ffy."

"Very well."

Johanna withdrew, and Effi went to bed and wrapped herself up in the
covers.

She left the candle burning, because she was determined not to go to
sleep at once. On the contrary, she planned to recapitulate her
wedding tour, as she had her wedding-eve celebration a short time
before, and let everything pass before her mind's eye in review. But
it turned out otherwise than she had expected, for when she had
reached Verona and was looking for the house of Juliet Capulet, her
eyes fell shut. The stub of candle in the little silver holder
gradually burned down, flickered once or twice, and went out.

Effi had slept quite soundly for a while, when all of a sudden she
started up out of her sleep with a loud scream, indeed, she was able
to hear the scream, as she awoke, and she also noticed Rollo's barking
outside. His "bow-wow" went echoing down the hall, muffled and almost
terrifying. She felt as though her heart stood still, and was unable
to call out. At this moment something whisked past her, and the door
into the hall sprang open. But the moment of extreme fright was also
the moment of her rescue, for, instead of something terrible, Rollo
now came up to her, sought her hand with his head, and, when he had
found it, lay down upon the rug before her bed. With her other hand
Effi had pressed three times on the button of the bell and in less
than half a minute Johanna was there, in her bare feet, her skirt
hanging over her arm and a large checkered cloth thrown over her head
and shoulders.

"Thank heaven, Johanna, that you are here."

"What was the matter, your Ladyship? Your Ladyship has had a dream."

"Yes, a dream. It must have been something of the sort, but it was
something else besides."

"Pray, what, your Ladyship?"

"I was sleeping quite soundly and suddenly I started up and
screamed--perhaps it was a nightmare--they have nightmares in our
family--My father has them, too, and frightens us with them. Mama
always says he ought not to humor himself so--But that is easy to
say--Well, I started up out of my sleep and screamed, and when I
looked around, as well as I could in the dark, something slipped past
my bed, right there where you are standing now, Johanna, and then it
was gone. And if I ask myself seriously, what it was--"

"Well, your Ladyship?"

"And if I ask myself seriously--I don't like to say it, Johanna--but I
believe it was the Chinaman."

[Illustration: _Permission F Br