martin guerre-第7部分

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and　weeping？　　Why　has　my　uncle　dragged　you　hither？　　I　am　to　judge

you；　does　he　say？　　Of　what　crime　are　you　guilty？〃



〃Martin　might　answer　that；　if　he　were　here；〃　remarked　Pierre。



A　lightning　flash　of　jealousy　shot　through　Bertrande's　soul　at　these

words；　all　her　former　suspicions　revived。



〃What！〃　she　said；　〃my　husband！　　What　do　you　mean？〃



〃That　he　left　this　woman's　house　only　a　little　while　ago；　that　for　a

month　they　have　been　meeting　secretly。　　You　are　betrayed：　I　have　seen

them　and　she　does　not　dare　to　deny　it。〃



〃Have　mercy！〃　cried　Rose；　still　kneeling。



The　cry　was　a　confession。　　Bertrande　became　pate　as　death。　　〃O　God！〃

she　murmured；　〃deceived；　betrayedand　by　him！〃



〃For　a　month　past；〃　repeated　the　old　man。



〃Oh！　the　wretch；〃　she　continued；　with　increasing　passion；　〃　then　his

whole　life　is　a　lie！　　He　has　abused　my　credulity；　he　now　abuses　my

love！　　He　does　not　know　me！　　He　thinks　he　can　trample　on　meme；　in

whose　power　are　his　fortune；　his　honour；　his　very　life　itself！〃



Then；　turning　to　Rose



〃And　you；　miserable　woman！　by　what　unworthy　artifice　did　you　gain　his

love？　　Was　it　by　witchcraft？　or　some　poisonous　philtre　learned　from

your　worthy　father？〃



〃Alas！　no；　madame；　my　weakness　is　my　only　crime；　and　also　my　only

excuse。　　I　loved　him；　long　ago；　when　I　was　only　a　young　girl；　and

these　memories　have　been　my　ruin。〃



〃Memories？　　What！　did　you　also　think　you　were　loving　the　same　man？

Are　you　also　his　dupe？　　Or　are　you　only　pretending；　in　order　to　find

a　rag　of　excuse　to　cover　your　wickedness？〃



It　was　now　Rose　who　failed　to　understand；　Bertrande　continued；　with

growing　excitement



〃Yes；　it　was　not　enough　to　usurp　the　rights　of　a　husband　and　father；

he　thought　to　play　his　part　still　better　by　deceiving　the　mistress

also　。　　。　　。　　。　　Ah！　it　is　amusing；　is　it　not？　　You　also；　Rose；　you

thought　he　was　your　old　lover！　　Well；　I　at　least　am　excusable；　I　the

wife；　who　only　thought　she　was　faithful　to　her　husband！〃



〃What　does　it　all　mean？〃　asked　the　terrified　Rose。



〃It　means　that　this　man　is　an　impostor　and　that　I　will　unmask　him。

Revenge！　revenge！〃



Pierre　came　forward。　　〃Bertrande；〃　he　said；　〃so　long　as　I　thought　you

were　happy；　when　I　feared　to　disturb　your　peace；　I　was　silent；　I

repressed　my　just　indignation；　and　I　spared　the　usurper　of　the　name

and　rights　of　my　nephew。　　Do　you　now　give　me　leave　to　speak？〃



〃Yes；〃　she　replied　in　a　hollow　voice。



〃You　will　not　contradict　me？〃



By　way　of　answer　she　sat　down　by　the　table　and　wrote　a　few　hasty

lines　with　a　trembling　hand；　then　gave　them　to　Pierre；　whose　eyes

sparkled　with　joy。



〃Yes；〃　he　said；　〃vengeance　for　him；　but　for　her　pity。　　Let　this

humiliation　be　her　only　punishment。　　I　promised　silence　in　return　for

confession；　will　you　grant　it？〃



Bertrande　assented　with　a　contemptuous　gesture。



〃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　spec