Crampas laughed.  “Yes, a million marks!  If I had that much, my dear Innstetten, I should not have risked it, I presume; for beautiful as the weather is, the water was only 9 deg. centigrade.  But a man like me, with his million deficit,—­permit me this little bit of boasting—­a man like me can take such liberties without fearing the jealousy of the gods.  Besides, there is comfort in the proverb, ’Whoever is born for the noose cannot perish in the water.’”

“Why, Major,” said Effi, “you don’t mean to talk your neck into—­excuse me!—­such an unprosaic predicament, do you?  To be sure, many believe—­I refer to what you just said—­that every man more or less deserves to be hanged.  And yet, Major—­for a major—­”

“It is not the traditional way of dying.  I admit it, your Ladyship.  Not traditional and, in my case, not even very probable.  So it was merely a quotation, or, to be more accurate, a common expression.  Still, there is some sincerity back of it when I say the sea will not harm me, for I firmly expect to die a regular, and I hope honorable, soldier’s death.  Originally it was only a gypsy’s prophesy, but with an echo in my own conscience.”

Innstetten laughed.  “There will be a few obstacles, Crampas, unless you plan to serve under the Sublime Porte or the Chinese dragon.  There the soldiers are knocking each other around now.  Take my word for it, that kind of business is all over here for the next thirty years, and if anybody has the desire to meet his death as a soldier—­”

“He must first order a war of Bismarck.  I know all about it, Innstetten.  But that is a mere bagatelle for you.  It is now the end of September.  In ten weeks at the latest the Prince will be in Varzin again, and as he has a liking for you—­I will refrain from using the more vulgar term, to avoid facing the barrel of your pistol—­you will be able, won’t you, to provide a little war for an old Vionville comrade?  The Prince is only a human being, like the rest of us, and a kind word never comes amiss.”

During this conversation Effi had been wadding bread and tossing it on the table, then making figures out of the little balls, to indicate that a change of topic was desirable.  But Innstetten seemed bent on answering Crampas’s joking remarks, for which reason Effi decided it would be better for her simply to interrupt.  “I can’t see, Major, why we should trouble ourselves about your way of dying.  Life lies nearer to us and is for the time being a more serious matter.”

Crampas nodded.

“I am glad you agree with me.  How are we to live here?  That is the question right now.  That is more important than anything else.  Gieshuebler has written me a letter on the subject and I would show it to you if it did not seem indiscreet or vain, for there are a lot of other things besides in the letter.  Innstetten doesn’t need to read it; he has no appreciation of such things.  Incidentally, the handwriting is like engraving, and the style is