to smile, but inwardly she was surprised that her Ladyship found
pleasure in such stupid stuff. This feeling of surprise, along with
her sense of superiority, proved on the whole very fortunate and
helped to avoid quarrels with Johanna about their relative positions.
Roswitha was simply the comic figure, and for Johanna to be jealous of
her would have been as bad as to envy Rollo his position of
friendship.

Thus passed a week, chatty and almost jolly, for Effi looked forward
with less anxiety than heretofore to the important coming event. Nor
did she think that it was so near. On the ninth day the chattering and
jollity came to an end. Running and hurrying took their place, and
Innstetten himself laid aside his customary reserve entirely. On the
morning of the 3d of July a cradle was standing by Effi's bed. Dr.
Hannemann joyously grasped the young mother's hand and said: "We have
today the anniversary of Koeniggraetz; a pity, that it is a girl. But
the other may come yet, and the Prussians have many anniversaries of
victories." Roswitha doubtless had some similar idea, but for the
present her joy over the new arrival knew no bounds. Without further
ado she called the child "little Annie," which the young mother took
as a sign. "It must have been an inspiration," she said, "that
Roswitha hit upon this particular name." Even Innstetten had nothing
to say against it, and so they began to talk about "little Annie" long
before the christening day arrived.

Effi, who expected to be with her parents in Hohen-Cremmen from the
middle of August on, would have liked to postpone the baptism till
then. But it was not feasible. Innstetten could not take a vacation
and so the 15th of August * * * was set for the ceremony, which of
course was to take place in the church. The accompanying banquet was
held in the large clubhouse on the quay, because the district
councillor's house had no dining hall. All the nobles of the
neighborhood were invited and all came. Pastor Lindequist delivered
the toast to the mother and the child in a charming way that was
admired on all sides. But Sidonie von Grasenabb took occasion to
remark to her neighbor, an assessor of the strict type: "Yes, his
occasional addresses will pass. But he cannot justify his sermons
before God or man. He is a half-way man, one of those who are
rejected because they are lukewarm. I don't care to quote the Bible
here literally." Immediately thereafter old Mr. von Borcke too