ause she was very clever and useful and showed a decided,
self-conscious reserve toward the men. According to a Kessin rumor the
roots of her existence could be traced to a long-retired officer of
the Pasewalk garrison, which was said to explain her aristocratic
temperament, her beautiful blonde hair, and the special shapeliness of
her appearance. Johanna shared the joy displayed on all hands at her
arrival and was perfectly willing to resume her former duties as house
servant and lady's maid, whereas Roswitha, who after an experience of
nearly a year had acquired about all of Christel's cookery art, was to
superintend the culinary department. The care and nurture of Annie
fell to Effi herself, at which Roswitha naturally laughed, for she
knew young wives.

Innstetten was wholly devoted to his office and his home. He was
happier than formerly in Kessin, because he could not fail to observe
that Effi manifested more artlessness and cheerfulness. She could do
so because she felt freer. True, the past still cast a shadow over her
life, but it no longer worried her, or at least much more rarely and
transiently, and all such after-effects served but to give her bearing
a peculiar charm. In everything she did there was an element of
sadness, of confession, so to speak, and it would have made her happy
if she could have shown it still more plainly. But, of course, she
dared not.

When they made their calls, during the first weeks of April, the
social season of the great city was not yet past, but it was about to
end, so they were unable to share in it to any great extent. During
the latter half of May it expired completely and they were more than
ever happy to be able to meet at the noon hour in the Tiergarten, when
Innstetten came from his office, or to take a walk in the afternoon to
the garden of the Palace in Charlottenburg. As Effi walked up and down
the long front, between the Palace and the orange trees, she studied
time and again the many Roman emperors standing there, found a
remarkable resemblance between Nero and Titus, gathered pine cones
that had fallen from the trees, and then walked arm in arm with her
husband toward the Spree till they came to the lonely Belvedere
Palace.

"They say this palace was also once haunted," she remarked.

"No, merely ghostly apparitions."

"That is the same thing."

"Yes, sometimes," said Innstetten. "As a matter of fact, however,
there is a difference. Ghostly apparitions ar