Effi Briest Page #5

Major, please excuse my thumbs

when l give you the sandwiches.

As long as you don't give me

the thumbs down!

At Don Pedro's court,

was a dark, handsome Spanish knight...

who wore the Cross of Calatrava

on his breast.

This knight, whom the queen

secretly loved, of course--

-Why, ''of course''?

-Because we're in Spain.

Oh, l see.

This knight had a magnificent hound.

This had all been going on for some time...

and the secret love affair

was no longer really a secret.

Unable to bear it anymore...

and because he didn't like

the Knight of Calatrava anyway...

the king was not only cruel...

but consumed by envy.

He decided to have the knight

secretly murdered...

for his secret love.

l can't say l blame him.

Well, just listen to what follows!

ln some ways, the king was right...

but he went much too far.

Allegedly in honour of

the knight's heroic exploits...

he held a banquet.

And there was...

a long table...

at which all the grandees of the empire sat...

with the king in the middle...

Opposite him was the place

for the guest of honour...

the Knight of Calatrava.

But he didn't appear, and finally

the feast had to begin without him.

There was an empty seat...

an empty seat exactly opposite the king.

And then?

Just imagine, as Don Pedro, the king...

was about to rise to express

his hypocritical regrets...

that his ''dear guest'' had not appeared...

cries of horror were heard

from the servants outside...

and before one knew what had happened...

something raced along the table,

sprang onto the chair...

and set a cut-off head

at the unoccupied place.

And over the head of the knight,

his hound stared...

at the person opposite...

the king.

The dog had accompanied his master

on his final journey...

and at the moment...

the axe descended...

the trusty animal

had seized the falling head.

There he was, our friend...

sitting at the banqueting table...

accusing the royal murderer.

Effi was content...

and gIad they had agreed...

to discontinue their excursions together

for the rest of the winter.

When she considered what had

been discussed and intimated...

during aII those days and weeks...

she couId find nothing that wouId

directIy occasion seIf-reproach.

Was it the major's plan?

Yes. As you know,

he was elected unanimously...

to the entertainments committee.

We can look forward to

a pleasant winter at the club.

He's ideal for the position.

And...

will he be acting as well?

No.

He declined to do that...

unfortunately.

He could play Arthur von Schmettwitz

quite excellently.

He's just directing.

All the worse.

All the worse?

Oh, don't take me too seriously.

lt's just a way of saying the opposite, really.

On the other hand...

there's something forceful about the major.

He likes doing things over one's head.

One has to do things the way he wants.

What pleased me most...

was my charming little wife,

who turned all heads.

Don't talk like that! l'm vain enough.

Vain enough perhaps...

but not nearly as vain as the others.

-And your 7 beautiful attributes!

-Everyone has 7 beautiful attributes.

A slip of the tongue.

Multiply that number by itself!

How gallant you are.

lf l didn't know you, l might be afraid of you.

Or is there something else behind it?

Do you have a guilty conscience?

Have you been eavesdropping?

No.

Sometimes one suddenly realizes...

what a treasure one has.

After all, you might be

someone like poor Frau Crampas.

A dreadful woman, unfriendly to everyone.

She's a bit like our Frau Kruse.

l don't know whom l'd choose

between the two of them.

l know very well.

There is a difference between them.

The major's wife is unhappy.

Kruse's is uncanny.

And you're more in favour of the unhappy?

Quite definitely.

He's half-Polish.

The name alone...

Crampas!

No reliability...

not in anything...

least of all with women.

A gambler...

not at the gaming table...

but constantly taking risks in life.

One has to keep an eye on him.

l'm glad you told me that.

l shall watch my step with him.

Yes, do that.

But not too much. That's no use either.

Just behave naturally. That's always best.

Best of all, of course...

is to be of steadfast character...

and to have, if l may use such

a high-flown expression...

a pure soul.

No doubt, but say no more...

especially things that don't make me happy.

l thought l heard footsteps upstairs again.

Strange, they keep coming back.

And l thought you were joking.

l wouldn't say that, Effi.

But it makes no difference.

As long as one is upright...

one has nothing to fear.

AN ARTlFlCE CALCULATED

TO lNSPlRE FEAR.

If it goes on Iike this, we'II have...

a coId winter and be snowed in.

There are worse things than that.

Being snowed in evokes...

pIeasant sensations,

such as protection and support.

That's new to me.

Associations are strange things.

They're based not onIy

on personaI experience...

but on things one has heard

or just happens to know.

You're a weII-read man, Major...

but there's one poem

I suspect you don't know.

It's caIIed God's Wall.

God's Wall?

A nice titIe.

What is it about?

It's a modest story and quite short.

In some war, there was a winter campaign...

and a terrified oId widow prayed to God...

to buiId a waII round her to protect

her from her country's enemies.

God Iet the house be buried in snow,

so that the enemy simpIy marched past.

Yes....

Effi....

She feIt as if she were about to faint.

Did you sleep well?

Yes.

You're fortunate.

l can't say the same for myself.

l dreamt your carriage fell into the river...

and Crampas was trying to save you.

l have to put it that way.

And he went down with you.

You speak so strangely, Geert.

There's a hidden reproach in your words,

and l sense why.

lt irks you that Crampas came

and offered us his help.

Us?

Yes, us. You and me.

Have you forgotten?

The major helped at your request.

Why shouldn't l drive with him

in his carriage, then?

Where l come from...

one says it is wrong...

to mistrust a gentleman.

A gentleman!

lsn't he one?

You yourself said how gallant he is...

a perfect cavalier.

Yes, he's gallant enough...

a perfect cavalier.

No doubt about it. But a gentleman?

My dear Effi,

a gentleman is something different.

Do you see anything noble about him?

l don't.

lt would seem we're of the same opinion.

Anyway...

as you remarked, it's my fault.

l won't say it was a faux pas.

That's not the appropriate expression.

lt was my fault.

And it won't happen again if l can prevent it.

But you, too...

should be on your guard,

if you'll take my advice.

He's an unscrupulous man.

He has his own ideas about young women.

l know him of old.

l shall heed your words...

but l must say...

l think you misjudge him.

l do not misjudge him.

Perhaps me, then.

Nor you, my dear Effi.

You're a delightful little woman...

but steadfastness is not your strong point.

NOT A DAY PASSED WlTHOU HER TAKlNG THE PRESCRlBED WALK.

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