"
Mrs. von Briest saw that Effi was exhausted and seemed to be either
sleeping or about to go to sleep. She rose quietly from her chair and
went out. Hardly had she gone when Effi also got up, and sat at the
open window to breathe in the cool night air once more. The stars
glittered and not a leaf stirred in the park. But the longer she
listened the more plainly she again heard something like soft rain
falling on the plane trees. A feeling of liberation came over her.
"Rest, rest."
* * * * *
It was a month later and September was drawing to an end. The weather
was beautiful, but the foliage in the park began to show a great deal
of read and yellow and since the equinox, which had brought three
stormy days, the leaves lay scattered in every direction. In the
circular plot a slight change had been made. The sundial was gone and
in the place where it had stood there lay since yesterday a white
marble slab with nothing on it but "Effi Briest" and a cross beneath.
This had been Em's last request. "I should like to have back my old
name on my stone; I brought no honor to the other." This had been
promised her.
The marble slab had arrived and been placed in position yesterday, and
Briest and his wife were sitting in view of it, looking at it and the
heliotrope, which had been spared, and which now bordered the stone.
Rollo lay beside them with his head on his paws.
Wilke, whose spats were growing wider and wider, brought the breakfast
and the mail, and old Mr.
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