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Rh LOUISE DE lA VALLIERB. 21 been fortified by an engineer, one of my friends, a man of a great deal of merit, whom I shall ask your majesty's per- mission to present to you.' " 'What is his name?' said the king. " 'The Baron du Vallon,' Monsieur Fouquet replied. " 'Very well,' returned his majesty; 'you will present him tome.'" "The king said that?" sented, 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'Ar- tagnan pretended not to hear; and, changing the conversa- tion, 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. "Eeally, 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 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?"
 * In those very words. He even added: *Belle-Isle has
 * 'irpon the word of a D'ArtagnanI"
 * '0h, oh!" said Porthos. "Why have I not been pre-