“You’ll see,” the Hofrat said to his wife, “by and by Lotte will forget all about this deplorable business. I feel sorry for the poor fellow, but it’s better this way. Besides he wrote me quite a sensible letter in which he promised to give up corresponding with Lotte.” Frau Spineder shook her head in amazement, and thought: “How different girls are nowadays! If I had been in Lotte’s place I’d never have overcome my love!” CHAPTER VI. THE END OF THE TENANTS’ PROTECTIVE LAW The _Weltpresse_, once the liberal-bourgeois paper, but now the principal organ of the Christian-Social Party, received a communication from the owner of the house located at No. 19 Billrothstrasse,--a communication containing a keen and logical argument against the continuance of the Tenants’ Protective Law. “This law,” said the letter, “had reason and justification when there was a housing shortage and the populace had to be protected against being rendered homeless through the avarice of individual landlords. But today there is no more housing shortage; thanks to the beneficial anti-Jewish law of our revered Chancellor, normal conditions have been restored, and the necessary surplus of apartments exists. Therefore this Tenants’ Protective Law has become superfluous and, at the present time, constitutes only a brutal attack on the rights of the landlord; furthermore, it conflicts with our Constitution. The repeal of the law would of course be followed by a rise in rents; but this would be entirely justified, and, in the long run, would prove salutary to the community, for the higher rents would raise the amount of taxes to be paid, as well as the value of the houses. It is characteristic that it was a cultured French artist, living in my house, who expressed to me his amazement at this Tenants’ Protective Law. He declared that the capitalist circles of France find the law ridiculous, and that, among other things, it discourages foreigners from investing their money in Viennese real estate. Therefore let us do away with the Tenants’ Protective Law! The noble Christian spirit of the Viennese landlords, together with the automatic action of the law of supply and demand, will prevent an excessive rise in rents.” This letter appeared in a prominent position in the _Weltpresse_, accompanied by an editorial note that very cautiously approved the views of the esteemed correspondent, yet, at the same time, differed with him slightly. For neither the landlords nor the tenants were to be offended.