“For these devils,” he said, “would kill one man in order to get the means of cutting off another man’s head.”

And thereupon, resuming his probes and his sponge, he had gone to work once more, with the aid of the countess, digging out grain by grain the lead which had honeycombed the flesh of the count.  At nine o’clock the work was done.

“Not that I fancy I have gotten them all out,” he said modestly, “but, if there is any thing left, it is out of reach, and I shall have to wait for certain symptoms which will tell me where they are.”

As he had foreseen, the count had grown rather worse.  His first excitement had given way to perfect prostration; and he seemed to be insensible to what was going on around him.  Fever began to show itself; and, considering the count’s constitution, it was easily to be foreseen that delirium would set in before the day was out.

“Nevertheless, I think there is hardly any danger,” said the doctor to the countess, after having pointed out to her all the probable symptoms, so as to keep her from being alarmed.  Then he recommended to her to let no one approach her husband’s bed, and M. Galpin least of all.

This recommendation was not useless; for almost at the same moment a peasant came in to say that there was a man from Sauveterre at the door who wished to see the count.

“Show him in,” said the doctor; “I’ll speak to him.”

It was a man called Tetard, a former constable, who had given up his place, and become a dealer in stones.  But besides being a former officer of justice and a merchant, as his cards told the world, he was also the agent of a fire insurance company.  It was in this capacity that he presumed, as he told the countess, to present himself in person.  He had been informed that the farm buildings at Valpinson, which were insured in his company, had been destroyed by fire; that they had been purposely set on fire by M. de Boiscoran; and that he wished to confer with Count Claudieuse on the subject.  Far from him, he added, to decline the responsibility of his company:  he only wished to establish the facts which would enable him to fall back upon M. de Boiscoran, who was a man of fortune, and would certainly be condemned to make compensation for the injury done.  For this purpose, certain formalities had to be attended to; and he had come to arrange with Count Claudieuse the necessary measures.

“And I,” said Dr. Seignebos,—­“I request you to take to your heels.”  He added with a thundering voice,—­

“I think you are very bold to dare to speak in that way of M. de Boiscoran.”

M. Tetard disappeared without saying another word; and the doctor, very much excited by this scene, turned to the youngest daughter of the countess, the one with whom she was sitting up when the fire broke out, and who was now decidedly better:  after that nothing could keep him at Valpinson.  He carefully pocketed the pieces of lead which he had taken from the count’s wounds, and then, drawing the countess out to the door, he said,—­