“No, papa, I have no such walks.  It is out of the question, for we have only a small garden behind the house, in reality hardly a garden at all, just a few box-bordered plots and vegetable beds with three or four fruit trees.  Innstetten has no appreciation of such things and, I fancy, does not expect to stay much longer in Kessin.”

“But, child, you must have exercise and fresh air, for you are accustomed to them.”

“Oh, I have both.  Our house is situated near a grove, which they call the ‘Plantation,’ and I walk there a great deal and Rollo with me.”

“Always Rollo,” laughed von Briest.  “If I didn’t know better, I should be tempted to think that you cared more for Rollo than for your husband and child.”

“Ah, papa, that would be terrible, even if I am forced to admit that there was a time when I could not have gotten along without Rollo.  That was—­oh, you know when—­On that occasion he virtually saved my life, or I at least fancied he did, and since then he has been my good friend and my chief dependence.  But he is only a dog, and of course human beings come first.”

“Yes, that is what they always say, but I have my doubts.  There is something peculiar about brute creatures and a correct understanding of them has not yet been arrived at.  Believe me, Effi, this is another wide field.  When I think how a person has an accident on the water or on the slippery ice, and some dog, say, one like your Rollo, is at hand, he will not rest till he has brought the unfortunate person to the shore.  And if the victim is already dead, the dog will lie down beside him and bark and whine till somebody comes, and if nobody comes he will stay by the corpse till he himself is dead.  That is what such an animal always does.  And now take mankind on the other hand.  God forgive me for saying it, but it sometimes seems to me as though the brute creature were better than man.”

“But, papa, if I said that to Innstetten—­”

“No, Effi, you would better not.”

“Rollo would rescue me, of course, but Innstetten would, too.  He is a man of honor, you know.”

“That he is.”

“And loves me.”

“That goes without saying.  And where there is love it is reciprocated.  That is the way of the world.  I am only surprised that he didn’t take a vacation and flit over here.  When one has such a young wife—­”

Effi blushed, for she thought exactly the same thing.  But she did not care to admit it.  “Innstetten is so conscientious and he desires to be thought well of, I believe, and has his own plans for the future.  Kessin, you know, is only a stepping stone.  And, after all, I am not going to run away from him.  He has me, you see.  If he were too affectionate—­beside the difference between our ages—­people would merely smile.”

“Yes, they would, Effi.  But one must not mind that.  Now, don’t say anything about it, not even to mama.  It is so hard to say what to do and what not.  That is also a wide field.”