With these words she took up the letter again to finish reading it.

“—­And now your future, my dear Effi.  You will have to rely upon yourself and, so far as outward means are concerned, may count upon our support.  You will do best to live in Berlin, for the best place to live such things down is a large city.  There you will be one of the many who have robbed themselves of free air and bright sunshine.  You will lead a lonely life.  If you refuse to, you will probably have to step down out of your sphere.  The world in which you have lived will be closed to you.  The saddest thing for us and for you—­yes, for you, as we know you—­is that your parental home will also be closed to you.  We can offer you no quiet place in Hohen-Cremmen, no refuge in our house, for it would mean the shutting off of our house from all the world, and we are decidedly not inclined to do that.  Not because we are too much attached to the world or that it would seem to us absolutely unbearable to bid farewell to what is called ‘society.’  No, not for that reason, but simply because we stand by our colors and are going to declare to the whole world our—­I cannot spare you the word—­our condemnation of your actions, of the actions of our only and so dearly beloved child—­”

[Illustration:  Permission F Bruckmann A.-G., Munich FRAU VON SCHLEINITZ AT HOME Adolph von Menzel]

Effi could read no further.  Her eyes filled with tears and after seeking in vain to fight them back she burst into convulsive sobs and wept till her pain was alleviated.

Half an hour later there was a knock at the door and when Effi called:  “Come in!” Mrs. Zwicker appeared.

“May I come in?”

“Certainly, my dear,” said Effi, who now lay upon the sofa under a light covering and with her hands folded.  “I am exhausted and have made myself as comfortable here as I could.  Won’t you please take a seat?”

Mrs. Zwicker sat down where the table with the bowl of flowers would be between her and Effi.  Effi showed no sign of embarrassment and made no change in her position; she did not even unfold her hands.  It suddenly became immaterial to her what the woman thought.  All she wanted was to get away.

“You have received sad news, dear, gracious Lady?”

“Worse than sad,” said Effi.  “At any rate sad enough to bring our association here quickly to an end.  I must leave today.”

“I should not like to appear obtrusive, but has the news anything to do with Annie?”

“No, not with Annie.  The news did not come from Berlin at all, it was a letter from my mother.  She is worried about me and I am anxious to divert her, or, if I can’t do that, at least to be near at hand.”

“I appreciate that only too well, much as I lament the necessity of spending these last days in Ems without you.  May I offer you my services?”

Before Effi had time to answer, the pretty waitress entered and announced that the guests were just gathering for lunch, and everybody was greatly excited, for the Emperor was probably coming for three weeks and at the end of his stay there would be grand manoeuvres and the hussars from her home town would be there, too.