I heard M.Fouquet himself say so to the king." "Say what to the king ?" "That he had fortified Belle-Isle on his majesty's account, and that he made him a present of Belle-Isle." "And you heard M.Fouquet say that to the king ?" "In those very words.

He even added: "'Belle-Isle has been fortified by an engineer, one of my friends, a man of a great deal of merit, whom I shall ask your majesty's permission to present to you.' "'What is his name ?' said the king.
"'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.