The arms had been slashed with sabre cuts. Not a single scar disfigured his face; but his head was fairly covered with cuts; what would be the result of these wounds on the head? Would they stop short at the hairy cuticle, or would they attack the brain?
As yet, this could not be decided.
A grave symptom was that they had caused a swoon, and that people do not always recover from such swoons.
Moreover, the wounded man had been exhausted by hemorrhage.
From the waist down, the barricade had protected the lower part of the body from injury.
Basque and Nicolette tore up linen and prepared bandages; Nicolette sewed them, Basque rolled them.
As lint was lacking, the doctor, for the time being, arrested the bleeding with layers of wadding. Beside the bed, three candles burned on a table where the case of surgical instruments lay spread out.
The doctor bathed Marius'' face and hair with cold water.
A full pail was reddened in an instant. The porter, candle in hand, lighted them.
The doctor seemed to be pondering sadly.
From time to time, he made a negative sign with his head, as though replying to some question which he had inwardly addressed to himself.
A bad sign for the sick man are these mysterious dialogues of the doctor with himself.
At the moment when the doctor was wiping Marius'' face, and lightly touching his still closed eyes with his finger, a door opened at the end of the drawing-room, and a long, pallid figure made its appearance.の思の兔の在の線の閱の讀の