n to one side. Between the pond and the circular
bed stood a clump of giant plane trees, half hiding the swing.

The terrace in front of the manor house, with its tubbed aloe plants
and a few garden chairs, was an agreeable place to sit on cloudy days,
besides affording a variety of things to attract the attention. But,
on days when the hot sun beat down there, the side of the house toward
the garden was given a decided preference, especially by the mother
and the daughter of the house. On this account they were today sitting
on the tile walk in the shade, with their backs to the open windows,
which were all overgrown with wild grape-vines, and by the side of a
little projecting stairway, whose four stone steps led from the
garden to the ground floor of the wing of the mansion. Both mother and
daughter were busy at work, making an altar cloth out of separate
squares, which they were piecing together. Skeins of woolen yarn of
various colors, and an equal variety of silk thread lay in confusion
upon a large round table, upon which were still standing the luncheon
dessert plates and a majolica dish filled with fine large
gooseberries.

Swiftly and deftly the wool-threaded needles were drawn back and
forth, and the mother seemed never to let her eyes wander from the
work. But the daughter, who bore the Christian name of Effi, laid
aside her needle from time to time and arose from her seat to practice
a course of healthy home gymnastics, with every variety of bending and
stretching. It was apparent that she took particular delight in these
exercises, to which she gave a somewhat comical turn, and whenever she
stood there thus engaged, slowly raising her arms and bringing the
palms of her hands together high above her head, her mother would
occasionally glance up from her needlework, though always but for a
moment and that, too, furtively, because she did not wish to show how
fascinating she considered her own child, although in this feeling of
motherly pride she was fully justified. Effi wore a blue and white
striped linen dress, a sort of smock-frock, which would have shown no
waist line at all but for the bronze-colored leather belt which she
drew up tight. Her neck was bare and a broad sailor collar fell over
her shoulders and back. In everything she did there was a union of
haughtiness and gracefulness, and her laughing brown eyes betrayed
great natural cleverness and abundant enjoyment of life and goodness
of heart. S