This story is allegorical in its detail. For instance, pay attention to the fact that the man removes a white coat and chooses a black coat. This could represent the archetypal movement of the hero into the unknown, but it also represents the sacrifice of purity for experience. By accepting the darkness that the city life will imply the Michaelmas persona experiences a new dimension.
This dimension cues the person into the suspicion that perhaps there are forces behind the visible forces that contribute to his experience. This means that there is a risk of trickery. Just as Adam and Eve learn about evil as well as good, the new city-dweller learns that there are reasons to be suspicious of others, and indeed the story includes attempts to seize assets or to use legal loopholes to do wrong by others.
The essence of the story is thoroughly urban. This is a description of the development of the criminal element in the urbanization of society. This theme is explored in many facets, including sexual dishonesty, civic dishonesty, and a whole host of vicious behaviors.
