Effi Briest Page #4

And her doctor had toId her

that exercise in the fresh air...

was the best thing for her condition.

What is your name?

Roswitha.

That's an uncommon name. lt must be....

You're right, ma'am.

lt's a Catholic name.

And l am a Catholic.

l'm from Eichsfeld.

Being Catholic makes things even harder.

A lot of people won't take Catholics...

because they always

run to church to confess...

but don't confess the main thing.

The times l've heard that!

l'm a bad Catholic.

l've completely lapsed.

Perhaps that's why things

have turned out badly for me.

You have to stick to your faith...

and take part in everything.

l'd like to ask you something.

Are you fond of children?

Certainly.

lt's terrible, the things you have to do

for old women like that.

But a dear little thing...

like a doll...

that stares at you with its little eyes...

that's something...

to put joy in your heart.

You are a good, true soul.

l can see that.

Somewhat plainspoken,

but they're often the best people...

l felt at once l could trust you.

Would you like to work for me?

The baby will have to be nursed...

and cared for...

perhaps even specially fed.

l sure l'm not mistaken in you.

You did quite right, Effi.

lf there's nothing bad

in her serving record...

we'll take her

on the strength of her kind face.

One rarely goes wrong with that, thank God!

All will be well now.

l'm no longer afraid.

ON THE MORNlNG OF JUL Y 3,

A CRADLE STOOD NEXT TO EFFl'S BED.

DR. HANNEMANN PATTED

THE YOUNG WOMAN'S HAND AND SAlD:

''TODAY'S THE ANNlVERSARY

''OF KOENlGGRAETZ,

''PlTY lT'S A GlRL!

''BUT NEXT TlME MAY BE DlFFEREN ''AND THE PRUSSlANS HAVE MANY

''VlCTORlES TO CELEBRATE.''

She compIeteIy forgot that she was married.

Those were happy hours.

But best of aII...

she Iiked to stand on the swing

and fIy through the air...

with the feeIing, ''I'm going to faII!''

A strange, tingIing sensation...

a sweet thriII of danger.

lnnstetten is a man of honour.

He is indeed.

And he loves me.

Of course he does.

And where there's love, it will be returned.

That's how things are.

l'm just surprised he hasn't taken

time off for a quick visit.

-When one has such a young wife--

-lnnstetten is so conscientious...

and wants to stand high in favour.

Kessin is just a stepping stone.

And anyway...

l won't run away from him.

l belong to him.

lf one is too affectionate

with such an age difference...

people just laugh.

Yes, they do, Effi.

But one has to live with that.

By the way, don't mention it to anyone...

not even to your mother.

lt's hard to know what to do.

And it's much too vast a subject.

lsn't that Crampas coming?

And from the beach?

Surely he hasn't been bathing

on September 27th!

He often does things like that.

Just showing off!

Good morning.

Come in!

Please forgive me...

for not receiving you

with all due ceremony...

but 10:
00 a.m. is an ungodly hour.

One is informal, not to say familiar.

Take a seat...

and tell us what you have been up to.

Judging by your hair...

which l wish for your sake

you had more of, you've been bathing.

lt's going to be a wonderful winter...

if we can count on your support.

Miss Trippelli is coming.

Trippelli?

-Then my presence is superfluous.

-By no means.

Trippelli can't sing the whole week.

lt would be too much for her and for us.

Variety is the spice of life...

a truth...

that every happy marriage

would seem to refute.

lf there is such a thing

as a happy marriage, mine excepted.

How about hunting seals next time?

That's not possible. The harbour police.

When l hear things like that!

Does everything have to be so legal?

Legality is boring.

Crampas, that's typical of you...

and Effi applauds you.

Women, of course...

are the first to cry for a policeman...

but the law doesn't interest them.

That has always been their privilege,

and we...

can't change it, lnnstetten.

No.

And l don't want to.

l don't want to exculpate anyone.

But you, Crampas...

you have learned discipline...

and know very well

that law and order are vital.

A man like you

really shouldn't talk like that...

not even in jest.

You have a sublime disregard

for these things.

''lt won't be the end of the world,'' you think.

Not yet, perhaps...

but one day it will be.

The eIection campaign,

which began in October...

prevented Innstetten taking part

in further excursions.

Crampas and Effi wouId have stopped, too...

in deference to the peopIe of Kessin...

if Kruse had not been present

as a kind of chaperone.

As it was, they continued

their rides into November.

A good conversationaIist...

Crampas wouId teII stories

about war and his regiment...

and anecdotes about Innstetten...

who, with his earnestness and reserve...

had never fitted into

the spirited circIe of his comrades...

so that he had been respected

rather than heId in affection.

lt's just as well, respect is the main thing.

He loved to tell us ghost stories.

And when he had got us all excited,

and had scared some people perhaps...

suddenly, it would seem as if he were

just making fun of our credulity.

Once l told him to his face...

''lnnstetten, that's a load of poppycock!

''You don't believe it any more than we do...

''but you want to make yourself interesting.

''You think that being unusual

will help your career...

''that ordinary people

are not wanted at the top.

''And since that's your ambition...

''you've hit on something

out of the ordinary, namely ghosts.''

You say nothing?

ln all seriousness, Crampas,

and l should like a serious reply...

how do you explain all this?

My dear lady...

as well as furthering his career,

regardless of cost...

and with the aid of a ghost if necessary...

lnnstetten has another passion.

He has an urge to be didactic.

He's a born schoolmaster.

And he wants to educate me?

Education by means of ghosts?

''Educate'' is perhaps the wrong word.

But education in a roundabout way.

l don't understand you.

A young wife...

is a young wife...

and a district councillor...

has to travel around a lot...

which means leaving his house alone...

and unguarded.

A ghost is like an angel with a sword.

The fact that Innstetten kept a ghost...

so as not to Iive in a commonpIace house,

might be accepted.

It met his need to distinguish

himseIf from the crowd.

But to use the ghost

as a means of education...

was mean, aImost insuIting.

And she reaIized

that this ''means of education''...

was not even haIf the story.

What Crampas had impIied

went much further.

AN ARTlFlCE CALCULATED

TO lNSPlRE FEAR.

Heine's writing pulses with life.

Above all, he understands love...

and that is the main thing.

But he's not one-sided in this.

What do you mean?

He's not just on the side of love.

Well, even if he were...

there are worse things.

What else is he in favour of?

He's a strong adherent of romance...

which comes close behind love.

Some people regard them as identical.

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