"Isn"t he one? You yourself called him a cavalier, a perfect cavalier, in fact."
"Yes," continued Innstetten, his tone growing more friendly, though it still betrayed a slight shade of sarcasm. "A cavalier he is, and a perfect cavalier, that is beyond dispute. But n.o.bleman? My dear Effi, a n.o.bleman has a different look. Have you ever noticed anything n.o.ble about him? Not I."
Effi stared at the ground and kept silent.
"It seems we are of the same opinion. But, as you said, I myself am to blame. I don"t care to speak of a _faux pas_; it is not the right word in this connection. I a.s.sume the blame, and it shall not occur again, if I can prevent it. But you will be on your guard, too, if you heed my advice. He is coa.r.s.e and has designs of his own on young women. I knew him of old."
"I shall remember what you say. But just one thing--I believe you misunderstand him."
"I do _not_ misunderstand him."
"Or me," she said, with all the force at her command, and attempted to meet his gaze.
"Nor you either, my dear Effi. You are a charming little woman, but persistence is not exactly your specialty."
He arose to go. When he had got as far as the door Frederick entered to deliver a note from Gieshubler, addressed, of course, to her Ladyship.
Effi took it. "A secret correspondence with Gieshubler," she said.
"Material for another fit of jealousy on the part of my austere Lord.
Or isn"t it?"
"No, not quite, my dear Effi. I am so foolish as to make a distinction between Crampas and Gieshubler. They are not the same number of carats fine, so to speak. You know, the value of gold is estimated by carats, in certain circ.u.mstances that of men also. And I must add that I personally have a considerably higher regard for Gieshubler"s white jabot, in spite of the fact that jabots are no longer worn, than I have for Crampas"s red sapper whiskers. But I doubt if that is feminine taste."
"You think we are weaker than we are."
"A consolation of extraordinarily little practical application. But enough of that. Read your note."
Effi read: "May I inquire about the health of my gracious Lady? I know only that you luckily escaped the quicksand. But there was still plenty of danger lurking along the road through the woods. Dr.
Hannemann has just returned and rea.s.sures me concerning Mirambo, saying that yesterday he considered the case more serious than he cared to let us know, but not so today. It was a charming sleigh-ride.--In three days we shall celebrate New Year"s eve. We shall have to forego a festivity like last year"s, but we shall have a ball, of course, and to see you present would delight the dancers and, by no means least, Yours most respectfully, Alonzo G."
Effi laughed. "Well, what do you say?"
"The same as before, simply that I should rather see you with Gieshubler than with Crampas."
"Because you take Crampas too seriously and Gieshubler too lightly."
Innstetten jokingly shook his finger at her.
Three days later was New Year"s eve. Effi appeared in a charming ball gown, a gift that the Christmas table had brought her. But she did not dance. She took her seat among the elderly dames, for whom easy chairs were placed near the orchestra gallery. Of the particular n.o.ble families with which the Innstettens a.s.sociated there was n.o.body present, because, shortly before, there had occurred a slight disagreement with the city faction in the management of the club, which had been accused of "destructive tendencies," especially by old Mr. Guldenklee. However, three or four other n.o.ble families from over the Kessine, who were not members of the club, but only invited guests, had crossed over the ice on the river, some of them from a great distance, and were happy to take part in the festivity. Effi sat between the elderly wife of baronial councillor von Padden and a somewhat younger Mrs. von t.i.tzewitz. The former, an excellent old lady, was in every way an original, and sought by means of orthodox German Christianity to counteract the tendency toward Wendish heathenism, with which nature had endowed her, especially in the prominent structure of her cheek bones. In her orthodoxy she went so far that even Sidonie von Grasenabb was in comparison a sort of _esprit fort_. The elderly dame, having sprung from a union of the Radegast and the Schwantikow branches of the family, had inherited the old Padden humor, which had for years rested like a blessing upon the family and had heartily rejoiced everybody who came into touch with them, even though enemies in politics or religion.
"Well, child," said the baronial councillor"s wife, "how are you getting on, anyhow?"
"Quite well, most gracious Lady. I have a very excellent husband."
"I know. But that does not always suffice. I, too, had an excellent husband. How do matters actually stand? No temptations?"
Effi was startled and touched at the same time. There was something uncommonly refreshing about the free and natural tone in which the old lady spoke, and the fact that she was such a pious woman made it even more refreshing.
"Ah, most gracious Lady--"
"There it comes. Nothing new, the same old story. Time makes no change here, and perhaps it is just as well. The essential thing, my dear young woman, is struggle. One must always wrestle with the natural man. And when one has conquered self and feels almost like screaming out, because it hurts so, then the dear angels shout for joy."
"Ah, most gracious Lady, it is often very hard."
"To be sure, it is hard. But the harder the better. You must be glad of that. The weakness of the flesh is lasting. I have grandsons and granddaughters and see it every day. But the conquering of self in the faith, my dear Lady, that is the essential thing, that is the true way. This was brought to our knowledge by our old man of G.o.d, Martin Luther. Do you know his _Table Talks_?"
