"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.