Hazard of New Fortunes, a — Volume 1 by William Dean Howells
page 55 of 115 (47%)
page 55 of 115 (47%)
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small."
"There's a vacant flat in the Herodotus for eighteen hundred a year, and one in the Thucydides for fifteen," the superintendent suggested, clicking his keys together as they sank down in the elevator; "seven rooms and bath." "Thank you," said March; "we're looking for a furnished flat." They felt that the superintendent parted from them with repressed sarcasm. "Oh, Basil, do you think we really made him think it was the smallness and not the dearness?" "No, but we saved our self-respect in the attempt; and that's a great deal." "Of course, I wouldn't have taken it, anyway, with only six rooms, and so high up. But what prices! Now, we must be very circumspect about the next place." It was a janitress, large, fat, with her arms wound up in her apron, who received them there. Mrs. March gave her a succinct but perfect statement of their needs. She failed to grasp the nature of them, or feigned to do so. She shook her head, and said that her son would show them the flat. There was a radiator visible in the narrow hall, and Isabel tacitly compromised on steam heat without an elevator, as the flat was only one flight up. When the son appeared from below with a small kerosene hand-lamp, it appeared that the flat was unfurnished, but there was no |
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