Cousin von Briest laughed. “‘A young lamb as white as snow.’  Hear that, cousin?” He was going to continue teasing her, but gave it up when he saw that she turned pale.

The conversation dragged on a while longer, dealing chiefly with former relations, and Effi finally learned, from various things Innstetten said, that of all their Kessin household Johanna alone had declared a willingness to move with them to Berlin.  She had remained behind, to be sure, but would arrive in two or three days with the rest of the things.  Innstetten was glad of her decision, for she had always been their most useful servant and possessed an unusual amount of the style demanded in a large city, perhaps a bit too much.  Both Christel and Frederick had said they were too old, and Kruse had not even been asked.  “What do we want with a coachman here?” concluded Innstetten, “private horses and carriages are things of the past; that luxury is seen no more in Berlin.  We could not even have found a place for the black chicken.  Or do I underestimate the apartment?”

Effi shook her head, and as a short pause ensued the mother arose, saying it was half past ten and she had still a long way to go, but nobody should accompany her, as the carriage stand was quite near.  Cousin Briest declined, of course, to accede to this request.  Thereupon they bade each other good night, after arranging to meet the following morning.

Effi was up rather early and, as the air was almost as warm as in the summer, had ordered the breakfast table moved close to the open balcony door.  When Innstetten appeared she stepped out upon the balcony with him and said:  “Well, what do you say?  You wished to hear the finches singing in the Tiergarten and the parrots calling in the Zoological Garden.  I don’t know whether both will do you the favor, but it is possible.  Do you hear that?  It came from the little park over yonder.  It is not the real Tiergarten, but near it.”

Innstetten was delighted and as grateful as though Effi herself had conjured up all these things for him.  Then they sat down and Annie came in.  Roswitha expected Innstetten to find a great change in the child, and he did.  They went on chatting, first about the people of Kessin, then about the visits to be made in Berlin, and finally about a summer journey.  They had to stop in the middle of their conversation in order to be at the rendezvous on time.

They met, as agreed, at Helms’s, opposite the Red Palace, went to various stores, lunched at Hiller’s, and were home again in good season.  It was a capital day together, and Innstetten was very glad to be able once more to share in the life of a great city and feel its influence upon him.  The following day, the 1st of April, he went to the Chancellor’s Palace to register, considerately foregoing a personal call, and then went to the Ministry to report for duty.  He was received, in spite of the rush of business and social obligations, in fact he was favored with a particularly friendly reception by his chief, who said:  “I know what a valuable man you are and am certain nothing can ever disturb our harmony.”