.

The Physician.
M.Valot entered.

The position of the different persons present was precisely the same: the king was seated, Saint-Aignan leaning over the back of his armchair, D'Artagnan with his back against the wall, and Manicamp still standing.
"Well, M.Valot," said the king, "did you obey my directions ?" "With the greatest alacrity, sire." "You went to the doctor's house in Fontainebleau ?" "Yes, sire." "And you found M.de Guiche there ?" "I did, sire." "What state was he in ?--speak unreservedly." "In a very sad state indeed, sire." "The wild boar did not quite devour him, however ?" "Devour whom ?" "De Guiche." "What wild boar ?" "The boar that wounded him." "M.

de Guiche wounded by a boar ?" "So it is said, at least." "By a poacher, rather, or by a jealous husband, or an ill-used lover, who, in order to be revenged, fired upon him." "What is it that you say, Monsieur Valot?
Were not M.de Guiche's wounds produced by defending himself against a wild boar ?" "M.

de Guiche's wounds are the result of a pistol-bullet that broke his ring-finger and the little finger of the right hand, and afterwards buried itself in the intercostal muscles of the chest." "A bullet! Are you sure Monsieur de Guiche was wounded by a _bullet ?_" exclaimed the king, pretending to look much surprised.
"Indeed, I am, sire; so sure, in fact, that here it is." And he presented to the king a half-flattened bullet, which the king looked at, but did not touch.
"Did he have that in his chest, poor fellow ?" he asked.
"Not precisely.