But once the Empress had selected her to be a lady of
honor at an important function, and the Emperor had addressed a few
gracious remarks to her at a court ball, the past began to seem to her
a mere dream, and her cheerfulness was restored. After about seven
years in Berlin Dr. Rummschuettel was one day called to see her for
various reasons and prescribed treatment at Schwalbach and Ems. She
was to be accompanied by the wife of Privy Councillor Zwicker, who in
spite of her forty odd years seemed to need a protectress more than
Effi did. While Roswitha was helping with the preparations for the
journey Effi called her to account for never going, as a good Catholic
should, to a priest to confess her sins, particularly her great sin,
and promised to talk the matter over with her seriously after
returning from Ems.]
CHAPTER XXVI
[Innstetten could see by Effi's letters from Ems that Mrs. Zwicker was
not the right kind of a companion for her and he longed for her to
come back to him. As the end of her sojourn at the watering place
approached, preparations were made to welcome her on her return home.
A "W," made of forget-me-nots, was to be hung up and some verses
composed by a friend of the family were to be spoken by Annie. One day
when Annie was returning from school Roswitha went out to meet her and
was challenged by her to a race up the stairs. When Annie reached the
top she stumbled and fell upon a scraper, cutting an ugly gash in her
forehead.
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