r 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."

"'She gazed without wincing upon the wooden horse and rings which had
twisted so many limbs and caused so many shrieks of agony. When her
eyes fell upon the three pails of water, which were all ready for her,
she said with a smile, "All that water must have been brought here for
the purpose of drowning me, Monsieur. You have no idea, I trust, of
making a person of my small stature swallow it all."' Shall I read the
details of the torture?"

"No, for Heaven's sake, don't."

"Here is a sentence which must surely show you that what is here
recorded is the very scene which you have gazed upon tonight: 'The good
Abbe Pirot, unable to contemplate the agonies which were suffered by
his penitent, had hurried from the room.' Does that convince you?"

"It does entirely. There can be no question that it is indeed the same
event. But who, then, is this lady whose appearance was so attractive
and whose end was so horrible?"

For answer Dacre came across to me, and placed the small lamp upon the
table which stood by my bed. Lifting up the ill-omened filler, he
turned the brass rim so that the light fell full upon it. Seen in this
way the engraving seemed clearer than on the night before.

"We have already agreed that this is the badge of a marquis or of a
marquise," said he. "We have also settled that the last letter is B."

"It is undoubtedly so."

"I now suggest to you that the other letters from left to right are, M,
M, a small d, A, a small d, and then the final B."

"Yes, I am sure that you are right. I can make out the two small d's
quite plainly."

"What I have read to you tonight," said Dacre, "is the official record
of the trial of Marie Madeleine d'Aubray, Marquise de Brinvilliers, one
of the most famous poisoners and murderers of all time."

I sat in silence, ov