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[33]
Then he said, as he
picked his teeth with a silver quill, “It was not convenient for me to come to
dinner yet, my friends, but I gave up all my own pleasure; I did not like to
stay away any longer and keep you waiting. But you will not mind if I finish my
game?” A boy followed him with a table of terebinth wood and crystal
pieces, and I noticed the prettiest thing possible. Instead of black and white
counters they used gold and silver coins. Trimalchio kept passing every kind of
remark as he played, and we were still busy with the hors d'oeuvres, when a tray was
brought in with a basket on it, in which there was a hen made of wood, spreading out
her wings as they do when they are sitting. The music grew loud: two slaves at once
came up and began to hunt in the straw. Peahen's eggs were pulled out and handed to
the guests. Trimalchio turned his head to look, and said,“I gave orders, my
friends, that peahen's eggs should be put under a common hen. And upon my oath I
am afraid they are hard-set by now. But we will try whether they are still fresh
enough to suck.” We took our spoons, half-a-pound in weight at least, and
hammered at the eggs, which were balls of fine meal. I was on the point of throwing
away my portion. I thought a peachick had already formed. But hearing a practised
diner say, “What treasure have we here?”
[p. 51] I poked through the shell with my finger, and found a fat becafico
rolled up in spiced yolk of egg.
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