Effi Briest by Theodor Fontane Read Free Book Online

really lives in a seaport, which is what they say Kessin is, then he ought to prefer me in my sailor suit, he ought almost to take it as a special token of respect. When princes receive – or so Papa tells me – they always put on the uniform of wherever their guest comes from. So not to worry… I’m going to hide and the bench here is home.’
    Hulda had a few reservations, but before she could speak, Effi was off up the nearest gravel path, dodging to left and right until suddenly she was gone. ‘Effi, that doesn’t count. Where are you? We’re not playing hide and seek, we’re playing tag.’ And with these and similar protestations her friends ran after her, far beyond the roundel and the two plane trees on the side, until the elusive Effi burst from her hiding place and, because she was nowbehind her pursuers, effortlessly reached the bench and was home with ‘one, two, three’.
    ‘Where were you?’
    ‘Behind the rhubarb clumps, they’ve got such big leaves, even bigger than a fig-leaf.’
    ‘Shame on you!’
    ‘No, shame on you, because you’ve lost. Hulda with those big eyes of hers didn’t spot me, helpless as usual.’ And with that Effi flew over the roundel again in the direction of the pond, perhaps with the intention of hiding behind a thick hazel-hedge that was growing there, so that she could make a wide detour round the churchyard and the front of the house and get back to the wing and home. She had it all nicely worked out, but alas, before she was even half-way round the pond she heard her name being called from the house, and looking round, saw her mother waving from the stone steps with her handkerchief. A moment later Effi was standing in front of her.
    ‘There you are still in that tunic of yours and our visitor is here. You never keep to time.’
    ‘
I
keep to time, it’s your visitor who hasn’t. It’s not one yet, not by a long chalk,’ and turning to the twins (Hulda was lagging far behind) she shouted, ‘Just carry on, I’ll be straight back.’
    A moment later Effi was in the large garden-room which took up almost the entire wing of the house.
    ‘Mamma, you mustn’t scold like that. It really is only half-past. Why has he come so early? A gentleman never comes late, but still less too early.’
    Frau von Briest was visibly embarrassed, but Effi clung to her and caressed her and said, ‘I’m sorry, I’ll hurry now, you know how quick I can be, and in five minutes Cinderella will be transformed into a princess. He can surely wait or talk to Papa that long.’
    And with a nod to her mother she made to trip light-footedly up the little iron staircase which led from the garden-room to the upper floor. But Frau von Briest, who could be unconventional herself when necessary, suddenly held Effi back as she was going, looked at the charming, youthful creature, hot from the excitement of the game, standing there in front of her, a picture of life at its freshest – and in a confidential tone said, ‘Maybe it’s as well if you just stay as you are. Yes, just stay as you are. You look very nice like that. And even if you didn’t, you look so unprepared, not made up at all, and that’s what matters at a moment like this. I have something to tell you, my sweet Effi…’ and she took her child by both hands… ‘I have to tell you that –’
    ‘But Mamma, what’s the matter? You’re frightening me.’
    ‘What I have to tell you is that Baron von Innstetten wants to marry you.’
    ‘Wants to marry me? Is he serious?’
    ‘It’s not the kind of thing to be joked about. You saw him the day before yesterday, and I think you liked him. Of course he is older than you, which is a good thing all in all, and he is a man of character, position and sound morality, and if you don’t say no, which I would hardly expect from my clever Effi, then at twenty you’ll have a position others don’t reach until they’re forty. You’ll go far further than your mamma.’
    Effi said