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——
\"Yourtears，madame，\"hesaid;\"theydonotmovemeintheleast，neithercanyouseektoexcuseyourcredulitybytheexamplesofmysistersandmyuncle。Awifeknowsherhusbandmoreintimatelythanhisotherrelations，asyouprovebyyourpresentaction，andifsheisdeceiveditisbecausesheconsentstothedeception。Youarethesolecauseofthemisfortunesofmyhouse，andtoyouonlyshallI
everimputethem。\"
Thunderstruckbythisreproach，thepoorwomanhadnostrengthtoreply，andwastakenhomemoredeadthanalive。
Thedignifiedlanguageofthisinjuredhusbandmadeanotherpointinhisfavour。MuchpitywasfeltforBertrande，asbeingthevictimofanaudaciousdeception;buteverybodyagreedthatthusitbeseemedtherealMartinGuerretohavespoken。Aftertheordealgonethroughbythewifehadbeenalsoessayedbythesistersandotherrelatives，whooneandallfollowedBertrande\'sexampleandacceptedthenew—
comer，thecourt，havingfullydeliberated，passedthefollowingsentence，whichwetranscribeliterally:
\"HavingreviewedthetrialofArnauldduThillorPansette，callinghimselfMartinGuerre，aprisonerintheConciergerie，whoappealsfromthedecisionofthejudgeofRieux，etc。，\"WedeclarethatthiscourtnegativestheappealanddefenceofthesaidArnauldduThill;andaspunishmentandamendsfortheimposture，deception，assumptionofnameandofperson，adultery，rape，sacrilege，theft，larceny，andotherdeedscommittedbytheaforesaidduThill，andcausingtheabove—mentionedtrial;thiscourthascondemnedandcondemnshimtodopenancebeforethechurchofArtigue，kneeling，cladinhisshirtonly，bareheadedandbarefoot，ahalteronhisneck，andaburningtorchinhishand，andthereheshallaskpardonfromGod，fromtheKing，andfromjustice，fromthesaidMartinGuerreandBertrandedeRolls，husbandandwife:andthisdone，theaforesaidduThillshallbedeliveredintothehandsoftheexecutionersoftheKing\'sjustice，whoshallleadhimthroughthecustomarystreetsandcrossroadsoftheaforesaidplaceofArtigues，and，thehalteronhisneck，shallbringhimbeforethehouseoftheaforesaidMartinGuerre，whereheshallbehungandstrangleduponagibbeterectedforthispurpose，afterwhichhisbodyshallbeburnt:
andforvariousreasonsandconsiderationsthereuntomovingthecourt，ithasawardedandawardsthegoodsoftheaforesaidArnauldduThill，apartfromtheexpensesofjustice，tothedaughterbornuntohimbytheaforesaidBertrandedeRolls，underpretenceofmarriagefalselyassertedbyhim，havingtheretoassumedthenameandpersonoftheaforesaidMartinGuerre，bythismansdeceivingtheaforesaiddeRolls;andmoreoverthecourthasexemptedandexemptsfromthistrialtheaforesaidMartinGuerreandBertrandedeRolls，alsothesaidPierreGuerre，uncleoftheaforesaidMartin，andhasremittedandremitstheaforesaidArnauldduThilltotheaforesaidjudgeofRieux，inorderthatthepresentsentencemaybeexecutedaccordingtoitsformandtenor。Pronouncedjudiciallythis12thdayofSeptember1560。\"
Thissentencesubstitutedthegallowsforthedecapitationdecreedbythefirstjudge，inasmuchasthelatterpunishmentwasreservedforcriminalsofnoblebirth，whilehangingwasinflictedonmeanerpersons。
Whenoncehisfatewasdecided，ArnauldduThilllostallhisaudacity。SentbacktoArtigues，hewasinterrogatedinprisonbythejudgeofRieux，andconfessedhisimpostureatgreatlength。Hesaidtheideafirstoccurredtohimwhen，havingreturnedfromthecampinPicardy，hewasaddressedasMartinGuerrebyseveralintimatefriendsofthelatter。Hetheninquiredastothesortoflife，thehabitsandrelationsof，thisman，andhavingcontrivedtobenearhim，hadwatchedhimcloselyduringthebattle。Hesawhimfall，carriedhimaway，andthen，asthereaderhasalreadyseen，excitedhisdeliriumtotheutmostinordertoobtainpossessionofhissecrets。Havingthusexplainedhissuccessfulimposturebynaturalcauses，whichexcludedanyideaofmagicorsorcery，heprotestedhispenitence，imploredthemercyofGod，andpreparedhimselfforexecutionasbecameaChristian。
Thenextday，whilethepopulace，collectingfromthewholeneighbourhood，hadassembledbeforetheparishchurchofArtiguesinordertobeholdthepenanceofthecriminal，who，barefoot，attiredinashirt，andholdingalightedtorchinhishand，kneltattheentranceofthechurch，anotherscene，nolesspainful，tookplaceinthehouseofMartinGuerre。Exhaustedbyhersuffering，whichhadcausedaprematureconfinement，Bertrandelayonhercouchofpain，andbesoughtpardonfromhimwhomshehadinnocentlywronged，entreatinghimalsotoprayforhersoul。MartinGuerre，sittingatherbedside，extendedhishandandblessedher。Shetookhishandandheldittoherlips;shecouldnolongerspeak。Allatoncealoudnoisewasheardoutside:theguiltymanhadjustbeenexecutedinfrontofthehouse。Whenfinallyattachedtothegallows，heutteredaterriblecry，whichwasansweredbyanotherfrominsidethehouse。Thesameevening，whilethebodyofthemalefactorwasbeingconsumedbyfire，theremainsofamotherandchildwerelaidtorestinconsecratedground。