　his　own　actions。　　As　the

historian　remarks；　alluding　to　the　story　of　Amphitryon；　Mercury

himself　could　not　better　reproduce　all　Sosia's　actions；　gestures；　and

words；　than　did　the　false　Martin　Guerre　those　of　the　real　one。



In　accordance　with　the　demand　of　the　accused；　Bertrande　de　Rolls　was

detained　in　seclusion；　in　order　to　remove　her　from　the　influence　of

Pierre　Guerre。　　The　latter；　however；　did　not　waste　time；　and　during

the　month　spent　in　examining　the　witnesses　cited　by　Martin；　his

diligent　enemy；　guided　by　some　vague　traces；　departed　on　a　journey；

from　which　he　did　not　return　alone。



All　the　witnesses　bore　out　the　statement　of　the　accused；　the　latter

heard　this　in　prison；　and　rejoiced；　hoping　for　a　speedy　release。

Before　long　he　was　again　brought　before　the　judge；　who　told　him　that

his　deposition　had　been　confirmed　by　all　the　witnesses　exam