I became very confused. Seeing my embarrassment, the prosecutor pressed me with questions, and I had to tell him that if he made inquiries of Madame Barberin our cow would not be a surprise after all, and to make it a surprise had been our chief object. But in the midst of my confusion I felt a great satisfaction to know that Mother Barberin was still alive, and in the course of the questions that were put to me I learned that Barberin had gone back to Paris some time ago. This delighted me.
Then came the question that Mattia had feared.
“But how did you get all the money to buy the cow?”
I explained that from Paris to Varses and from Varses to Ussel we had collected this sum, sou by sou.
“But what were you doing in Varses?” he asked.
Then I was forced to tell him that I had been in a mine accident.
“Which of you two is Remi?” he asked, in a softened voice.
“I am, sir,” I replied.
“To prove that, you tell me how the catastrophe occurred. I read the whole account of it in the papers. You cannot deceive me. I can tell if you really are Remi. Now, be careful.”
I could see that he was feeling very lenient towards us. I told him my experience in the mine, and when I had finished my story, I thought from his manner, which was almost affectionate, that he would give us our freedom at once, but instead he went out of the room, leaving me alone, a prey to my thoughts. After some time he returned with Mattia.