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A Man of Business

"A Man of Business" by Honoré de Balzac is a short story published in 1845. When aristocrat Maxime de Trailles refuses to pay his mounting debts, two clever Parisian businessmen devise an elaborate scheme to collect what he owes. Through manipulation and disguise, they orchestrate a trap involving de Trailles' lover and her business ventures. This tale of deception reveals the ruthless tactics creditors employed in nineteenth-century Paris to recover their money from wealthy debtors.

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Level C1

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Source: Project Gutenberg · Public domain in the USA.

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