Effi Briest Page #10

of having run away from her own chiId.

''l'm delighted to be able

to tell you the good news.

''lt worked out as we hoped.

Your husband is a man of the world...

''and would not refuse a lady's request.

''At the same time,

l should not conceal the fact from you.

''His consent was evidently

not in accordance...

''with what he considered wise and proper.

''But let's not find fault

when we should be rejoicing.

''lt was agreed that your Annie

should visit you at lunch time.

''May your reunion

stand under a lucky star.''

One makes the bed one Iies on,

and I wish to change nothing in my Iife.

It is right as it is. It was my own doing.

But the situation with my chiId is too hard.

I wish to see her from time to time...

not furtiveIy or in secret...

but with the consent of aII those concerned.

Annie, darling, how glad l am.

Come and tell me about yourself!

How you've grown!

And that's the scar?

Roswitha told me about it.

You were always so wild when you played.

You take after your mother in that.

She was just the same.

How are things at school?

You look as if you were

always first in your class...

a model pupil...

who always has the best grades.

-What are you best at?

-l don't know.

Oh, you must know.

Everyone knows that.

What do you get the best marks in?

-ln religious instruction.

-There, you see. You do know.

That's good.

l wasn't so good at that...

but that may have been the teacher.

We only had an ordinand.

We had an ordinand, too.

Has he left now?

Why did he leave?

l don't know.

We have the preacher again now.

Whom you all like?

Yes. Two girls in the first class

want to convert.

l see.

That's good.

And how is Johanna?

Johanna brought me here.

l shouldn't keep her waiting too long.

You're very considerate,

and l suppose l should be glad.

lt's all a matter of apportioning things.

Now tell me how Rollo is.

Rollo's very well.

But Papa says he's getting lazy,

always lying in the sun.

l can believe it.

He was like that when you were very young.

Tell me, Annie...

-will you come and see me often?

-Certainly, if l may.

We could go for a stroll

in Prince Albert Gardens.

Certainly, if l may.

Or go to Schilling's and eat ice cream.

Pineapple and vanilla were your favourites.

Certainly, if l may.

l think it's time for you to go.

Johanna will be getting impatient.

Roswitha, go with Annie

as far as the church!

Johanna's waiting there.

Let's hope she hasn't caught cold.

Give my regards to Johanna.

Oh, God in heaven,

forgive me for what l've done!

l was a child.

No, l wasn't a child anymore.

l was old enough to know what l was doing.

l don't want to diminish my guilt.

But this is too much!

What is happening with the child...

is not You, God, punishing me. lt is he...

and he alone.

And l thought he had a noble heart!

l always felt small beside him.

But now l know it's he...

who is small and petty.

And because he's petty, he's cruel.

Everything that's petty is cruel.

He taught the child to behave like that.

He was always a schoolmaster.

That's what Crampas called him...

sarcastically perhaps, but he was right.

''Certainly, if l may''!

You don't have to ask if you ''may'' anymore.

l don't want either of you.

l hate you both...

even my own child.

Too much is too much!

He was ambitious...

and that was all.

Honour, honour, honour...

and then he shoots the poor man dead,

whom l didn't even love.

Nothing but stupidity...

and then blood...

and murder.

And l'm to blame.

Now he sends me my child...

because he can't refuse a minister's wife.

But before he sends her,

he trains her to answer like a parrot...

and teaches her to say, ''lf l may.''

What l did disgusts me...

but your virtuousness

disgusts me even more.

Be gone the pair of you!

l have to go on living...

but it won't be forever.

Ma'am!

When RummschuetteI was caIIed...

he was concerned about Effi's condition.

The hectic state

he had observed for some time...

seemed more pronounced than before.

''But it must be at Hohen-Cremmen.

''To regain her heaIth, your daughter

needs more than just a change of air.

''She's pining away. AII she has is Roswitha.

''LoyaI service is good,

but parentaI Iove is better.

''Forgive an oId man interfering in matters...

''that are no concern of a doctor.

''And yet, it is as a doctor

that I write to you...

''and make these demands

out of a sense of duty.

''I've seen so much of Iife....''

...l love her at least as much as you do.

Each in his own way.

But we're not here just to be

kind and understanding...

towards things that are

against laws and commandments...

and that society condemns...

and rightly condemns at present.

-One thing counts above all else.

-Of course one thing really counts.

But what is it?

The love of parents for their children.

Even if there's only one.

Then that's the end of...

catechism...

and morality...

and the claims of society?

lt's hard to get along without society.

Without one's child, too.

EFFl, COME TO US!

It was determined that Annie...

wouId inherit Hohen-Cremmen.

Effi's spirits revived, and her mother,

who was not averse...

to regarding the matter

as an interesting, but painfuI, incident...

vied with her husband in showering

Iove and attention on their daughter.

lTlS STRANGE,

BUT MANY THlNGS lN MY LlFE

MlGHT APTL Y BE DESCRlBED

WlTH THE WORD ''ALMOST.''

Pastor Niemeyer!

Effi! You're the same as ever!

No, no.

That all belongs to the past.

l just wanted to try it out once more.

How wonderful it was!

How stimulating the air!

lt was like flying up to heaven.

Shall l ever go there?

Tell me, dear friend. You should know.

-Please!

-Yes, Effi.

You will.

lMPERlAL OFFlCE OF THE lNTERlOR

DEAR lNNSTETTEN,

l HAVE THE PLEASURE OFlNFORMlNG YOU

THAT HlS MAJESTY HAS CONSENTED

TO YOUR APPOlNTMENT.

MY SlNCERE CONGRATULATlONS.

''l'm afraid, Roswitha,

because l'm all alone here.

''But who should accompany me?

Rollo? Yes.

''He bears me no grudge.

That's the good thing about animals.

''Those were my mistress's words.

l'll say no more.

''Please remember me to little Annie

and to Johanna as well.

''Your obedient servant...

''Roswitha Gellenhagen.''

We could learn something from her.

l think so, too.

That's why everything else

seems so questionable to you.

lt's been on my mind a long time,

and these simple words...

with their conscious...

or perhaps unconscious

hint of accusation...

have completely unsettled me.

lt's been tormenting me for some time.

l want to free myself of this whole business.

Nothing gives me pleasure anymore.

The more distinctions l gain,

the more meaningless it all seems.

l've messed up my life.

May was IoveIy. June even IoveIier.

Once Effi had overcome the heartache...

RoIIo's arrivaI aroused in her...

she was deIighted to have

the faithfuI creature with her again.

Roswitha was praised,

and Briest expressed to his wife...

his respect for Innstetten...

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