The Count of Monte Cristo

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"I will name to you several sums which will increase by gradation; you
will stop me when I reach the one representing the amount of your own
possessions?"

"Yes." There was a kind of solemnity in this interrogation. Never had
the struggle between mind and matter been more apparent than now, and
if it was not a sublime, it was, at least, a curious spectacle. They had
formed a circle round the invalid; the second notary was sitting at a
table, prepared for writing, and his colleague was standing before the
testator in the act of interrogating him on the subject to which we have
alluded. "Your fortune exceeds 300,000. francs, does it not?" asked
he. Noirtier made a sign that it did. "Do you possess 400,000 francs?"
inquired the notary. Noirtier's eye remained immovable. "Five
hundred thousand?" The same expression continued. "Six hundred
thousand--700,000--800,000--900,000?" Noirtier stopped him at the
last-named sum. "You are then in possession of 900,000. francs?" asked
the notary. "Yes."