Thewholestoryboretheimpressoftruth，butwhentheotherprisonerwasaskedwhathehadtosayheadheredtohisfirstanswers，maintainingtheircorrectness，andagainassertedthathewastherealMartinGuerre，andthatthenewclaimantcouldonlybeArnauldduThill，thecleverimpostor，whowassaidtoresemblehimselfsomuchthattheinhabitantsofSagiashadagreedinmistakinghimforthesaidArnauld。
ThetwoMartinGuerreswerethenconfrontedwithoutchangingthesituationintheleast;thefirstshowingthesameassurance，thesameboldandconfidentbearing;whilethesecond，callingonGodandmentobearwitnesstohissincerity，deploredhismisfortuneinthemostpatheticterms。
Thejudge\'sperplexitywasgreat:theaffairbecamemoreandmorecomplicated，thequestionremainedasdifficult，asuncertainasever。Alltheappearancesandevidenceswereatvariance;
probabilityseemedtoinclinetowardsone，sympathywasmoreinfavouroftheother，butactualproofwasstillwanting。
AtlengthamemberoftheParliament，M。deCoras，proposedasalastchancebeforeresortingtotorture，thatfinalmeansofexaminationinabarbarousage，thatBertrandeshouldbeplacedbetweenthetworivals，trusting，hesaid，thatinsuchacaseawoman\'sinstinctwoulddivinethetruth。ConsequentlythetwoMartinGuerreswerebroughtbeforetheParliament，andafewmomentsafterBertrandewasledin，weak，pale，hardlyabletostand，beingwornoutbysufferingandadvancedpregnancy。Herappearanceexcitedcompassion，andallwatchedanxiouslytoseewhatshewoulddo。Shelookedatthetwomen，whohadbeenplacedatdifferentendsofthehall，andturningfromhimwhowasnearesttoher，wentandkneltsilentlybeforethemanwiththewoodenleg;then，joiningherhandsasifprayingformercy，sheweptbitterly。Sosimpleandtouchinganactionrousedthesympathyofallpresent;ArnauldduThillgrewpale，andeveryoneexpectedthatMartinGuerre，rejoicedatbeingvindicatedbythispublicacknowledgment，wouldraisehiswifeandembraceher。Butheremainedcoldandstern，andinacontemptuoustone——