It was an exceptionally
beautiful day; the heliotrope growing in a neat bed around the sundial
was still in bloom, and the soft breeze that was stirring bore its
fragrance over to them.
"Oh, how well I feel," said Effi, "so well and so happy! I can't think
of heaven as more beautiful. And, after all, who knows whether they
have such wonderful heliotrope in heaven?"
"Why, Effi, you must not talk like that. You get that from your
father, to whom nothing is sacred. Not long ago he even said:
'Niemeyer looks like Lot.' Unheard of. And what in the world can he
mean by it? In the first place he doesn't know how Lot looked, and
secondly it shows an absolute lack of consideration for Hulda.
Luckily, Niemeyer has only the one daughter, and for this reason the
comparison really falls to the ground. In one regard, to be sure, he
was only too right, viz., in each and every thing that he said about
'Lot's wife,' our good pastor's better half, who again this year, as
was to be expected, simply ruined our Sedan celebration by her folly
and presumption. By the by it just occurs to me that we were
interrupted in our conversation when Jahnke came by with the school.
At least I cannot imagine that the furs, of which you were speaking at
that time, should have been your only wish. So let me know, darling,
what further things you have set your heart upon."
"None, mama."
"Truly, none?"
"No, none, truly; perfectly in earnest. But, on second thought, if
there were anything--"
"Well?"
"It would be a Japanese bed screen, black, with gold birds on it, all
with long crane bills.
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