martin guerre-第5章

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not　know；　and　that　she　had　sustained　a　terrible　shock。　　He　continued

more　quietly



〃What；　Bertrande；　is　it　possible　you　were　really　deceived？〃



〃Pierre；　you　are　killing　me；　your　words　are　torture。　　No　more

mystery；　I　entreat。　　What　do　you　know？　　What　do　you　suspect？　　Tell　me

plainly　at　once。〃



〃Have　you　courage　to　hear　it？〃



〃I　must；〃　said　the　trembling　woman。



〃God　is　my　witness　that　I　would　willingly　have　kept　it　from　you；　but

you　must　know；　if　only　for　the　safety　of　your　soul　entangled　in　so

deadly　a　snare；。。。　　there　is　yet　time；　if　you　follow　my　advice。

Listen：　the　man　with　whom　you　are　living；　who　dares　to　call　himself

Martin　Guerre；　is　a　cheat；　an　impostor〃



〃How　dare　you　say　so？〃



〃Because　I　have　discovered　it。　　Yes；　I　had　always　a　vague　suspicion；

an　uneasy　feeling；　and　in　spite　of　the　marvellous　resemblance　I　could

never　feel　as　if　he　were　really　my　sister's　child。　　The　day　he　raised

his　hand　to　strike　meyes；　that　day　I　condemned　him　utterly。。。。

Chance　has　justified　me！　　A　wandering　Spaniard；　an　old　soldier；　who

spent　a　night　in　the　village　here；　was　also　present　at　the　battle　of

St。　Quentin；　and　saw　Martin　Guerre　receive　a　terrible　gunshot　wound

in　the　leg。　　After　the　battle；　being　wounded；　he　betook　himself　to

the　neighbouring　village；　and　distinctly　heard　a　surgeon　in　the　next

room　say　that　a　wounded　man　must　have　his　leg　amputated；　and　would

very　likely　not　survive　the　operation。　　The　door　opened；　he　saw　the

sufferer；　and　knew　him　for　Martin　Guerre。　　So　much　the　Spaniard　told

me。　　Acting　on　this　information；　I　went　on　pretence　of　business　to

the　village　he　named；　I　questioned　the　inhabitants；　and　this　is　what

I　learned。〃



〃Well？〃　said　Bertrande；　pale；　and　gasping　with　emotion。



〃I　learned　that　the　wounded　man　had　his　leg　taken　off；　and；　as　the

surgeon　predicted；　he　must　have　died　in　a　few　hours；　for　he　was　never

seen　again。〃



Bertrande　remained　a　few　moments　as　if　annihilated　by　this　appalling

revelation；　then；　endeavoring　to　repel　the　horrible　thought



〃No；〃　she　cried；　〃no；　it　is　impossible！　　It　is　a　lie　intended　to　ruin

him…to　ruin　us　all。〃



〃What！　　you　do　not　believe　me？〃



〃No；　never；　never！〃



〃Say　rather　you　pretend　to　disbelieve　me：　the　truth　has　pierced　your

heart；　but　you　wish　to　deny　it。　　Think；　however；　of　the　danger　to

your　immortal　soul。〃



〃Silence；　wretched　man！。。。　　No；　God　would　not　send　me　so　terrible　a

trial。　　What　proof　can　you　show　of　the　truth　of　your　words？〃



〃The　witnesses　I　have　mentioned。〃



〃Nothing　more？〃



〃No；　not　as　yet。〃



〃Fine　proofs　indeed！　　The　story　of　a　vagabond　who　flattered　your

hatred　in　hope　of　a　reward；　the　gossip　of　a　distant　village；　the

recollections　of　ten　years　back；　and　finally；　your　own　word；　the　word

of　a　man　who　seeks　only　revenge；　the　word　of　a　man　who　swore　to　make

Martin　pay　dearly　for　the　results　of　his　own　avarice；　a　man　of

furious　passions　such　as　yours！　　No；　Pierre；　no；　I　do　not　believe

you；　and　I　never　will！〃



〃Other　people　may　perhaps　be　less　incredulous；　and　if　I　accuse　him

publicly〃



〃Then　I　shall　contradict　you　publicly！　　〃And　coming　quickly　forward；

her　eyes　shining　with　virtuous　anger



〃Leave　this　house；　go；〃　she　said；　〃it　is　you　yourself　who　are　the

impostorgo！〃



〃I　shall　yet　know　how　to　convince　everyone；　and　will　make　you

acknowledge　it；〃　cried　the　furious　old　man。



He　went　out；　and　Bertrande　sank　exhausted　into　a　chair。　　All　the

strength　which　had　supported　her　against　Pierre　vanished　as　soon　as

she　was　alone；　and　in　spite　of　her　resistance　to　suspicion；　the

