A drop of blood which fell on his hand changed the current of his thoughts.
"Hold on!" said he: "am I bleeding?"
"That will amount to nothing: circulation is re-established, and--and your broken ear--"
He quickly carried his hand to his ear, and said:--
"It's certainly so. But devil take me if I recollect this accident!"
"I'll make you a little dressing, and in a couple of days there will be no trace of it left."
"Don't give yourself the trouble, my dear Hippocrates: a pinch of powder is a sovereign cure!"
M. Nibor set to work to dress the ear in a little less military fashion. During his operations Léon re-entered.
"Ah! ah!" said he to the doctor: "you are repairing the harm I did."
"Thunderation!" cried Fougas, escaping from the hands of M. Nibor so as to seize Léon by the collar, "was it you, you rascal, that hurt my ear?"