martin guerre-第9节

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his　deposition　had　been　confirmed　by　all　the　witnesses　examined。



〃Do　you　know　of　no　others？〃　continued　the　magistrate。　　〃Have　you　no

relatives　except　those　you　have　mentioned？〃



〃I　have　no　others；〃　answered　the　prisoner。



〃Then　what　do　you　say　to　this　man？〃　said　the　judge；　opening　a　door。



An　old　man　issued　forth；　who　fell　on　the　prisoner's　neck；　exclaiming；

〃My　nephew！〃



Martin　trembled　in　every　limb；　but　only　for　a　moment。　　Promptly

recovering　himself；　and　gazing　calmly　at　the　newcomer；　he　asked

coolly



〃And　who　may　you　be？〃



〃What！〃　said　the　old　man；　〃do　you　not　know　me？　　Dare　you　deny　me？

me；　your　mother's　brother；　Carbon　Barreau；　the　old　soldier！　　Me；　who

dandled　you　on　my　knee　in　your　infancy；　me；　who　taught　you　later　to

carry　a　musket；　me；　who　met　you　during　the　war　at　an　inn　in　Picardy；

when　you　fled　secretly。　　Since　then　I　have　sought　you　everywhere；　I

have　spoken　of　you；　and　described　your　face　and　person；　until　a

worthy　inhabitant　of　this　country　offered　to　bring　me　hither；　where

indeed　I　did　not　expect　to　find　my　sister's　son　imprisoned　and

fettered　as　a　malefactor。　　What　is　his　crime；　may　it　please　your

honour？〃



〃You　shall　hear；〃　replied　the　magistrate。　　〃Then　you　identify　the

prisoner　as　your　nephew？　　You　affirm　his　name　to　be…？〃



〃Arnauld　du　Thill；　also　called　'Pansette；'　after　his　father；　Jacques

Pansa。　　His　mother　was　Therese　Barreau；　my　sister；　and　he　was　born　in

the　village　of　Sagias。〃



〃What　have　you　to　say？〃　demanded　the　judge；　turning　to　the　accused。



〃Three　things；〃　replied　the　latter；　unabashed；　〃this　man　is　either

mad；　or　he　has　been　suborned　to　tell　lies；　or　he　is　simply　mistaken。〃



The　old　man　was　struck　dumb　with　astonishment。　But　his　supposed

nephew's　start　of　terror　had　not　been　lost　upon　the　judge；　also　much

impressed　by　the　straightforward　frankness　of　Carbon　Barreau。　　He

caused　fresh　investigations　to　be　made；　and　other　inhabitants　of

Sagias　were　summoned　to　Rieux；　who　one　and　all　agreed　in　identifying

the　accused　as　the　same　Arnauld　du　Thill　who　had　been　born　and　had

grown　up　under　their　very　eyes。　　Several　deposed　that　as　he　grew　up

he　had　taken　to　evil　courses；　and　become　an　adept　in　theft　and　lying；

not　fearing　even　to　take　the　sacred　name　of　God　in　vain；　in　order　to

cover　the　untruth　of　his　daring　assertions。　　From　such　testimony　the

judge　naturally　concluded　that　Arnauld　du　Thill　was　quite　capable　of

carrying　on；　an　imposture；　and　that　the　impudence　which　he　displayed

was　natural　to　his　character。　　Moreover；　he　noted　that　the　prisoner；

who　averred　that　he　was　born　in　Biscay；　knew　only　a　few　words　of　the

Basque　language；　and　used　these　quite　wrongly。　　He　heard　later

another　witness　who　deposed　that　the　original　Martin　Guerre　was　a

good　wrestler　and　skilled　in　the　art　of　fence；　whereas　the　prisoner；

having　wished　to　try　what　he　could　do；　showed　no　skill　whatever。

Finally；　a　shoemaker　was　interrogated；　and　his　evidence　was　not　the

least　damning。　　Martin　Guerre；　he　declared；　required　twelve　holes　to

lace　his　boots；　and　his　surprise　had　been　great　when　he　found　those

of　the　prisoner　had　only　nine。　　Considering　all　these　points；　and　the

cumulative　evidence；　the　judge　of　Rieux　set　aside　the　favourable

testimony；　which　he　concluded　had　been　the　outcome　of　general

credulity；　imposed　on　by　an　extraordinary　resemblance。　He　gave　due

weight　also　to　Bertrande's　accusation；　although　she　had　never

confirmed　it；　and　now　maintained　an　obstinate　silence；　and　he

pronounced　a　judgment　by　which　Arnauld　du　Thill　was　declared

〃attainted　and　convicted　of　imposture；　and　was　therefore　condemned　to

be　beheaded；　after　which　his　body　should　be　divided　into　four

quarters；　and　exposed　at　the　four　corners　of　the　town。〃



This　sentence；　as　soon　as　it　was　known；　caused　much　diversity　of

opinion　in　the　town。　　The　prisoner's　enemies　praised　the　wisdom　of

the　judge；　and　those　less　prejudiced　condemned　his　decision；　as　such

conflicting　testimony　left　room　for　doubt。　　Besides；　it　was　thought

that　the　possession　of　property　and　the　future　of　the　children

required　much　consideration；　also　that　the　most　absolute　certainty

was　demanded　before　annulling　a　past　of　two　whole　years；　untroubled

by　any　counter　claim　whatever。



The　condemned　man　appealed　from　this　sentence　to　the　Parliament　of

Toulouse。　　This　court　decided　that　the　case　required　more　careful

