He announced, “I’m from the city engineering department, madam. ”

　　The woman recovered herself and set her watering can down.

　　“So you have found out at last, ”she said. “We paid our taxes and made out a lot of forms and answered the questions of various officials. Then, after a while, we were sent no notices, so we paid no more taxes. No one bothered us at all. It was a long time before we understood that in some way they’d forgotten about us. ”

　　Marc nodded. Of course, if Green Bottle Street had been ignored by the city hall, no inspectors would go there, no tax collectors. All would pass merrily by.

　　“For several years, the tenants(租户)here had lived in harmony with each other and the landlord. The owner became so attached to them that he gave them all he had when he died. I have lived here for more than twenty years. I hope to end my days here as well. ”

　　She smiled pleasantly at him, apparently forgetting for the moment that he carried in his pocket a bomb that could blow their little world to pieces.

　　“You remind me of my nephew, ”she said suddenly. “He was a dear boy. I was heartbroken when he died. I’m the last of my family, you know. ”

　　Marc thought of his noisy and violent landlady and neighbors. He could not recall when he had been spoken to with such simple goodwill. His heart warmed to this old lady. “I wonder, ”he said slowly, “I am a good tenant, and I wonder. . . ”

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