〃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