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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

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