consideration　than　had　yet　been　given　to　it；　and　began　by　ordering

Arnauld　du　Thill　to　be　confronted　with　Pierre　Guerre　and　Bertrande　de

Rolls。



Who　can　say　what　feelings　animate　a　man　who；　already　once　condemned；

finds　himself　subjected　to　a　second　trial？　　The　torture　scarcely

ended　begins　again；　and　Hope；　though　reduced　to　a　shadow；　regains　her

sway　over　his　imagination；　which　clings　to　her　skirts；　as　it　were；

with　desperation。　　The　exhausting　efforts　must　be　recommenced；　it　is

the　last　strugglea　struggle　which　is　more　desperate　in　proportion

as　there　is　less　strength　to　maintain　it。　　In　this　case　the　defendant

was　not　one　of　those　who　are　easily　cast　down；　he　collected　all　his

energy；　all　his　courage；　hoping　to　come　victoriously　out　of　the　new

combat　which　lay　before　him。



The　magistrates　assembled　in　the　great　hall　of　the　Parliament；　and

the　prisoner　appeared　before　them。　　He　had　first　to　deal　with　Pierre；

and　confronted　him　calmly；　letting　him　speak；　without　showing　any

emotion。　　He　then　replied　with　indignant　reproaches；　dwelling　on

Pierre's　greed　and　avarice；　his　vows　of　vengeance；　the　means　employed

to　work　upon　Bertrande；　his　secret　manoeuvres　in　order　to　gain　his

ends；　and　the　unheard…of　animosity　displayed　in　hunting　up　accusers；

witnesses；　and　calumniators。　　He　defied　Pierre　to　prove　that　he　was

not　Martin　Guerre；　his　nephew；　inasmuch　as　Pierre　had　publicly

acknowledged　and　embraced　him；　and　his　tardy　suspicions　only　dated

from　the　time　of　their　violent　quarrel。　　His　language　was　so　strong

and　vehement；　that　Pierre　became　confused　and　was　unable　to　answer；

and　the　encounter　turned　entirely　in　Arnauld's　favour；　who　seemed　to

overawe　his　adversary　from　a　height　of　injured　innocence；　while　the

latter　appeared　as　a　disconcerted　slanderer。



The　scene　of　his　confrontation　with　Bertrande　took　a　wholly　different

character。　　The　poor　woman；　pale；　cast　down；　worn　by　sorrow；　came

staggering　before　the　tribunal；　in　an　almost　fainting　condition。　　She

endeavoured　to　collect　herself；　but　as　soon　as　she　saw　the　prisoner

she　hung　her　head　and　covered　her　face　with　her　hands。　　He　approached

her　and　besought　her　in　the　gentlest　accents　not　to　persist　in　an

accusation　which　might　send　him　to　the　scaffold；　not　thus　to　avenge

any　sins　he　might　have　committed　against　her；　although　he　could　not

reproach　himself　with　any　really　serious　fault。



Bertrande　started；　and　murmured　in　a　whisper；　〃And　Rose？〃



〃Ah！〃　Arnauld　exclaimed；　astonished　at　this　revelation。



His　part　was　instantly　taken。　　Turning　to　the　judges



〃Gentlemen；〃　he　said；　〃my　wife　is　a　jealous　woman！　　Ten　years　ago；

when　I　left　her；　she　had　formed　these　suspicions；　they　were　the　cause

of　my　voluntary　exile。　　To…day　she　again　accuses　me　of；　guilty

relations　with　the　same　person；　I　neither　deny　nor　acknowledge　them；

but　I　affirm　that　it　is　the　blind　passion　of　jealousy　which；　aided　by

my　uncle's　suggestions；　guided　my　wife's　hand　when　she　signed　this

denunciation。〃



Bertrande　remained　silent。



〃Do　you　dare；〃　he　continued；　turning　towards　her；〃　do　you　dare　to

swear　before　God　that　jealousy　did　not　inspire　you　with　the　wish　to

ruin　me？〃



〃And　you；〃　she　replied；　〃dare　you　swear　that　I　was　deceived　in　my

suspicions？〃



〃You　see；　gentlemen；〃　exclaimed　the　prisoner　triumphantly；　〃her

jealousy　breaks　forth　before　your　eyes。　　Whether　I　am；　or　am　not；

guilty　of　the　sin　she　attributes　to　me；　is　not　the　question　for　you

to　decide。　　Can　you　conscientiously　admit　the　testimony　of　a　woman

who；　after　publicly　acknowledging　me；　after　receiving　me　in　her

house；　after　living　two　years　in　perfect　amity　with　me；　has；　in　a　fit

of　angry　vengeance；　thought　she　could　give　the　lie　to　all　her　wards

and　actions？　　Ah！　　Bertrande；〃　he　continued；　〃if　it　only　concerned　my

life　I　think　I　could　forgive　a　madness　of　which　your　love　is　both　the

cause　and　the　excuse；　but　you　are　a　mother；　think　of　that！　　My

punishment　will　recoil　on　the　head　of　my　daughter；　who　is　unhappy

enough　to　have　been　born　since　our　reunion；　and　also　on　our　unborn

child；　which　you　condemn　beforehand　to　curse　the　union　which　gave　it

being。　　Think　of　this；　Bertrande；　you　will　have　to　answer　before　God

for　what　you　are　now　doing！〃



The　unhappy　woman　fell　on　her　knees；　weeping。



〃I　adjure　you；〃　he　continued　solemnly；　〃you；　my　wife；　Bertrande　de

Rolls；　to　swear　now；　here；　on　the　crucifix；　that　I　am　an　impostor　and

a　cheat。〃



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

it　away；　endeavoure