I drew from him that he had bought eighteen acres of land for twelve hundred dollars, and had spent most of a year in preparing it for vanilla, cocoanuts, a few breadfruit, a small area of coffee and taro, and a vegetable patch.

“We have very little money,” he explained, “and live largely on catches in the sea and stream, and fruit and vegetables, with a dozen chickens for eggs.  I pull at the net with the village.  Actually, we figure that fifteen dollars a month covers our expenditures.  This house cost five hundred and eight dollars, but, of course, I did a lot of work on it.  The chief items for us are books, reviews, and postage.”

Three walls of the house were covered with books, and the fourth stopped at the floor to make the wide veranda over the lagoon.

Mrs. Lermontoff had on the peignoir of the natives, and was barefooted within the house, but wore sandals outside.  She sat before a sewing-machine.

“I am making a gown or two for a neighbor who is sick,” she said.  “I do not give many hours to sewing.  I like better the piano.”

She knew all the Russian composers well, had studied at a conservatory in the German capital, and she also played Grieg for me with much feeling and a strong, yet delicate, touch.  For dinner we had a broiled fish, which I myself cooked on stones outside the house, and tuparo, mountain feis steamed and mashed into a golden pulp, with cocoanut cream.  With these we ate boiled green papaya, which tasted like vegetable marrow; and for dessert sweet oranges with grated fresh cocoanut, and for drink, the wine of the nut.

After the food we sat and looked at the reef, the purple sea, and the stars, and talked.  These two were weary of life in the big countries of the world, and would rest in Tahiti.  If they made enough money, they would like to go to America and work for the revolution they hoped for.  They did not believe in bringing it about by violence, but by acting on the Christ principle, as they interpreted it.  Yet they were not religionists.

“Of course one is not sure of the aims and end of life,” said Lermontoff.  “I have no greater certainty than the kaisers and czars or your great men, Morgan and Rockefeller; but, at least, theirs are not worth while for the race of man.  I hold that man is the greatest product of life so far, and not government or trade.  That the whirling spheres are made for man I disbelieve, but on this planet, and in our ken, he is the object we most prize, and rightfully.  Therefore to build him in health and character, in talent and happiness, is all of existence.  The life after death we are not sure of, but beauty is on earth, and to know it and worship it in nature, and in man and his thoughts and deeds are our ends.  The individual man gains only by sacrifice for his fellows.  He must give freely all he has.  This is his only way out of the shadow that may be inherent in our growth, but in any event has been made certain by machinery and business control of world ethics.”