And then perhaps, besides, a hanging lamp for
our bedroom, with a red shade."
Mrs. von Briest remained silent.
"Now you see, mama, you are silent and look as though I had said
something especially improper."
"No, Effi, nothing improper. Certainly not in the presence of your
mother, for I know you so well. You are a fantastic little person,
you like nothing better than to paint fanciful pictures of the future,
and the richer their coloring the more beautiful and desirable they
appear to you. I saw that when we were buying the traveling articles.
And now you fancy it would be altogether adorable to have a bed screen
with a variety of fabulous beasts on it, all in the dim light of a red
hanging lamp. It appeals to you as a fairy tale and you would like to
be a princess."
Effi took her mother's hand and kissed it. "Yes, mama, that is my
nature."
"Yes, that is your nature. I know it only too well. But, my dear Effi,
we must be circumspect in life, and we women especially. Now when you
go to Kessin, a small place, where hardly a streetlamp is lit at
night, the people will laugh at such things. And if they would only
stop with laughing! Those who are ill-disposed toward you--and there
are always some--will speak of your bad bringing-up, and many will
doubtless say even worse things."
"Nothing Japanese, then, and no hanging lamp either. But I confess I
had thought it would be so beautiful and poetical to see everything in
a dim red light.
Pages:
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314