out
to the hotel among the dunes and on her way home turned into the
cemetery, where she found the widow's maid sitting in the burning
sun.]

* * * * *

"It is a hot place you have picked out," said Effi, "much too hot. And
if you are not cautious you may have a sun-stroke."

"That would be a blessing."

"How so?"

"Then I should be out of the world."

"I don't think you ought to say that, even if you had bad luck or lost
a dear friend. I presume you loved her very dearly?"

"I? Her? Oh, heaven forbid!"

"You are very sad, however, and there must be some cause."

"There is, too, your Ladyship."

"Do you know me?"

"Yes. You are the wife of the district councillor across the street
from us. I was always talking with the old woman about you. But the
time came when she could talk no more, because she could not draw a
good breath. There was something the matter with her here, dropsy,
perhaps. But so long as she could speak she spoke incessantly. She was
a genuine Berlin--"

"Good woman?"

"No. If I said that it would be a lie. She is in her grave now and we
ought not to say anything bad about the dead, especially as even they
hardly have peace. Oh well, I suppose she has found peace. But she was
good for nothing and was quarrelsome and stingy and made no provision
for me. The relatives who came yesterday from Berlin * * * were very
rude and unkind to me and raised all sorts of objections when they
paid me my wages, merely because they had to and because there are
only six more days before the beginning of a new quarter. Otherwise I
should have received nothing, or only half, or only a quarter--nothing
with their good will. And they gave me a torn five-mark note to pay my
fare back to Berlin. Well, it is just enough for a fourth-class ticket
and I suppose I shall have to sit on my luggage. But I won't do it. I
will sit here and wait till I die--Heavens, I thought I should have
peace here and I could have stood it with the old woman, too. But now
this has come to nothing and I shall have to be knocked around again.
Besides, I am a Catholic. Oh, I have had enough of it and I wish I lay
where the old woman lies. She might go on living for all of me. * * *"

Rollo, who had accompanied Effi, had meanwhile sat down before the
maid, with his tongue away out, and looked at her. When she stopped
talking he arose, stepped forward, and laid his head upon her knees.
Suddenly she was