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Short Story Classics (American); Volume 2 (Large Print Edition)
Short Story Classics Volume 2 - American - Large Print Edition Author:William Patten Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: THE ACCURSED HOUSE By Smile Gaboriau THE Vicomte de B , an amiable and charming young man, was peacefully enjoying an income of 30,000 livres yearly, when,... more » unfortunately for him, his uncle, a miser of the worst species, died, leaving him all his wealth, amounting to nearly two millions. In running through the documents of succession, the Vicomte de B learned that he was the proprietor of a house in the Rue de la Victoire. He learned, also, that the unfurnished building, bought in 1849 fr 300,000 francs, now brought in, clear of taxes, rentals amounting to 82,000 francs a year. "Too much, too much, entirely," thought the generous vicomte, "my uncle was too hard; to rent at this price is usury, one can not deny it. When one bears a great name like mine, one should not lend himself to such plundering. I will begin to-morrow to lower my rents, and my tenants will bless me." With this excellent purpose in view, the Vicomte de B sent immediately for the concierge of the building, who presented himself as promptly, with back bent like a bow. "Bernard, my friend," said the vicomte, "go at Translated by E. C. Waggener. Copyright, itfi, by The Current Literature Publishing Company. once from me and notify all your tenants that I lower their rents by one-third." That unheard-of word "lower" fell like a brick on Bernard's head. But he quickly recovered himself; he had heard badly; he had not understood. "Low—er the rents!" stammered he. "Monsieur le Vicomte deigns to jest. Lower! Monsieur, of course means to raise the rents." "I was never more serious in my life, my friend," the vicomte returned; "I said, and I repeat it, lower the rents." This time the concttrge was surprised to the point of bewilderment—so thrown off his balance that he forgot himse...« less