d, not to
say justify them, and wished at the same time to indicate the
difficulties we shall in all probability encounter. But I think we
shall overcome them nevertheless. We women are able to accomplish a
great many things if we go about them wisely and do not make too great
pretensions. Besides, your husband is one of my special admirers and
he cannot well refuse to grant what I request of him. Tomorrow we have
a little circle meeting at which I shall see him and the day after
tomorrow morning you will receive a few lines from me telling you
whether or not I have approached him wisely, that is to say,
successfully. I think we shall come off victorious, and you will see
your child again and enjoy her. She is said to be a very pretty girl.
No wonder."

CHAPTER XXXIII

Two days later the promised lines arrived and Effi read: "I am glad,
dear gracious Lady, to be able to give you good news. Everything
turned out as desired. Your husband is too much a man of the world to
refuse a Lady a request that she makes of him. But I must not keep
from you the fact that I saw plainly his consent was not in accord
with what he considers wise and right. But let us not pick faults
where we ought to be glad. We have arranged that Annie is to come some
time on Monday and may good fortune attend your meeting."

It was on the postman's second round that Effi received these lines
and it would presumably be less than two hours till Annie appeared.
That was a short time and yet too long. Effi walked restlessly about
the two rooms and then back to the kitchen, where she talked with
Roswitha about everything imaginable: about the ivy over on Christ's
Church and the probability that next year the windows would be
entirely overgrown; about the porter, who had again turned off the gas
so poorly that they were likely to be blown up; and about buying their
lamp oil again at the large lamp store on Unter den Linden instead of
on Anhalt St. She talked about everything imaginable, except Annie,
because she wished to keep down the fear lurking in her soul, in spite
of the letter from the minister's wife, or perhaps because of it.

Finally, at noon, the bell was rung timidly and Roswitha went to look
through the peephole. Surely enough, it was Annie. Roswitha gave the
child a kiss, but said nothing, and then led her very quietly, as
though some one were ill in the house, from the corridor into the back
room and then to the door opening into