The ground floor was the lake itself, and each man who could buy a boat tethered it there.

The property, boats excepted, was in common.

By and by they bought a field in which they grew vegetables; later they bought two cows and a pasture.

The produce of the herd and the farm helped to furnish forth the table.

This accretion of wealth took several years; some of the older men grew richer, and took to themselves wives and villas; the ranks were always filled up by more impecunious bachelors.