Every time he turned a page he
took off his nose glasses and greeted his wife and daughter. When he
came to his last paper, usually the _Havelland Advertiser_, Effi went
down either to sit beside him or stroll with him through the garden
and park. On one such occasion they stepped from the gravel walk over
to a little monument standing to one side, which Briest's grandfather
had erected in memory of the battle of Waterloo. It was a rusty
pyramid with a bronze cast of Bluecher in front and one of Wellington
in the rear.
"Have you any such walks in Kessin?" said von Briest, "and does
Innstetten accompany you and tell you stories?"
"No, papa, I have no such walks. It is out of the question, for we
have only a small garden behind the house, in reality hardly a garden
at all, just a few box-bordered plots and vegetable beds with three or
four fruit trees. Innstetten has no appreciation of such things and, I
fancy, does not expect to stay much longer in Kessin."
"But, child, you must have exercise and fresh air, for you are
accustomed to them."
"Oh, I have both. Our house is situated near a grove, which they call
the 'Plantation,' and I walk there a great deal and Rollo with me."
"Always Rollo," laughed von Briest. "If I didn't know better, I should
be tempted to think that you cared more for Rollo than for your
husband and child."
"Ah, papa, that would be terrible, even if I am forced to admit that
there was a time when I could not have gotten along without Rollo.
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