"'The Baron de Vallon,' M. Fouquet replied. "'Very well,' returned his majesty, 'you will present him to me.'" "The king said that?" "Upon the word of a D'Artagnan!" "Oh, oh!" said Porthos. "Why have I not been presented, then?" "Have they not spoken to you about this presentation?" "Yes, certainly; but I am always kept waiting for it." "Be easy, it will be sure to come." "Humph! humph!" grumbled Porthos, which D'Artagnan pretended not to hear; and, changing the conversation, he said, "You seem to be living in a very solitary place here, my dear fellow?" "I always preferred retirement. I am of a melancholy disposition," replied Porthos, with a sigh. "Really, that is odd," said D'Artagnan; "I never remarked that before." "It is only since I have taken to reading," said Porthos, with a thoughtful air. "But the labors of the mind have not affected the health of the body, I trust?" "Not in the slightest degree." "Your strength is as great as ever?" "Too great, my friend, too great." "Ah! I had heard that, for a short time after your arrival--" "That I could hardly move a limb, I suppose?" "How was it?" said D'Artagnan, smiling; "and why was it you could not move?" Porthos, perceiving that he had made a mistake, wished to correct it. "Yes, I came from Belle-Isle here upon very hard horses," he said, "and that fatigued me." "I am no longer astonished, then, since I, who followed you, found seven or eight lying dead on the road." "I am very heavy, you know," said Porthos. "So that you were bruised all over." "My fat melted, and that made me very ill." "Poor Porthos! But how did Aramis act toward you under those circumstances?" "Very well indeed. He had me attended to by M. Fouquet's own doctor. But just imagine, at the end of a week I could not breathe any longer." "What do you mean?" "The room was too small, I absorbed too much air." "Indeed?" "I was told so, at least; and so I was removed into another apartment." "Where you were able to breathe that time, I hope." "Yes, more freely; but no exercise--nothing to do. The doctor pretended that I was not to stir; I, on the contrary, felt that I was stronger than ever; that was the cause of a very serious accident." "What accident?" "Fancy, my dear fellow, that I revolted against the directions of that ass of a doctor, and I resolved to go out, whether it suited him or not; and, consequently, I told the valet who waited on me to bring me my clothes." "You were quite naked, then?" "Oh, no! on the contrary, I had a magnificent dressing-gown to wear; the lackey obeyed; I dressed myself in my own clothes, which had become too large for me; but a strange circumstance had happened--my feet had become too large." "Yes, I quite understand." "And my boots had become too small." "You mean your feet were still swollen." "Exactly; you have hit it." "Pardieu! And is that the accident you were going to tell me about?"