The Count of Monte Cristo

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"'The abbe told me it was worth 50,000 francs,' muttered Caderousse.
'Come, come--give it to me! What a strange fellow you are,' said
the jeweller, taking the diamond from his hand. 'I give you 45,000
francs--that is, 2,500 livres of income,--a fortune such as I wish I had
myself, and you are not satisfied!'--'And the five and forty thousand
francs,' inquired Caderousse in a hoarse voice, 'where are they?
Come--let us see them.'--'Here they are,' replied the jeweller, and he
counted out upon the table 15,000. francs in gold, and 30,000 francs in
bank-notes.

"'Wait while I light the lamp,' said La Carconte; 'it is growing dark,
and there may be some mistake.' In fact, night had come on during this
conversation, and with night the storm which had been threatening for
the last half-hour. The thunder growled in the distance; but it was
apparently not heard by the jeweller, Caderousse, or La Carconte,
absorbed as they were all three with the demon of gain. I myself felt; a
strange kind of fascination at the sight of all this gold and all these