皮漏斗之谜（15）（在线收听）

“Just listen to this,” said he; “it is in the French of the seventeenth century, but I will give a rough translation as I go. You will judge for yourself whether I have solved the riddle or not.

“‘The prisoner was brought before the Grand Chambers and Tournelles of Parliament, sitting as a court of justice, charged with the murder of Master Dreux d’Aubray, her father, and of her two brothers, MM. d’Aubray, one being civil lieutenant, and the other a counsellor of Parliament. In person it seemed hard to believe that she had really done such wicked deeds, for she was of a mild appearance, and of short stature, with a fair skin and blue eyes. Yet the Court, having found her guilty, condemned her to the ordinary and to the extraordinary question in order that she might be forced to name her accomplices, after which she should be carried in a cart to the Place de Greve, there to have her head cut off, her body being afterwards burned and her ashes scattered to the winds.’

“The date of this entry is July 16, 1676.”

“It is interesting,” said I, “but not convincing. How do you prove the two women to be the same?”

“I am coming to that. The narrative goes on to tell of the woman’s behaviour when questioned. ‘When the executioner approached her she recognized him by the cords which he held in his hands, and she at once held out her own hands to him, looking at him from head to foot without uttering a word.’ How’s that?”

“Yes, it was so.”

“听听这个，"他说，“文字是十七世纪的法语，我把大意翻译出来。你自己判断我是否解开了这个谜团吧。

罪犯被带上大法庭，她被控谋杀其父德里约道伯雷

和她的两个兄弟，一个是文官中尉，另一个是议院参事。从外表看，人们很难相信她这样一个人竟会干出如此邪恶的勾当。她看上去十分温顺，身材矮小，皮肤白皙，生着一双湛蓝的眼睛。法庭在认定她有罪之后，仍然向她提出各种询问，以防她迫于压力做出虚假的招供。此后，她应该由一辆马车送到沙滩广场，在那里，她将被斩首，尸体将被焚烧，骨灰将被撒向天空，随风飘散。

这件事发生在1676年7月16日”

“有意思，”我说，“但并不令人信服。你怎么证明这两个女人是同一个人？”

“我就要讲到了。这段文字下面讲述了这名女子的举止，*当行刑官走过来的时候，她从他手里的绳子认出了他，她立即向他伸出双手，默默地上下打量着他。怎么样？”

“对，是这样，"