n, to send me 500,000 francs to-morrow. I
shall be at home till midday, or if not, I will leave a receipt with my
steward."

"The money you desire shall be at your house by ten o'clock to-morrow
morning, my dear count," replied Danglars. "How would you like to have
it? in gold, silver, or notes?"

"Half in gold, and the other half in bank-notes, if you please," said
the count, rising from his seat.

"I must confess to you, count," said Danglars, "that I have hitherto
imagined myself acquainted with the degree of all the great fortunes of
Europe, and still wealth such as yours has been wholly unknown to me.
May I presume to ask whether you have long possessed it?"

"It has been in the family a very long while," returned Monte Cristo, "a
sort of treasure expressly forbidden to be touched for a certain period
of years, during which the accumulated interest has doubled the capital.
The period appointed by the testator for the disposal of these riches
occurred only a short time ago, and they have only been employed by me
within the last few years. Your ignorance on the subject, therefore, is
easily accounted for. However, you will be better informed as to me and
my possessions ere long." And the count, while pronouncing these latter
words, accompanied them with one of those ghastly smiles that used to
strike terror into poor Franz d'Epinay.

"With your tastes, and means of gratifying them," continued Danglars,
"you will exhibit a splendor that must effectually put us poor miserable
millionaires quite in the shade. If I mistake not you are an admirer of
paintings, at least I judged so from the attention you appeared to be
bestowing on mine when I entered the room. If you will permit me, I
shall be happy to show you my picture gallery, composed entirely of
works by the ancient masters--warranted as such. Not a modern picture
among them. I cannot endure the modern school of painting."

"You are perfectly right in objecting to them, for this one great
fault--that they have not yet had time to become old."

"Or will you allow me to show you several fine statues by Thorwaldsen,
Bartoloni, and Canova?--all foreign artists, for, as you may perceive, I
think but very indifferently of our French sculptors."

"You have a right to be unjust to them, monsieur; they are your
compatriots."

"But all this may come later, when we shall be better known to each
other. For the present, I will confine myself (if perfectly agreeable to