terrible　light　of　doubt　penetrated　her　heart；　and　extinguished　the

pure　torch　of　trustfulness　which　had　guided　her　hithertoa　doubt；

alas！　　which　attacked　at　once　her　honour　and　her　love；　for　she　loved

with　all　a　woman's　tender　affection。　　Just　as　actual　poison　gradually

penetrates　and　circulates　through　the　whole　system；　corrupting　the

blood　and　affecting　the　very　sources　of　life　until　it　causes　the

destruction　of　the　whole　body；　so　does　that　mental　poison；　suspicion；

extend　its　ravages　in　the　soul　which　has　received　it。　　Bertrande

remembered　with　terror　her　first　feelings　at　the　sight　of　the

returned　Martin　Guerre；　her　involuntary　repugnance；　her　astonishment

at　not　feeling　more　in　touch　with　the　husband　whom　she　had　so

sincerely　regretted。　　She　remembered　also；　as　if　she　saw　it　for　the

first　time；　that　Martin；　formerly　quick；　lively；　and　hasty　tempered；

now　seemed　thoughtful；　and　fully　master　of　himself。



This　change　of　character　she　had　supposed　due　to　the　natural

development　of　age；　she　now　trembled　at　the　idea　of　another　possible

cause。　　Some　other　little　details　began　to　occur　to　her　mindthe

forgetfulness　or　abstraction　of　her　husband　as　to　a　few　insignificant

things；　thus　it　sometimes　happened　that　he　did　not　answer　to　his　name

of　Martin；　also　that　he　mistook　the　road　to　a　hermitage；　formerly

well　known　to　them　both；　and　again　that　he　could　not　answer　when

addressed　in　Basque；　although　he　him　self　had　taught　her　the　little

she　knew　of　this　language。　　Besides；　since　his　return；　he　would　never

write　in　her　presence；　did　he　fear　that　she　would　notice　some

difference？　　She　had　paid　little　or　no　attention　to　these　trifles；

now；　pieced　together；　they　assumed　an　alarming　importance。　　An

appalling　terror　seized　Bertrande：　was　she　to　remain　in　this

uncertainty；　or　should　she　seek　an　explanation　which　might　prove　her

destruction？　　And　how　discover　the　truthby　questioning　the　guilty

man；　by　noting　his　confusion；　his　change　of　colour；　by　forcing　a

confession　from　him？　　But　she　had　lived　with　him　for　two　years；　he

was　the　father　of　her　child；　she　could　not　ruin　him　without　ruining

herself；　and；　an　explanation　once　sought；　she　could　neither　punish

him　and　escape　disgrace；　nor　pardon　him　without　sharing　his　guilt。

To　reproach　him　with　his　conduct　and　then　keep　silence　would　destroy

her　peace　for　ever；　to　cause　a　scandal　by　denouncing　him　would　bring

dishonour　upon　herself　and　her　child。　　Night　found　her　involved　in

these　hideous　perplexities；　too　weak　to　surmount　them；　an　icy　chill

came　over　her；　she　went　to　bed；　and　awoke　in　a　high　fever。　　For

several　days　she　hovered　between　life　and　death；　and　Martin　Guerre

bestowed　the　most　tender　care　upon　her。　　She　was　greatly　moved

thereby；　having　one　of　those　impressionable　minds　which　recognise

kindness　fully　as　much　as　injury。　　When　she　was　a　little　recovered

and　her　mental　power　began　to　return；　she　had　only　a　vague

recollection　of　what　had　occurred；　and　thought　she　had　had　a

frightful　dream。　　She　asked　if　Pierre　Guerre　had　been　to　see　her；　and

found　he　had　not　been　near　the　house。　　This　could　only　be　explained

by　the　scene　which　had　taken　place；　and　she　then　recollected　all　the

accusation　Pierre　had　made；　her　own　observations　which　had　confirmed

it；　all　her　grief　and　trouble。　　She　inquired　about　the　village　news。

Pierre；　evidently；　had　kept　silence　why？　　Had　he　seen　that　his

suspicions　were　unjust；　or　was　he　only　seeking　further　evidence？　　She

sank　back　into　her　cruel　uncertainty；　and　resolved　to　watch　Martin

closely；　before　deciding　as　to　his　guilt　or　innocence。



How　was　she　to　suppose　that　God　had　created　two　faces　so　exactly

