ed:

"Justinien!"

"What?" growled the commandant: "You are not called Hiloire?"

The bewildered man attempted some confused explanations, from which it
could be gathered that Hiloire was his surname and Justinien his
baptismal name!

"Good!" declared the commandant, who proceeded to question the second
soldier as to his identity! When it was made clear that he was one
Tarbottin, baptismal name Niccodeme, the commandant questioned them
together.

"You are soldiers of the second class in the 213th of the line, and
fulfil the functions of staff orderlies?"

"Yes, Commandant."

"You know Corporal Vinson?"

"Yes, Commandant."

Dumoulin pointed to Fandor.

"Is he Corporal Vinson?"

"Yes, Commandant," repeated the two soldiers.

Lieutenant Servin intervened. He pointed out to his chief that the
witnesses had replied in the affirmative without turning to look at
the supposed corporal.

The commandant cried angrily:

"What kind of imbeciles are you? Before saying that you recognise a
person you must begin by looking at that person! Look at the
corporal!"

The two soldiers obeyed: they turned with precision and stared at
Fandor.

"Is that man Corporal Vinson?"

"Yes, Commandant."

"You are sure of that?"

"No, Commandant."

Despite the miserable position he found himself in, Fandor could not
help smiling at the bewilderment of the two soldiers: it was evident
they could be made to say anything.

The commandant was growing more and more exasperated.

"What's that!" he shouted: "I will give you eight days in the cells if
you continue to play the fool like this!... Try to understand what you
are doing! Do you even know why you are here?"

After consulting each other with a look as to who should answer,
Tarbottin explained:

"It is the sergeant who told us that we were being sent to Paris to
recognise Corporal Vinson--well, then?"

"Well," continued Hiloire: "we recognised him!"

Then, speaking together, with an air of proud satisfaction:

"Yes, we got our orders. We have carried them out!"

The commandant was scarlet. With a violent blow of his fist he sent
three sets of case papers flying to the ground. He turned to
Lieutenant Servin.

"I fail to understand why the staff captain has expressly sent us the
biggest fools he could lay hands on.... What the deuce can you get out
of such a pair?... Has the counter verification been carried out? Have
they been shown the body of the real Corporal