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 ?" "Oh yes! I did not make the same reflection you have done.

I said to myself: 'Since my feet have entered my boots ten times, there is no reason why they should not go in an eleventh.'" "Allow me to tell you, my dear Porthos, that, on this occasion, you failed in your logic." "In short, then, they placed me opposite to a part of the room which was partitioned; I tried to get my boot on; I pulled it with my hands, I pushed with all the strength of the muscles of my leg, making the most unheard-of efforts, when suddenly, the two tags of my boot remained in my hands, and my foot struck out like a catapult." "Catapult! how learned you are in fortifications, dear Porthos." "My foot darted out like a catapult, and came against the partition, which it broke in; I really thought that, like Samson, I had demolished the temple.

And the number of pictures, the quantity of china, vases of flowers, carpets, and window-poles, which fell down was really wonderful." "Indeed!" "Without reckoning that, on the other side of the partition, was a small table laden with porcelain--" "Which you knocked over ?" "Which I dashed to the other side of the room," said Porthos, laughing.
"Upon my word, it is, as you say, astonishing," replied D'Artagnan, beginning to laugh also; whereupon Porthos laughed louder than ever.
"I broke," said Porthos, in a voice half-choked from his increasing mirth, "more than three thousand francs worth of china--oh! oh! oh!" "Good!" said D'Artagnan.
"I smashed more than four thousand francs worth of glass--oh! oh! oh!" "Excellent." "Without counting a luster, which fell on my head and was broken into a thousand pieces--oh! oh! oh!" "Upon your head ?" said D'Artagnan, holding his sides.
"On the top." "But your head was broken, I suppose ?" "No, since I tell you, on the contrary, my dear fellow, that it was the luster which was broken like glass, as it was, indeed." "Ah! the luster was glass, you say." "Venetian glass! a perfect curiosity, quite matchless, indeed, and weighed two hundred pounds." "And which fell upon your head!" "Upon my head.

Just imagine, a globe of crystal, gilded all over, the lower part beautifully incrusted, perfumes burning at the top, and jets from which flame issued when they were lighted." "I quite understand; but they were not lighted at the time, I suppose ?" "Happily not, or I should have been set on fire." "And you were only knocked down flat, instead ?" "Not at all." "How, not at all ?" "Why the luster fell on my skull.