For what kind of a man your husband is, I know, and what
kind of a woman you are, most gracious Lady, I see."
"Provided only you do not look at me with too friendly eyes. I am so
very young. And youth--"
"Ah, most gracious Lady, say nothing against youth. Youth, even with
all its mistakes, is still beautiful and lovable, and age, even with
its virtues, is not good for much. Personally I have, it is true, no
right to say anything about this subject. About age I might have,
perhaps, but not about youth, for, to be frank, I was never young.
Persons with my misfortune are never young. That, it may as well be
said, is the saddest feature of the case. One has no true spirit, one
has no self-confidence, one hardly ventures to ask a lady for the
honor of a dance, because one does not desire to cause her an
embarrassment, and thus the years go by and one grows old, and life
has been poor and empty."
Effi gave him her hand. "Oh, you must not say such things. We women
are by no means so bad."
"Oh, no, certainly not."
"And when I recall," continued Effi, "what all I have experienced--it
is not much, for I have gone out but little, and have almost always
lived in the country--but when I recall it, I find that, after all, we
always love what is worthy of love. And then I see, too, at once that
you are different from other men. We women have sharp eyes in such
matters. Perhaps in your case the name has something to do with it.
That was always a favorite assertion of our old pastor Niemeyer.
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