:56:04
he held a banquet.
:56:08
And there was...
:56:11
a long table...
:56:13
at which all the grandees of the empire sat...
:56:17
with the king in the middle...
:56:19
Opposite him was the place
for the guest of honour...
:56:23
the Knight of Calatrava.
:56:27
But he didn't appear, and finally
the feast had to begin without him.
:56:33
There was an empty seat...
:56:35
an empty seat exactly opposite the king.
:56:38
And then?
:56:40
Just imagine, as Don Pedro, the king...
:56:43
was about to rise to express
his hypocritical regrets...
:56:47
that his ''dear guest'' had not appeared...
:56:51
cries of horror were heard
from the servants outside...
:56:54
and before one knew what had happened...
:56:57
something raced along the table,
sprang onto the chair...
:57:01
and set a cut-off head
at the unoccupied place.
:57:07
And over the head of the knight,
his hound stared...
:57:11
at the person opposite...
:57:13
the king.
:57:17
The dog had accompanied his master
on his final journey...
:57:22
and at the moment...
:57:23
the axe descended...
:57:26
the trusty animal
had seized the falling head.
:57:31
There he was, our friend...
:57:34
sitting at the banqueting table...
:57:36
accusing the royal murderer.
:57:43
Effi was content...
:57:45
and gIad they had agreed...
:57:47
to discontinue their excursions together
for the rest of the winter.
:57:53
When she considered what had
been discussed and intimated...
:57:57
during aII those days and weeks...
:57:59
she couId find nothing that wouId
directIy occasion seIf-reproach.