[The Palace of Vanity]
From the French of Madame Émile de Girardin.
It was a magnificent palace, built on the side of a broad highway, along which a great number of travellers passed every day.
This palace had an elegant façade on each of its four sides; a colonnade supported by admirable columns surrounded it. It is true that this colonnade prevented the entrance of any light into the palace; but the exterior view of it was so beautiful that nobody ventured to criticise it objectively; besides, what need of daylight has anybody in a palace? Have they not lustres and candelabra? Why trouble themselves about the sun, then? Every portion of the dome of this palace was gilded, and produced a most dazzling effect.
The queen who lived in this dwelling-place was a tall and handsome woman, who, instead of a heart, had in her bosom a large diamond cut in the form of a heart; it was believed to be on that account that she had never loved.
On the front of her palace were written these words in ruby letters:
"Here You May Obtain Whatever You May Wish For."
A young man passing along the road stopped to look at this superb monument, and having perceived this sign—for it bore a strong resemblance to a sign—he suddenly exclaimed:—
"Faith, I'd like to go inside! I'm tired of being in the condition I'm in, and should not be sorry to be something else."