In less than a quarter of an hour the house was reached. As they
stepped into the cool hall * * * Effi said: "Now, Roswitha, you go in
there. That is our bedroom. I am going over to the district
councillor's office to tell my husband that I should like to have you
as a nurse for the baby. He will doubtless agree to it, but I must
have his consent. Then when I have it we must find other quarters for
him and you will sleep with me in the alcove * * *"
When Innstetten learned the situation he said with alacrity: "You did
the right thing, Effi, and if her testimonials are not too bad we will
take her on her good face * * *"
Effi was very happy to have encountered so little difficulty, and
said: "Now it will be all right. Now I am no longer afraid * * *"
That same hour Roswitha moved into the house with her few possessions
and established herself in the little alcove. When the day was over
she went to bed early and, tired as she was, fell asleep instantly.
The next morning Effi inquired how she had slept and whether she had
heard anything.
"What?" asked Roswitha.
"Oh, nothing. I just meant some sound as though a broom were sweeping
or some one were sliding over the floor."
Roswitha laughed and that made an especially good impression upon her
young mistress. Effi had been brought up a Protestant and would have
been very much alarmed if any Catholic traits had been discovered in
her. And yet she believed that Catholicism affords the better
protection against such things as "that upstairs" * * *
All soon began to feel at home with one another, for Effi, like most
country noblewomen of Brandenburg, had the amiable characteristic of
liking to listen to such little stories as those for which the
deceased widow, with her avarice, her nephews and their wives,
afforded Roswitha an inexhaustible fund of material. Johanna was also
an appreciative listener.
Often, when Effi laughed aloud at the drastic passages, Johanna would
deign to smile, but inwardly she was surprised that her Ladyship found
pleasure in such stupid stuff. This feeling of surprise, along with
her sense of superiority, proved on the whole very fortunate and
helped to avoid quarrels with Johanna about their relative positions.
Roswitha was simply the comic figure, and for Johanna to be jealous of
her would have been as bad as to envy Rollo his position of
friendship.
Thus passed a week, chatty and almost jolly, for Effi looked forward
with less anxiety than heretofore to the important coming event. Nor
did she think that it was so near. On the ninth day the chattering and
jollity came to an end. Running and hurrying took their place, and
Innstetten himself laid aside his customary reserve entirely. On the
morning of the 3d of July a cradle was standing by Effi's bed. Dr.
Hannemann joyously grasped the young mother's hand and said: "We have
today the anniversary of Königgrätz; a pity, that it is a girl. But
the other may come yet, and the Prussians have many anniversaries of
victories." Roswitha doubtless had some similar idea, but for the
present her joy over the new arrival knew no bounds. Without further
ado she called the child "little Annie," which the young mother took
as a sign. "It must have been an inspiration," she said, "that
Roswitha hit upon this particular name." Even Innstetten had nothing
to say against it, and so they began to talk about "little Annie" long
before the christening day arrived.
Effi, who expected to be with her parents in Hohen-Cremmen from the
middle of August on, would have liked to postpone the baptism till
then. But it was not feasible. Innstetten could not take a vacation
and so the 15th of August * * * was set for the ceremony, which of
course was to take place in the church. The accompanying banquet was
held in the large clubhouse on the quay, because the district
councillor's house had no dining hall. All the nobles of the
neighborhood were invited and all came. Pastor Lindequist delivered
the toast to the mother and the child in a charming way that was
admired on all sides. But Sidonie von Grasenabb took occasion to
remark to her neighbor, an assessor of the strict type: "Yes, his
occasional addresses will pass. But he cannot justify his sermons
before God or man. He is a half-way man, one of those who are
rejected because they are lukewarm. I don't care to quote the Bible
here literally." Immediately thereafter old Mr. von Borcke took the
floor to drink to the health of Innstetten: "Ladies and Gentlemen:
These are hard times in which we live; rebellion, defiance, lack of
discipline, whithersoever we look. But * * * so long as we still have
men like Baron von Innstetten, whom I am proud to call my friend, just
so long we can endure it, and our old Prussia will hold out. Indeed,
my friends, with Pomerania and Brandenburg we can conquer this foe and
set our foot upon the head of the poisonous dragon of revolution. Firm
and true, thus shall we gain the victory. The Catholics, our brethren,
whom we must respect, even though we fight them, have the 'rock of
Peter,' but our rock is of bronze. Three cheers for Baron Innstetten!"
Innstetten thanked him briefly. Effi said to Major von Crampas, who
sat beside her, that the 'rock of Peter' was probably a compliment to
Roswitha, and she would later approach old Councillor of Justice
Gadebusch and ask him if he were not of her opinion. For some
unaccountable reason Crampas took this remark seriously and advised
her not to ask the Councillor's opinion, which amused Effi
exceedingly. "Why, I thought you were a better mind-reader."
"Ah, your Ladyship, in the case of beautiful young women who are not
yet eighteen the art of mind-reading fails utterly."
"You are defeating your cause completely, Major. You may call me a
grandmother, but you can never be pardoned for alluding to the fact
that I am not yet eighteen."
When they left the table the late afternoon steamer came down the
Kessine and called at the landing opposite the clubhouse. Effi sat by
an open window with Crampas and Gieshübler, drinking coffee and
watching the scene below. "Tomorrow morning at nine the same boat will
take me up the river, and at noon I shall be in Berlin, and in the
evening I shall be in Hohen-Cremmen, and Roswitha will walk beside me
and carry the child in her arms. I hope it will not cry. Ah, what a
feeling it gives me even today! Dear Gieshübler, were you ever so
happy to see again your parental home?"
[Illustation: _Permission F. Bruckmann A.-G. Munich_ PROCESSION AT
GASTEIN Adolph von Menzel] "Yes, the feeling is not new to me, most
gracious Lady, excepting only that I have never taken any little Annie
with me, for I have none to take."