“ Oh! oh!” he murmured at length, “this is serious indeed.”
“ Is it not?” said the king, uneasily.
“ Pulsus creber, anhelans, crepitans, irregularis ,” continued the leech.
“ Pasque-Dieu! ”
“ This may carry off its man in less than three days.”
“ Our Lady!” exclaimed the king. “And the remedy, gossip?”
“ I am meditating upon that, sire.”
He made Louis XI. put out his tongue, shook his head, made a grimace, and in the very midst of these affectations,—
“ Pardieu, sire,” he suddenly said, “I must tell you that there is a receivership of the royal prerogatives vacant, and that I have a nephew.”
“ I give the receivership to your nephew, Gossip Jacques,” replied the king; “but draw this fire from my breast.”
“ Since your majesty is so clement,” replied the leech,
