in the interval between being struck down in the battle and recovering
his senses, his papers had disappeared, but it was impossible to suspect
the people who had nursed him with such generous kindness of theft.
After his recovery, being absolutely destitute, he sought to return to
France and again see his wife and child: he had endured all sorts of
privations and fatigues, and at length, exhausted, but rejoicing at being
near the end of his troubles, he arrived, suspecting nothing, at his own
door. Then the terror of the old servant, a few broken words, made him
guess at some misfortune, and the appearance of his wife and of a man so
exactly like himself stupefied him. Matters had now been explained, and
he only regretted that his wound had not at once ended his existence.

The whole story bore the impress of truth, but when the other prisoner
was asked what he had to say he adhered to his first answers, maintaining
their correctness, and again asserted that he was the real Martin Guerre,
and that the new claimant could only be Arnauld du Thill, the clever
impostor, who was said to resemble himself so much that the inhabitants
of Sagias had agreed in mistaking him for the said Arnauld.

The two Martin Guerres were then confronted without changing the
situation in the least; the first showing the same assurance, the same
bold and confident bearing; while the second, calling on God and men to
bear witness to his sincerity, deplored his misfortune in the most
pathetic terms.

The judge's perplexity was great: the affair became more and more
complicated, the question remained as difficult, as uncertain as ever.
All the appearances and evidences were at variance; probability seemed to
incline towards one, sympathy was more in favour of the other, but actual
proof was still wanting.