art. The patient,
strangely enough--we affirm it as an eye-witness--complained of no pain.
His condition up to the present time leaves nothing to be desired.
Everything tends to show that his convalescence will be brief; and who
knows whether, at our next village festivity, we shall not see our good
Hippolyte figuring in the bacchic dance in the midst of a chorus of
joyous boon-companions, and thus proving to all eyes by his verve and
his capers his complete cure? Honor, then, to the generous savants!
Honor to those indefatigable spirits who consecrate their vigils to the
amelioration or to the alleviation of their kind! Honor, thrice honor!
Is it not time to cry that the blind shall see, the deaf hear, the lame
walk? But that which fanaticism formerly promised to its elect, science
now accomplishes for all men. We shall keep our readers informed as to
the successive phases of this remarkable cure.'"

* * *

This did not prevent Mere Lefrancois from coming five days after,
scared, and crying out--

"Help! he is dying! I am going crazy!"

Charles rushed to the "Lion d'Or," and the chemist, who caught sight of
him passing along the Place hatless, abandoned his shop. He appeared
himself breathless, red, anxious, and asking every one who was going up
the stairs--

"Why, what's the matter with our interesting strephopode?"

The strephopode was writhing in hideous convulsions, so that the machine
in which his leg was enclosed was knocked against the wall enough to
break it.

With many precautions, in order not to disturb the position of the limb,
the box was removed, and an awful sight presented itself. The outlines
of the foot disappeared in such a swelling that the entire skin seemed
about to burst, and it was covered with ecchymosis, caused by the famous
machine. Hippolyte had already complained of suffering from it. No
attention had been paid to him; they had to acknowledge that he had not
been altogether wrong, and he was freed for a few hours. But hardly had
the oedema gone down to some extent, than the two savants thought fit
to put back the limb in the apparatus, strapping it tighter to hasten
matters. At last, three days after, Hippolyte being unable to endure it
any longer, they once more removed the machine, and were much surprised
at the result they saw. The livid tumefaction spread over the leg, with
blisters here and there, whence oozed a black liquid. Matters were
taking a seri