Buying a country house Some years ago my wife decided to buy a country house. I didn't like the idea, because a second house involved a lot of work. Our children, who could possibly enjoy it, were not children any more and I was sure they wouldn't go there very often. Anyway, I saw an advertisement in the local newspaper, I phoned and I was told to go and visit the house the next day. The house had been newly painted. The garden was beautiful and there was a well-kept orchard behind the house. Before I knocked at the door I could see that the owner had taken good care of the place and had done all the work it required. The man who opened the door was very kind, but he didn't praise the house as you would expect. He said there were mice and the walls could collapse at any moment. Nevertheless, he asked for an exorbitant price. Soon I realized he didn't want to sell the house so I told him the truth, I didn't want to buy a country house, but my wife had insisted. He started to laugh and confessed that he would never sell his beautiful cottage, but his wife insisted so he had to put the damn ad.