At this moment Frederick came to clear off the table.

“How late is it, Frederick?”

“It is going on nine, your Ladyship.”

“Well, that is worth listening to.  Send Johanna to me.”

* * * * *

“Your Ladyship sent for me.”

“Yes, Johanna; I want to go to bed.  It is still early, to be sure, but I am so alone.  Please go out first and post this letter, and when you come back it will surely be time.  And even if it isn’t.”

Effi took the lamp and walked over to her bedroom.  Just as she had expected, there lay Rollo on the rush mat.  When he saw her coming he arose to make room for her to pass, and rubbed his ear against her hand.  Then he lay down again.

Meanwhile Johanna had gone over to the office to post the letter.  Over there she had been in no particular hurry; on the contrary, she had preferred to carry on a conversation with Mrs. Paaschen, the wife of the janitor of the building.  About the young wife, of course.

“What kind of a woman is she anyhow?” asked Mrs. Paaschen.

“She is very young.”

“Well, that is no misfortune, but rather the opposite.  Young wives, and that is just the good thing about them, never do anything but stand before the mirror and pull at themselves and put on some ornament.  They don’t see much or hear much and have not yet formed the habit of counting the stubs of candles in the kitchen, and they don’t begrudge a maid a kiss if she gets one, simply because she herself no longer gets any.”

“Yes,” said Johanna, “that was the way with my former madame, and wholly without occasion.  But there is nothing of that kind about our mistress.”

“Is he very affectionate?”

“Oh very.  That you can easily imagine.”

“But the fact that he leaves her thus alone—­”

“Yes, dear Mrs. Paaschen, but you must not forget—­the Prince.  After all, you know, he is a district councillor, and perhaps he wants to rise still higher.”

“Certainly he wants to, and he will, too.  It’s in him.  Paaschen always says so and he knows.”

This walk over to the office had consumed perhaps a quarter of an hour, and when Johanna returned, Effi was already sitting before the pier-glass, waiting.

“You were gone a long time, Johanna.”

“Yes, your Ladyship—­I beg your Ladyship’s pardon—­I met Mrs. Paaschen over there and was delayed a bit.  It is so quiet here.  One is always glad to meet a person with whom one can speak a word.  Christel is a very good person, but she doesn’t talk, and Frederick is such a sleepy-head.  Besides, he is so cautious and never comes right out with what he has to say.  True, one must be able to hold one’s tongue when necessary, and Mrs. Paaschen, who is so inquisitive, is really not at all according to my taste.  Yet one likes to see and hear something once in a while.”

Effi sighed.  “Yes, Johanna, it is better so.”