Somebody called the landlord's attention to it, and he did not like it.

Nor can he be blamed; we none of us like to be abused in public, the more especially when, looking at precedents, we do not deserve it.

Smith next went to the assessment committee to get his taxes reduced, on the ground of a loss of revenue.
The committee sympathised with him, but found that they must assess him according to his rent.

At least so they were then advised, and only did their duty.
By this time the local bankers had scented a time of trouble approaching in the commercial and agricultural world; they began to draw in their more doubtful advances, or to refuse to renew them.

As a matter of fact, Smith was a perfectly sound man, but he had so persistently complained that people began to suspect there really was something wrong with his finances.