Effi felt that she ought not to have asked the question and would better have kept to herself the suspicion that Innstetten might not have waited for her.  So she was very eager to correct her mistake the best she could, and when she had got up and taken a seat before the pier-glass she resumed the conversation, saying:  “Moreover, his Lordship is quite right.  Always to be up early was likewise the rule in my parents’ home.  When people sleep away the morning, everything is out of gear the rest of the day.  But his Lordship will not be so strict with me.  For a long time last night I couldn’t sleep, and was even frightened a little bit.”

“What must I hear, your Ladyship?  What was it, pray?”

“There was a very strange noise overhead, not loud, but very penetrating.  At first it sounded as though gowns with long trains were dragging over the floor, and in my excitement it seemed a few times as though I heard little white satin slippers.  It seemed as though they were dancing overhead, but quite softly.”

As the conversation ran on thus Johanna glanced over the shoulder of the young wife at the tall narrow mirror in order the better to observe Effi’s facial expressions.  In reply she said:  “Oh, yes, that is up in the social room.  We used to hear it in the kitchen, too.  But now we don’t hear it any more; we have become accustomed to it.”

“Is there anything unusual about it?”

“God forbid, not in the least.  For a while no one knew for sure what it came from, and even the preacher looked embarrassed, in spite of the fact that Dr. Gieshuebler always simply laughed at it.  But now we know that it comes from the curtains.  The room is inclined to be musty and damp, and for that reason the windows are always left open, except when there is a storm.  And so, as there is nearly always a strong draft upstairs, the wind sweeps the old white curtains, which I think are much too long, back and forth over the floor.  That makes a sound like silk dresses, or even satin slippers, as your Ladyship just said.”

“That is it, of course.  But what I cannot understand is why the curtains are not taken down.  Or they might be made shorter.  It is such a queer noise that it gets on one’s nerves.  And now, Johanna, give me the little cape and put just a little dab of powder on my forehead.  Or, better still, take the ‘refresher’ from my traveling bag—­Ah, that is fine and refreshes me.  Now I am ready to go over.  He is still there, isn’t he, or has he been out?”

“His Lordship went out earlier; I believe he was over at the office.  But he has been back for a quarter of an hour.  I will tell Frederick to bring the breakfast.”

With that Johanna left the room.  Effi took one more look into the mirror and then walked across the hall, which in the daylight lost much of its charm of the evening before, and stepped into Geert’s room.

He was sitting at his secretary, a rather clumsy cylindrical desk, which, however, he did not care to part with, as it was an heirloom.  Effi was standing behind him, and had embraced and kissed him before he could rise from his chair.