, outspoken admiration,
helpful suggestions, and little attentions.
Innstetten was kind and good, but he was not a lover. He felt that he
loved Effi; hence his clear conscience did not require him to make any
special effort to show it. It had almost become a rule with him to
retire from his wife's room to his own when Frederick brought the
lamp. "I have a difficult matter yet to attend to." With that he went.
To be sure, the portiere was left thrown back, so that Effi could hear
the turning of the pages of the document or the scratching of his pen,
but that was all. Then Rollo would often come and lie down before her
upon the fireplace rug, as much as to say: "Must just look after you
again; nobody else does." Then she would stoop down and say softly:
"Yes, Rollo, we are alone." At nine Innstetten would come back for
tea, usually with the newspaper in his hand, and would talk about the
Prince, who was having so much annoyance again, especially because of
that Eugen Richter, whose conduct and language beggared all
description. Then he would read over the list of appointments made and
orders conferred, to the most of which he objected. Finally he would
talk about the election and how fortunate it was to preside over a
district in which there was still some feeling of respect. When he had
finished with this he asked Effi to play something, either from
_Lohengrin_ or the _Walkuere_, for he was a Wagner enthusiast. What had
won him over to this composer nobody quite knew.
Pages:
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401