An uncanny ballad led
to a discussion of haunted houses and ghosts, in both of which Miss
Trippelli believed.]
CHAPTER XII
The guests did not go home till late. Soon after ten Effi remarked to
Gieshuebler that it was about time to leave, as Miss Trippelli must not
miss her train and would have to leave Kessin at six in order to catch
it. But Miss Trippelli overheard the remark and, in her own peculiar
unabashed way, protested against such thoughtful consideration. "Ah,
most gracious Lady, you think that one following my career needs
regular sleep, but you are mistaken. What we need regularly is
applause and high prices. Oh, laugh if you like. Besides, I can sleep
in my compartment on the train--for one learns to do such things--in
any position and even on my left side, and I don't even need to
unfasten my dress. To be sure, I am never laced tight; chest and lungs
must always be free, and, above all, the heart. Yes, most gracious
Lady, that is the prime essential. And then, speaking of sleep in
general, it is not the quantity that tells; it is the quality. A good
nap of five minutes is better than five hours of restless turning over
and over, first one way, then the other. Besides, one sleeps
marvelously in Russia, in spite of the strong tea. It must be the air
that causes it, or late dinners, or because one is so pampered. There
are no cares in Russia; in that regard Russia is better than America.
In the matter of money the two are equal.
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