ct
Councillor drove by. "Pray, who was that?" said Effi, who was
extremely interested in all she saw and consequently in the best of
humor. "He looked like a starost, though I am forced to confess I
never saw a starost before."

"Which is no loss, Effi. You guessed very well just the same. He does
really look like a starost and is something of the sort, too. I mean
by that, he is half Polish. His name is Golchowski, and whenever we
have an election or a hunt here, he is at the top of the list. In
reality he is a very unsafe fellow, whom I would not trust across the
road, and he doubtless has a great deal on his conscience. But he
assumes an air of loyalty, and when the quality of Varzin go by here
he would like nothing better than to throw himself before their
carriages. I know that at the same time he is hostile to the Prince.
But what is the use? We must not have any misunderstandings with him,
for we need him. He has this whole region in his pocket and
understands electioneering better than any one else. Besides, he is
considered well-to-do and lends out money at usury which is contrary
to the ordinary practice of the Poles."

"But he was good-looking."

"Yes, good-looking he is. Most of the people here are good-looking. A
handsome strain of human beings. But that is the best that can be said
of them. Your Brandenburg people look more unostentatious and more
ill-humored, and in their conduct they are less respectful, in fact,
are not at all respectful, but their yes is yes and no is no, and one
can depend upon them. Here everybody is uncertain."

"Why do you tell me that, since I am obliged to live here among them
now?"

"Not you. You will not hear or see much of them. For city and country
are here very different, and you will become acquainted with our city
people only, our good people of Kessin."

"Our good people of Kessin. Is that sarcasm, or are they really so
good?"

"That they are really good is not exactly what I mean to say, but they
are different from the others; in fact, they have no similarity
whatever to the country inhabitants here."

"How does that come?"

"Because they are entirely different human beings, by ancestry and
association. The people you find in the country here are the so-called
Cassubians, of whom you may have heard, a Slavic race, who have been
living here for a thousand years and probably much longer. But all the
inhabitants of our seaports, and the commercial cities near t