me, recalled what Miss Trippelli had once said, to wit:
"The world is so small that one could be certain of coming suddenly
upon some old acquaintance in Central Africa," she had a reason for
being surprised that she had never met Annie. But the time finally
arrived when a change was to occur. She was coming from her painting
lesson, close by the Zoological Garden, and near the station stepped
into a horse car. It was very hot and it did her good to see the
lowered curtains blown out and back by the strong current of air
passing through the car. She leaned back in the corner toward the
front platform and was studying several pictures of blue tufted and
tasseled sofas on a stained window pane, when the car began to move
more slowly and she saw three school children spring up with school
bags on their backs and little pointed hats on their heads. Two of
them were blonde and merry, the third brunette and serious. This one
was Annie. Effi was badly startled, and the thought of a meeting with
the child, for which she had so often longed, filled her now with
deadly fright. What was to be done? With quick determination she
opened the door to the front platform, on which nobody was standing
but the driver, whom she asked to let her get off in front at the next
station. "It is forbidden, young lady," said the driver. But she gave
him a coin and looked at him so appealingly that the good-natured man
changed his mind and mumbled to himself: "I really am not supposed to,
but perhaps once will not matter." When the car stopped he took out
the lattice and Effi sprang off.

She was still greatly excited when she reached the house.

"Just think, Roswitha, I have seen Annie." Then she told of the
meeting in the tram car. Roswitha was displeased that the mother and
daughter had not been rejoiced to see each other again, and was very
hard to convince that it would not have looked well in the presence of
so many people. Then Effi had to tell how Annie looked and when she
had done so with motherly pride Roswitha said: "Yes, she is what one
might call half and half. Her pretty features and, if I may be
permitted to say it, her strange look she gets from her mother, but
her seriousness is exactly her father. When I come to think about it,
she is more like his Lordship."

"Thank God!" said Effi.

"Now, your Ladyship, there is some question about that. No doubt there
is many a person who would take the side of the mother."

"Do you think