There she sat, hatching fresh
plots.
But the husband had regained a fresh hold on life. He took an eager
interest in the estate and woke up the people. Now he held the reins;
managed everything, gave orders and paid the bills.
One day his wife came into the office and asked him for a thousand
crowns to buy a piano.
"What are you thinking of?" said the husband. "Just when we are going
to re-build the stables! We haven't the means to buy a piano."
"What do you mean?" she replied. "Why haven't we got the means? Isn't my
money sufficient?"
"Your money?"
"Yes, my money, my dowry."
"That has now become the property of the family."
"That is to say yours?"
"No, the family's. The family is a small community, the only one which
possesses common property which, as a rule, is administered by the
husband."
"Why should he administer it and not the wife?"
"Because he has more time to give to it, since he does not bear
children."
"Why couldn't they administer it jointly?"
"For the same reason that a joint stock company has only one managing
director. If the wife administered as well, the children would claim
the same right, for it is their property, too."
"This is mere hair-splitting.
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