too. Just look at that man who has the last place at the table. Even
he has to-day his little eight hundred thousand, and yet he started out
with nothing. It wasn't very long ago that he was a porter carrying wood
on his back through the street. But, as the saying goes, he found a fairy
wishing-cup. I never grudge a man his good luck. It only means that he
knows how to look out for himself; and this chap over here not long ago
put up his shanty for sale with this sort of an advertisement:

"'Gaius Pompeius Diogenes will let this lodging from July first, having
just bought a large house for himself.'

"Now, take the case of that other man over there who has the freedman's
place at the table. How well off do you suppose he is? I don't know
anything against him, but he's seen the time when he had his little
million; only, somehow or other, he went wrong. To-day I don't imagine he
has a hair on his head that isn't mortgaged, and it isn't his own fault
either, for there's no better man in the world; but it's the fault of his
confounded freedmen who made way with everything that he had. You know the
saying, 'Too many cooks spoil the broth,' and the other saying that 'He
who loses money loses friends.' And what a fine profession he had, too,
just as you see him now! He was an undertaker. He used to dine like a king
on wild boar with pastry and birds, and he had cooks and bakers by the
score. They used to spill more wine under his table than most men have in
their wine-cellars. In fact, he was a fairy vision rather than a man. When
his affairs got into Queer Street and he was afraid his creditors would
think that things were in a bad way, he wanted to raise some money on his
goods and chattels; so he advertised an auction of them in this fashion:
'Julius Proculus will hold an auction for the sale of his superfluous
property.'"

After this course, Trimalchio left the room for a few minutes, so that,
feeling a certain freedom in the absence of our master, we began to draw
each other into conversation. Dama, first of all, calling for a goblet,
remarked:

"A day is nothing. Night comes before you can turn around. That's why I
think there's nothing better than to go from your bed straight to the
dining-room. It's a cold climate we have here. Even a bath scarcely warms
me up. In fact, a hot drink is my wardrobe. I've had several stiff drinks
already, so that I'm loaded for bear; for the wine has gone to my head."

At this point S