martin guerre-第7章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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　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　n