The Count of Monte Cristo

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them, but of such a kind as the Arabian fairies might be supposed to
prepare. Every delicious fruit that the four quarters of the globe could
provide was heaped in vases from China and jars from Japan. Rare birds,
retaining their most brilliant plumage, enormous fish, spread upon
massive silver dishes, together with every wine produced in the
Archipelago, Asia Minor, or the Cape, sparkling in bottles, whose
grotesque shape seemed to give an additional flavor to the draught,--all
these, like one of the displays with which Apicius of old gratified his
guests, passed in review before the eyes of the astonished Parisians,
who understood that it was possible to expend a thousand louis upon a
dinner for ten persons, but only on the condition of eating pearls, like
Cleopatra, or drinking refined gold, like Lorenzo de' Medici.

Monte Cristo noticed the general astonishment, and began laughing
and joking about it. "Gentlemen," he said, "you will admit that, when
arrived at a certain degree of fortune, the superfluities of life are
all that can be desired; and the ladies will allow that, after having