Farewell! Farewell! Farewell!
Effie gradually slowed down her rocking motions and then joined her soft light voice to Lorenz’s baritone, humming contentedly.
Since Lorenz’s death, Effie spent a lot of time sitting on the floor, her face closed and inward as if waiting for something. After their mother died, it got worse. At the cemetery, at first, she stood quietly next to her father as the minister intoned the committal prayer. But when the townspeople filed past, shaking her father’s hand, she began to moan, weaving back and forth until Clare quietly drew her away and brought her back to the house.
Peter clenched his hands in his pockets as he watched. His father appeared oblivious to this byplay. He was living as if surrounded by demented people, Peter thought bitterly. He could hard
