And then I have Rollo, you know. He is lying just
outside the threshold."
Johanna nodded at each statement and finally lit the candle on Effi's
bedroom stand. Then she took the lamp. "Does your Ladyship wish
anything more?"
"No, Johanna. The shutters are closed tight, are they not?"
"Merely drawn to, your Ladyship. Otherwise it would be so dark and
stuffy."
"Very well."
Johanna withdrew, and Effi went to bed and wrapped herself up in the
covers.
She left the candle burning, because she was determined not to go to
sleep at once. On the contrary, she planned to recapitulate her
wedding tour, as she had her wedding-eve celebration a short time
before, and let everything pass before her mind's eye in review. But
it turned out otherwise than she had expected, for when she had
reached Verona and was looking for the house of Juliet Capulet, her
eyes fell shut. The stub of candle in the little silver holder
gradually burned down, flickered once or twice, and went out.
Effi had slept quite soundly for a while, when all of a sudden she
started up out of her sleep with a loud scream, indeed, she was able
to hear the scream, as she awoke, and she also noticed Rollo's barking
outside. His "bow-wow" went echoing down the hall, muffled and almost
terrifying. She felt as though her heart stood still, and was unable
to call out. At this moment something whisked past her, and the door
into the hall sprang open. But the moment of extreme fright was also
the moment of her rescue, for, instead of something terrible, Rollo
now came up to her, sought her hand with his head, and, when he had
found it, lay down upon the rug before her bed.
Pages:
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374