I’ve had bad luck these days. Danglars said I always heard bad news.
Ah, really, did Monte Cristo say that you stumbled again in the stock exchange?
No, I can at least get some compensation in that respect. My current trouble is caused by the collapse of a bank in Trieste.
Really, are you referring to the failed bank that is Jacob Manfri’s?
Exactly. Think about this gentleman. I don’t know how many years I’ve been doing business. The annual transaction amount reaches 900 thousand. I’ve never made any mistakes or delayed the date payment. Well, I paid him 1 million in advance, but now my good gentleman Jacob Manfri has delayed the payment.
real
This kind of misfortune is unheard of. I took 600,000 livres from him, and my ticket was not cashed back. Besides, I also gave him a draft of 400,000 francs, which was due at the end of this month and accepted by his Paris correspondent. Today is the 30th. I sent someone to cash it at his place to see that the correspondent had disappeared, and the Spanish incident hit me hard. I have seen enough at the end of this month.
So did you really lose a lot in that Spanish incident?
I lost seven hundred thousand francs.
Hey, how could you take this wrong step? An old fox like you.
Oh, that’s my wife’s fault. She dreamed that Mr. Carlos had returned to Spain. She believed it. She said it was a magnetic phenomenon. When she dreamed that something was bound to happen, she informed me. In this belief, I allowed her to speculate. She, her bank, her securities broker lost money. Of course, she speculated that money was hers, not mine. But you know that when 700 thousand francs left her wife’s pocket, her husband always knew. Didn’t you hear anyone talk about it? Hum, it has made everyone know.
Yes, I’ve heard about it, but I don’t know the details. No one is more ignorant than me about securities trading.
So you don’t do speculation?
I’m-I’m in enough trouble just to take care of me. How can I speculate? In addition to my housekeeper, I have to hire a clerk to take care of this Spanish affair. I don’t think the story of Mr. Carlos’ return was a dream. See? The newspaper also talked about it, didn’t it?
So do you believe in newspapers?
I don’t believe it at all, but I think the faithful news is an exception. It publishes true news and urgent news
By the way, that’s what I don’t understand, replied Danglars. The news that Mr. Carlos is back is really urgent news.
So Monte Cristo said that you lost almost 1.7 million francs this month.
To be honest, it’s not almost the same. I did lose that much
Damn it, Monte Cristo said sympathetically, it was a terrible blow to a third-class rich man
Danglars, a third-class rich man, said he felt a little humiliated. What do you mean?
Of course, Monte Cristo also said that I divide the rich into three classes: first class, second class, third class. In countries like France, Austria, and Britain, all the treasures have minerals, fields and real estate, and the total amount of such treasures and property is about 10 million. I call them first-class rich people. All the major shareholders of manufacturing or joint-stock companies are responsible for a certain amount of money. If the total assets reach 1.5 million francs, they are called second-class rich people. Finally, all the assets are scattered in various enterprises. Small shareholders can’t stand making money by his will or opportunity. Since the collapse of the bank, it can’t stand the sudden change of the times, and the increase or decrease of property simply depends on speculation. The total amount of big fish eat small fish’s law with real and false capital is about 15 million. I call them third-class millionaires. I think your situation is probably the last one.
That’s the trouble, replied Danglars.
Then in six months like this, Monte Cristo said calmly, a third-class rich man is going to despair
Oh, Danglars said, he turned very pale. How fast did you speak?
Let’s imagine these seven months. Monte Cristo continued in the same calm tone. Tell me that you have never thought that 17.7 million times is almost 12 million. Well, you are right. If you reflect on your vacation like this, you will never take your money to risk, because money is the same to speculators. We all wear some clothes and are more gorgeous than others. This is obvious to all, but when a person dies, he will be left with flesh. When you return to the mall, you will not have more than five or six million real money. Because the real assets of a third-class rich man will never exceed a quarter of what he looks like, it is just like a railway locomotive, which is particularly huge because of the soot vapor around it. Well, you have just lost almost two million of your five or six million real money, which will definitely reduce your belief in imaginary property accordingly. According to my metaphor, if you repeat it three or four times like this, it will kill you. You must pay attention to it. My dear Mr. Danglars, do you need some money? Do you want me to lend it to you?
What you said as a calculator is really frustrating. Danglars said that he tried his best to pretend to be indifferent and have all kinds of optimistic thoughts to support himself. At the same time, I also succeeded in speculating and making money. I can increase nutrition to make up for the loss of blood. I lost a battle in Spain and suffered a loss in Trieste, but my navy will capture a big merchant ship in India and my Mexican advance team will find mineral deposits.
Great, great, but the wound is still there, and once it is lost, it will recur.
I won’t answer that I have to have three governments collapsed just because I’m as sure as a gun, and Danglars’ quack doctor plays the snail.
Hey, this kind of thing has happened.
It must be that crops can’t grow in the soil
Remember the story of seven years of abundance and seven years of famine.
It must be that the sea suddenly dries up, as it did in Pharaoh’s time, but there is still a lot of sea now, and even if something happens like that, the boat can be turned into a vehicle
That’s good. I said to you, my dear M. Danglars, Monte Cristo said, I think I made a mistake. You should be listed as a second-class millionaire.
I think I might get that honor. Danglars smiled. Monte Cristo thought that painters often painted the sick moon when painting ruins. Now that we are talking about business, he said that he was glad to get an opportunity to change the subject and tell me what I should do with Mr. Cavalcanti.
Give him money. If he gives you a bill, it seems reliable.
Very reliable. He personally brought a 40,000-franc ticket for you this morning, which was signed by Father Busoni and handed over to me. It was a pay-as-you-go ticket, and I immediately counted the 40,000-franc bill to him.
Monte Cristo nodded his head in recognition.
Danglars also said that he had a head in my bank.