alike；　two　beings　precisely　similar；　and　then　sent　them　together　into

the　world；　and　on　the　same　track；　merely　to　compass　the　ruin　of　an

unhappy　woman！　　A　terrible　idea　took　possession　of　her　mind；　an　idea

not　uncommon　in　an　age　of　superstition；　namely；　that　the　Enemy

himself　could　assume　human　form；　and　could　borrow　the　semblance　of　a

dead　man　in　order　to　capture　another　soul　for　his　infernal　kingdom。

Acting　on　this　idea；　she　hastened　to　the　church；　paid　for　masses　to

be　said；　and　prayed　fervently。　　She　expected　every　day　to　see　the

demon　forsake　the　body　he　had　animated；　but　her　vows；　offerings；　and

prayers　had　no　result。　　But　Heaven　sent　her　an　idea　which　she

wondered　had　not　occurred　to　her　sooner。　　〃If　the　Tempter；〃　　she　said

to　herself；　〃has　taken　the　form　of　my　beloved　husband；　his　power

being　supreme　for　evil；　the　resemblance　would　be　exact；　and　no

difference；　however　slight；　would　exist。　　If；　however；　it　is　only

another　man　who　resembles　him；　God　must　have　made　them　with　some

slight　distinguishing　marks。〃



She　then　remembered；　what　she　had　not　thought　of　before；　having　been

quite　unsuspicious　before　her　uncle's　accusation；　and　nearly　out　of

her　mind　between　mental　and　bodily　suffering　since。　　She　remembered

that　on　her　husband's　left　shoulder；　almost　on　the　neck；　there　used

to　be　one　of　those　small；　almost　imperceptible；　but　ineffaceable

birthmarks。　　Martin　wore　his　hair　very　long；　it　was　difficult　to　see

if　the　mark　were　there　or　not。　　One　night；　while　he　slept；　Bertrande

cut　away　a　lock　of　hair　from　the　place　where　this　sign　ought　to　be

it　was　not　there！



Convinced　at　length　of　the　deception；　Bertrande　suffered

inexpressible　anguish。　　This　man　whom　she　had　loved　and　respected　for

two　whole　years；　whom　she　had　taken　to　her　heart　as　a　husband

bitterly　mourned　forthis　man　was　a　cheat；　an　infamous　impostor；　and

she；　all　unknowing；　was　yet　a　guilty　woman！　　Her　child　was

illegitimate；　and　the　curse　of　Heaven　was　due　to　this　sacrilegious

union。　　To　complete　the　misfortune；　she　was　already　expecting　another

infant。　　She　would　have　killed　herself；　but　her　religion　and　the　love

of　her　children　forbade　it。　　Kneeling　before　her　child's　cradle；　she

entreated　pardon　from　the　father　of　the　one　for　the　father　of　the

other。　　She　would　not　bring　herself　to　proclaim　aloud　their　infamy。



〃Oh！〃　she　said；　〃thou　whom　I　loved；　thou　who　art　no　more；　thou

knowest　no　guilty　thought　ever　entered　my　mind！　　When　I　saw　this　man；

I　thought　I　beheld　thee；　when　I　was　happy；　I　thought　I　owed　it　to

thee；　it　was　thee　whom　I　loved　in　him。　　Surely　thou　dost　not　desire

that　by　a　public　avowal　I　should　bring　shame　and　disgrace　on　these

children　and　on　myself。〃



She　rose　calm　and　strengthened：　it　seemed　as　if　a　heavenly

inspiration　had　marked　out　her　duty。　　To　suffer　in　silence；　such　was

the　course　she　adopted；a　life　of　sacrifice　and　self…denial　which

she　offered　to　God　as　an　expiation　for　her　involuntary　sin。　　But　who

can　understand　the　workings　of　the　human　heart？　　This　man　whom　she

ought　to　have　loathed；　this　man　who　had　made　her　an　innocent　partner

in　his　crime；　this　unmasked　impostor　whom　she　should　have　beheld　only

with　disgust；　she…loved　him！　　The　force　of　habit；　the　ascendancy　he

had　obtained　over　her；　the　love　he　had　shown　her；　a　thousand

sympathies　felt　in　her　inmost　heart；　all　these　had　so　much　influence；

that；　instead　of　accusing　and　cursing　him；　she　sought　to　excuse　him

on　the　plea　of　a　passion　to　which；　doubtless；　he　had　yielded　when

usurping　the　name　and　place　of　another。　　She　feared　punishment　for

him　yet　more　than　disgrace　for　herself；　and　though　resolved　to　no

l