All in good order, nothing broken--walls, draperies and furniture still intact; but an appraising glance within the sideboard again caused a clutch at his heart.

Two entire table services of silver, and another of old porcelain had disappeared without leaving the most insignificant of their pieces.

He was obliged to respond gravely to the presentations which his nephew was making, and take the hand which the Count was extending with aristocratic languor.
The adversary began considering him with benevolence, on learning that he was a millionaire from a distant land where riches were acquired very rapidly.
Soon he was seated as a stranger at his own table, eating from the same dishes that his family were accustomed to use, served by men with shaved heads, wearing coarse, striped aprons over their uniforms.

That which he was eating was his, the wine was from his vaults; all that adorned the room he had bought: the trees whose boughs were waving outside the window also belonged to him.

.