His hospitality had made him ill at ease at first, but
that had worn off
"You can depend on father to find some defense for mother,"
remarked the picturesque Emil
At her husband's suggestion and after some urging the hostess led
the way back to the parlor, or library, where she was to play us
something. As we were passing out of the dining-room and up the
stairs Tevkin seized the opportunity to say to me: "We live on the
communistic principle, as you see. Each of us, except Mrs.
Tevkin and the little one contributes his earnings or part of them to
the general treasury, my wife acting as treasurer and manager.
Still, in the near future I hope to be able to turn the commune into
a family of the good old type. My affairs are making headway,
thank God. I sha'n't need my children's contributions much
longer."
Mrs. Tevkin played some classical pieces. She had a pleasing tone
and apparently felt at home at the keyboard, but it was to my eye
rather than to my ear that her playing appealed. A white-haired
Jewish woman at a piano was something which, in Antomir, had
been associated in my mind with the life of the highest aristocracy
exclusively.
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