"No, most gracious Lady."
"I am going to send them to you."
At this moment Major von Crampas stepped up to Effi and inquired about her health. Effi was red as blood. Before she had time to reply he said: "May I ask you, most gracious Lady, to present me to these Ladies?"
Effi introduced Crampas, who had already got his bearings perfectly and in the course of his small talk mentioned all the von Paddens and von t.i.tzewitzes he had ever heard of. At the same time he excused himself for not yet having made his call and presented his wife to the people beyond the Kessine. "But it is strange what a separating power water has. It is the same way with the English Channel."
"How?" asked old Mrs. von t.i.tzewitz.
Crampas, considering it inadvisable to give explanations which would have been to no purpose, continued: "To twenty Germans who go to France there is not one who goes to England. That is because of the water. I repeat, water has a dividing power."
Mrs. von Padden, whose fine instinct scented some insinuation in this remark, was about to take up the cudgels for water, but Crampas spoke on with increasing fluency and turned the attention of the ladies to a beautiful Miss von Stojentin, "without question the queen of the ball," he said, incidentally casting an admiring glance at Effi. Then he bowed quickly to the three ladies and walked away.
"Handsome man," said Mrs. von Padden. "Does he ever come to your house?"
"Casually."
"Truly a handsome man," repeated Mrs. von Padden. "A little bit too self-a.s.sured. Pride will have a fall. But just see, there he is, taking his place with Grete Stojentin. Why, really, he is too old, he is at least in the middle of the forties."
"He is going on forty-four."
"Aha, you seem to be well acquainted with him."
It was very opportune for Effi that the new year, from the very beginning, brought a variety of diversions. New Year"s eve a sharp northeast wind began to blow and during the next few days it increased in velocity till it amounted almost to a hurricane. On the 3d of January in the afternoon it was reported that a ship which had not been able to make its way into port had been wrecked a hundred yards from the mole. It was said to be an English ship from Sunderland and, so far as could be ascertained, had seven men on board. In spite of strenuous efforts the pilots were unable to row around the mole, and the launching of a boat from the beach was out of the question, as the surf was too heavy. That sounded sad enough. But Johanna, who brought the news, had a word of comfort. Consul Eschrich, she said, was hastening to the scene with the life-saving apparatus and the rocket battery, and success was certain. The distance was not quite as great as in the year "75, and that time all lives had been saved; even the poodle had been rescued. "It was very touching to see how the dog rejoiced and again and again licked with his red tongue both the Captain"s wife and the dear little child, not much larger than little Annie."
"Geert, I must go there, I must see it," Effi declared, and both set out at once in order not to be too late. They chose just the right moment, for as they reached the beach beyond the "Plantation" the first shot was fired and they saw plainly how the rocket with the life line sailed beneath the storm cloud and fell down beyond the ship.
Immediately all hands were astir on board and they used the small line to haul in the heavier hawser with the basket. Before long the basket returned and one of the sailors, a very handsome, slender man, with an oilcloth hood, was safe on land. He was plied with questions by the inquisitive spectators, while the basket made another trip to fetch the second man, then the third, and so on. All were rescued, and as Effi walked home with her husband a half hour later she felt like throwing herself on the sand and having a good cry. A beautiful emotion had again found lodgment in her heart and she was immeasurably happy that it was so.
This occurred on the 3d. On the 5th a new excitement was experienced, of an entirely different kind, to be sure. On his way out of the council house Innstetten had met Gieshubler, who, by the way, was an alderman and a member of the magistracy. In conversation with him Innstetten had learned that the ministry of war had inquired what att.i.tude the city authorities would a.s.sume in case the question of a garrison were raised. If they showed their willingness to meet the necessary conditions, viz., to build stables and barracks, they might be granted two squadrons of hussars. "Well, Effi, what do you say about it?" Effi looked as though struck dumb. All the innocent happiness of her childhood years was suddenly brought back to her and for a moment it seemed as though red hussars--for these were to be red hussars, like those at home in Hohen-Cremmen--were the true guardians of Paradise and innocence. Still she remained silent.
"Why, you aren"t saying anything, Effi."
"Strangely, I"m not, Geert. But it makes me so happy that I cannot speak for joy. Is it really going to be? Are they truly going to come?"
"It is a long way off yet. In fact, Gieshubler said the city fathers, his colleagues, didn"t deserve it at all. Instead of simply being unanimous and happy over the honor, or if not over the honor, at least over the advantage, they had brought forward all sorts of "ifs" and "buts," and had been n.i.g.g.ardly about the buildings. In fact, Confectioner Michelsen had gone so far as to say it would corrupt the morals of the city, and whoever had a daughter would better be forehanded and secure iron grills for his windows."
"That is incredible. I have never seen more mannerly people than our hussars. Really, Geert. Well, you know so yourself. And so this Michelsen wants to protect everything with iron bars. Has he any daughters?"
"Certainly. Three, in fact. But they are all out of the race."