It was a sight calculated to make a revenue agent cry. The Roman nobleman, due to be tapped for several years' back taxes, welcomed the man from il Fisco to a scene of genteel poverty. Instead of valuable paintings on the apartment walls, there were only pale squares. The closet held a couple of threadbare suits. The prince offered the agent a Nazionale cigarette from a Marlboro package, explaining that he could no longer afford the real thing but had to keep up appearances.
Visibly moved by the evident decline of a famous family, the embarrassed agent left, and the...
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