"Nothing is supposed to come of it, your Ladyship."
"If you think she is an invalid you are reckoning without your host.
Invalids live the longest. Besides she has the black chicken. Beware of it. It knows everything and tattles everything. I don"t know, it makes me shudder. And I"ll wager all that business upstairs has some connection with this chicken."
"Oh, I don"t believe it. But it is terrible just the same, and Kruse, who always sides himself against his wife, cannot talk me out of it."
"What did he say?"
"He said it was nothing but mice."
"Well, mice are quite bad enough. I can"t bear mice. But, to change the subject, I saw you chatting with Kruse, plainly, also your familiar actions, and in fact I think you were going to paint a moustache on his lip. That I call pretty far advanced. A little later you will be jilted. You are still a smug person and have your charms.
But beware, that is all I have to say to you. Just what was your experience the first time? Was it such that you can tell me about it?"
"Oh, I can tell you. But it was terrible. And because it was so terrible, your Ladyship"s mind can be perfectly easy with regard to Kruse. A girl who has gone through what I did has enough of it and takes care. I still dream of it occasionally and then I am all knocked to pieces the next day. Such awful fright."
Effi sat up and leaned her head on her arm. "Tell me about it, and how it came about. I know from my observations at home that it is always the same story with you girls."
"Yes, no doubt it is always the same at first, and I am determined not to think that there was anything special about my case. But when the time came that they threw it into my face and I was suddenly forced to say: "yes, it is so," oh, _that_ was terrible. Mother--well, I could get along with her, but father, who had the village blacksmith"s shop, he was severe and quick to fly into a rage. When he heard it, he came at me with a pair of tongs which he had just taken from the fire and was going to kill me. I screamed and ran up to the attic and hid myself and there I lay and trembled, and did not come down till they called me and told me to come. Besides, I had a younger sister, who always pointed at me and said: "Ugh!" Then when the child was about to come I went into a barn near by, because I was afraid to stay in the house. There strangers found me half dead and carried me into the house and laid me in my bed. The third day they took the child away and when I asked where it was they said it was well taken care of. Oh, your Ladyship, may the holy mother of G.o.d protect you from such distress!"
Effi was startled and stared at Roswitha with wide-opened eyes. But she was more frightened than vexed. "The things you do say! Why, I am a married woman. You must not say such things; it is improper, it is not fitting."
"Oh, your Ladyship."
"Tell me rather what became of you. They had robbed you of your baby.
You told me that."
"And then, a few days later, somebody from Erfurt drove up to the mayor"s office and asked whether there was not a wet nurse there, and the mayor said "yes," G.o.d bless him! So the strange gentleman took me away with him and from that day I was better off. Even with the old widow my life was tolerable, and finally I came to your Ladyship. That was the best, the best of all." As she said this she stepped to the sofa and kissed Effi"s hand.
"Roswitha, you must not always be kissing my hand, I don"t like it.
And do beware of Kruse. Otherwise you are a good and sensible person--With a married man--it is never well."
"Ah, your Ladyship, G.o.d and his saints lead us wondrously, and the bad fortune that befalls us has also its good side. If one is not made better by it there is no help for him--Really, I like the men."
"You see, Roswitha, you see."
"But if the same feeling should come over me again--the affair with Kruse, there is nothing in that--and I could not control myself, I should run straight into the water. It was too terrible. Everything.
And I wonder what ever became of the poor baby? I don"t think it is still living; they had it killed, but I am to blame." She threw herself down by Annie"s cradle, and rocked the child and sang her favorite lullaby over and over again without stopping.
"Stop," said Effi, "don"t sing any more; I have a headache. Bring in the newspapers. Or has Gieshubler sent the journals?"
"He did, and the fashion paper was on top. We were turning over the leaves, Johanna and I, before she went across the street. Johanna always gets angry that she cannot have such things. Shall I fetch the fashion paper?"
"Yes, fetch it and bring me the lamp, too."
Roswitha went out and when Effi was alone she said: "What things they do have to help one out! One pretty woman with a m.u.f.f and another with a half veil--fashion puppets. But it is the best thing for turning my thoughts in some other direction."
In the course of the following morning a telegram came from Innstetten, in which he said he would come by the second train, which meant that he would not arrive in Kessin before evening. The day proved one of never ending restlessness. Fortunately Gieshubler came in the afternoon and helped pa.s.s an hour. Finally, at seven o"clock, the carriage drove up. Effi went out and greeted her husband.
Innstetten was in a state of excitement that was unusual for him and so it came about that he did not notice the embarra.s.sment mingled with Effi"s heartiness. In the hall the lamps and candles were burning, and the tea service, which Frederick had placed on one of the tables between the cabinets, reflected the brilliant light.
"Why, this looks exactly as it did when we first arrived here. Do you remember, Effi?"
She nodded.
"Only the shark with his fir bough behaves more calmly today, and even Rollo pretends to be reticent and does not put his paws on my shoulders. What is the matter with you, Rollo?"
Rollo rubbed past his master and wagged his tail.
"He is not exactly satisfied; either it is with me or with others.
Well, I"ll a.s.sume, with me. At all events let us go in." He entered his room and as he sat down on the sofa asked Effi to take a seat beside him. "It was so fine in Berlin, beyond expectation, but in the midst of all my pleasure I always felt a longing to be back. And how well you look! A little bit pale and also a little bit changed, but it is all becoming to you."
Effi turned red.
"And now you even turn red. But it is as I tell you. You used to have something of the spoiled child about you; now all of a sudden you look like a wife."
"I like to hear that, Geert, but I think you are just saying it."
"No, no, you can credit yourself with it, if it is something creditable."
"I should say it is."
"Now guess who sent you his regards."
"That is not hard, Geert. Besides, we wives, for I can count myself one since you are back"--and she reached out her hand and laughed--"we wives guess easily. We are not so obtuse as you."
"Well, who was it?"
"Why, Cousin von Briest, of course. He is the only person I know in Berlin, not counting my aunts, whom you no doubt failed to look up, and who are far too envious to send me their regards. Haven"t you found, too, that all old aunts are envious?"
"Yes, Effi, that is true. And to hear you say it reminds me that you are my same old Effi. For you must know that the old Effi, who looked like a child, also suited my taste. Just exactly as does your Ladyship at present."
"Do you think so? And if you had to decide between the two"--
"That is a question for scholars; I shall not talk about it. But there comes Frederick with the tea. How I have longed for this hour! And I said so, too, even to your Cousin Briest, as we were sitting at Dressel"s and drinking Champagne to your health--Your ears must have rung--And do you know what your cousin said?"
"Something silly, certainly. He is great at that."
"That is the blackest ingrat.i.tude I have ever heard of in all my life.
"Let us drink to the health of Effi," he said, "my beautiful cousin--Do you know, Innstetten, that I should like nothing better than to challenge you and shoot you dead? For Effi is an angel, and you robbed me of this angel." And he looked so serious and sad, as he said it, that one might almost have believed him."
"Oh, I know that mood of his. The how-manieth were you drinking?"
"I don"t recall now and perhaps could not have told you then. But this I do believe, that he was wholly in earnest. And perhaps it would have been the right match. Don"t you think you could have lived with him?"
"Could have lived? That is little, Geert. But I might almost say, I could not even have lived with him."
"Why not? He is really a fine amiable fellow and quite sensible, besides."
"Yes, he is that."