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Updated: September 1, 2025
His language was so strong and vehement, that Pierre became confused and was unable to answer, and the encounter turned entirely in Arnauld's favour, who seemed to overawe his adversary from a height of injured innocence, while the latter appeared as a disconcerted slanderer. The scene of his confrontation with Bertrande took a wholly different character.
Bertrande," he continued, "if it only concerned my life I think I could forgive a madness of which your love is both the cause and the excuse, but you are a mother, think of that! My punishment will recoil on the head of my daughter, who is unhappy enough to have been born since our reunion, and also on our unborn child, which you condemn beforehand to curse the union which gave it being.
Let us forget it, Bertrande; I should not like a recollection which might make you think yourself less dear to me than you once were." And he drew her upon his knee. She repelled him gently. "Send the child to bed," said Martin. "Tomorrow shall be for him; to-night you have the first place, Bertrande, you only." The boy kissed his father and went.
Consequently the two Martin Guerres were brought before the Parliament, and a few moments after Bertrande was led in, weak, pale, hardly able to stand, being worn out by suffering and advanced pregnancy. Her appearance excited compassion, and all watched anxiously to see what she would do.
"Tell the truth here," he continued, "or I go and tell it to your husband, at your own home!" "Ah! madame, kill me," said the unhappy creature, hiding her face; "let me rather die by your hand than his!" Bertrande, bewildered, did not understand the position in the least, but she recognised Rose "But what is the matter, madame? Why are you here at this hour, pale and weeping?
The sincerity of Bertrande, the future of the children, seemed reasons for proceeding with extreme caution, and this once admitted, could only yield to conclusive evidence. Consequently the Parliament adjourned the case, matters remaining in 'statu quo', pending a more exhaustive inquiry.
Bertrande hastened towards her in astonishment, followed by her husband, but when near enough to speak she could only answer with inarticulate sounds, pointing with terror to the courtyard of the house. They looked in this direction, and saw a man standing at the threshold; they approached him. He stepped forward, as if to place himself between them.
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?
Bertrande came and knelt beside her husband, regarding him attentively with an uneasy smile, which did not appear to please him by any means. "What is the matter?" said he. "Why do you examine me thus?" "I do not know forgive me, oh! forgive me! . . . But the happiness of seeing you was so great and unexpected, it is all like a dream.
The prisoner further defended himself by recapitulating the circumstances of his first meeting with Bertrande, on his return, the thousand and one little details he had mentioned which he only could have known, also the letters in his possession, all of which could only be explained by the assumption that he was the veritable Martin Guerre.
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