“Both Mr. and Mrs. Crampas were at our house a fortnight ago to pay us a visit.  The situation was painful, for Mrs. Crampas watched her husband so closely that he became half-embarrassed, and I wholly.  That he can be different, even jaunty and in high spirits, I was convinced three days ago, when, he sat alone with Innstetten, and I was able to follow their conversation from my room.  I afterward talked with him myself and found him a perfect gentleman and extraordinarily clever.  Innstetten was in the same brigade with him during the war and they often saw each other at Count Groeben’s to the north of Paris.  Yes, my dear mama, he is just the man to instill new life into Kessin.  Besides, he has none of the Pomeranian prejudices, even though he is said to have come from Swedish Pomerania.  But his wife!  Nothing can be done without her, of course, and still less with her.”

Effi was quite right.  As a matter of fact no close friendship was established with the Crampas family.  They met once at the Borckes’, again quite casually at the station, and a few days later on a steamer excursion up the “Broad” to a large beech and oak forest called “The Chatter-man.”  But they merely exchanged short greetings, and Effi was glad when the bathing season opened early in June.  To be sure, there was still a lack of summer visitors, who as a rule did not come in numbers before St. John’s Day.  But even the preparations afforded entertainment.  In the “Plantation” a merry-go-round and targets were set up, the boatmen calked and painted their boats, every little apartment put up new curtains, and rooms with damp exposure and subject to dry-rot were fumigated and aired.

In Effi’s own home everybody was also more or less excited, not because of summer visitors, however, but of another expected arrival.  Even Mrs. Kruse wished to help as much as she could.  But Effi was alarmed at the thought of it and said:  “Geert, don’t let Mrs. Kruse touch anything.  It would do no good, and I have enough to worry about without that.”  Innstetten promised all she asked, adding that Christel and Johanna would have plenty of time, anyhow.

* * * * *

[An elderly widow and her maid arrived and took rooms for the season opposite the Innstetten house.  The widow died and was buried in the cemetery.  After watching the funeral from her window Effi walked out to the hotel among the dunes and on her way home turned into the cemetery, where she found the widow’s maid sitting in the burning sun.]

* * * * *

“It is a hot place you have picked out,” said Effi, “much too hot.  And if you are not cautious you may have a sun-stroke.”

“That would be a blessing.”

“How so?”

“Then I should be out of the world.”

“I don’t think you ought to say that, even if you had bad luck or lost a dear friend.  I presume you loved her very dearly?”