"Can it be that my other self is dead? God be praised!" said Martin. "Am I at last relieved from this continual changing back and forth? Bah! On the whole, upon reflection, I should be a little sorry if it is so, but still reasonably satisfied. Why don't you speak, friend? Speak!" he added, addressing himself to the bewildered peasant. "Ah, Master," replied the latter, when he had looked closely at Martin and touched him with his hands, "how does it happen that you are here before me? I swear to you, Master, that I came as quickly as a man could come to do your errand, and earn the ten crowns; and unless you came in the saddle, Master, it is absolutely impossible for you to have passed me on the road, and in that case I must have seen you." "To be sure; but, my good fellow, I never saw you before," said Martin-Guerre; "and yet you talk as if you knew me!" "As if I knew you!" said the stupefied peasant. "Do you mean to say that you didn't send me here to say that Martin-Guerre had been hanged and was dead?" "What! Martin-Guerre! Why, I am Martin-Guerre." "You? Impossible! How could you have told of your own hanging?" rejoined the peasant. "But why, where, and when did I tell you of such an atrocity?" asked Martin. "Must I tell you the precise facts now?" said the peasant. "Yes, everything." "Notwithstanding the fact that you made up a story for me to tell." "Yes; never mind that now." "Well, then, since your memory is so short, I will tell you everything. So much the worse for you if you force me to do it! Six days ago, in the morning, I was at work hoeing my field--" "Before you go any further, where is your field?" asked Martin. "Do you want me to tell you the real truth, Master?" said the peasant. "Why, of course I do, you beast!" "Well, then, my field is behind Montargis! I was at work when you came along the road, with a travelling-bag on your back." "'Well, well, my friend," said you, 'what are you doing? Come, why don't you speak?' "'I am hoeing, Master. I am ready to answer your questions.' "'How much does this work of yours pay you?' "'Year in and year out, about four sous a day.' "'Would you like to earn twenty crowns in two weeks?' "'Oh, oh!' "'Say yes or no.' "'Yes, indeed, I should.'