s moment Major von Crampas stepped up to Effi and inquired about
her health. Effi was red as blood. Before she had time to reply he
said: "May I ask you, most gracious Lady, to present me to these
Ladies?"

Effi introduced Crampas, who had already got his bearings perfectly
and in the course of his small talk mentioned all the von Paddens and
von Titzewitzes he had ever heard of. At the same time he excused
himself for not yet having made his call and presented his wife to the
people beyond the Kessine. "But it is strange what a separating power
water has. It is the same way with the English Channel."

"How?" asked old Mrs. von Titzewitz.

Crampas, considering it inadvisable to give explanations which would
have been to no purpose, continued: "To twenty Germans who go to
France there is not one who goes to England. That is because of the
water. I repeat, water has a dividing power."

Mrs. von Padden, whose fine instinct scented some insinuation in this
remark, was about to take up the cudgels for water, but Crampas spoke
on with increasing fluency and turned the attention of the ladies to a
beautiful Miss von Stojentin, "without question the queen of the
ball," he said, incidentally casting an admiring glance at Effi. Then
he bowed quickly to the three ladies and walked away.

"Handsome man," said Mrs. von Padden. "Does he ever come to your
house?"

"Casually."

"Truly a handsome man," repeated Mrs. von Padden. "A little bit too
self-assured. Pride will have a fall. But just see, there he is,
taking his place with Grete Stojentin. Why, really, he is too old, he
is at least in the middle of the forties."

"He is going on forty-four."

"Aha, you seem to be well acquainted with him."

* * * * *

It was very opportune for Effi that the new year, from the very
beginning, brought a variety of diversions. New Year's eve a sharp
northeast wind began to blow and during the next few days it increased
in velocity till it amounted almost to a hurricane. On the 3d of
January in the afternoon it was reported that a ship which had not
been able to make its way into port had been wrecked a hundred yards
from the mole. It was said to be an English ship from Sunderland
and, so far as could be ascertained, had seven men on board. In spite
of strenuous efforts the pilots were unable to row around the mole,
and the launching of a boat from the beach was out of the question, as
the surf was too h