with the Warths all day. We played Place for the King and Robert caught
me and I had to give him a kiss. And Erna said, that doesn't count, for
I had let myself be caught. But Robert got savage and said: Erna is a
perfect nuisance, she spoils everyone's pleasure. He's quite right, but
there's some one else just as bad. But I do hope Erna has not told Dora
about the kiss. If she has everyone will know and I shouldn't like that.
I lay in wait for Erna with the sweets which Aunt Dora sent us. Robert
and Liesel and I ate the rest. They were so good and nearly all large
ones. At first Robert wanted to take quite a little one, but I said he
must only have a big one. After that he always picked out the big ones.
When I came home in the evening with the empty box Father laughed and
said: There's nothing mean about our Gretel. Besides, Mother still has
a great box full; I have no idea whether Dora still has a lot, but I
expect so.

August 2nd. Oswald arrived this afternoon at 5. He's a great swell now;
he's begun to grow a moustache. In the evening Father took him to the
hotel to introduce him to some friends. He said it would be an awful
bore, but he will certainly make a good impression especially in his new
tourist getup and leather breeches. Grandmama and Grandpapa sent love to
all. I've never seen them. They have sent a lot of cakes and sweets and
Oswald grumbled no end because he had to bring them. Oswald is always
smoking cigarettes and Father said to him: Come along old chap, we'll
go to the inn and have a drink on the strength of your good report. It
seems to me rather funny; no one wants to drink anything when Dora and I
have a good report, at most they give us a present. Oswald has only Twos
and Threes and very few Ones and in Greek nothing but Satisfactory, but
I have nothing but Ones. He said something to Father in Latin and Father
laughed heartily and said something I could not understand. I don't
think it was Latin, but it may have been Magyar or English. Father knows
nearly all languages, even Czech, but thank goodness he doesn't talk
them unless he wants to tease us. Like that time at the station when
Dora and I were so ashamed. Czech is horrid, Mother says so too. When
Robert pretends to speak Czech it's screamingly funny.

August 3rd. I got a chill bathing the other day so now I am not allowed
to bathe for a few days. Robert keeps me company. We are quite alone and
he tells me all sorts of tales. He swings me so high that I positively
yell. To-day he made me really angry, for he said: Oswald is a regular
noodle. I said, that's not true, boys can never stand one another.
Besides, it is not true that he lisps. Anyhow I like Oswald much better
than Dora who always says "the children" when she is talking of me and
of Hella and even of Robert. Then he said: Dora is just as big a goose
as Erna. He's quite right there. Robert says he is never going to smoke,
that it is so vulgar, that real gentlemen never smoke. But what about
Father, I should like to know? He says, too, that he will never grow a
beard but will shave every day and his wife will have to put everything
straight to him. But a beard suits Father and I can't imagine him
without a beard. I know I won't marry a man without a beard.

August 5th. We go to the tennis ground every day. When we set off
yesterday, Robert and I and Liesel and Erna and Rene, Dora called after
us: The bridal pair in spee. She had picked up the phrase from Oswald. I
think it means in a hundred years. _She_ can wait a hundred years if she
likes, we shan't. Mother scolded her like anything and said she mustn't
say such stupid things. A good job too; in spee, in spee. Now we always
talk of her as Inspee, but no one knows who we mean.

August 6th. Hella can't come here, for she is going to Klausenburg with
her mother to stay with her other uncle who is district judge there or
whatever they call a district judge in Hungary. Whenever I think of a
district judge I think of District Judge T., such a hideous man. What
a nose and his wife is so lovely; but her parents forced her into the
marriage. I would not let anyone force me into such a marriage, I would
much sooner not marry at all, besides she's awfully unhappy.

August 7th. There has been such a fearful row about Dora. Oswald told
Father that she flirted so at the tennis court and he could not stand
it. Father was in a towering rage and now we mayn't play tennis any
more. What upset her more than anything was that Father said in front of
me: This little chit of 14 is already encouraging people to make love to
her. Her eyes were quite red and swollen and she couldn't eat anything
at supper because she had such a _headache!!_ We know all about her
headaches. But I really can't see why I shouldn't go and play tennis.

August 8th. Oswald says that it wasn't the student's fault at all but
only Dora's. I can quite believe that when I think of that time on the
Southern Railway. Still, they won't let me play tennis any more, though
I begged and begged Mother to ask Father to let me. She said it would
do no good for Father was very angry and I mustn't spend whole days
with the Warths any more. Whole days! I should like to know when I was a
whole day there. When I went there naturally I had to stay to dinner at
least. What have I got to do with Dora's love affairs? It's really too
absurd. But grown-ups are always like that. When one person has done
anything the others have to pay for it too.

August 9th. Thank goodness, I can play tennis once more; I begged and
begged until Father let me go. Dora declares that nothing will induce
her to ask! That's the old story of the fox and the grapes. She has been
playing the invalid lately, won't bathe, and stays at home when she can
instead of going for walks. I should like to know what's the matter with
her. What I can't make out is why Father lets her do it. As for Mother,
she always spoils Dora; Dora is Mother's favourite, especially when
Oswald is not on hand. I can understand her making a favourite of
Oswald, but not of Dora. Father always says that parents have no
favourites, but treat all their children alike. That's true enough as
far as Father is concerned, although Dora declares that Father makes a
favourite of me; but that's only her fancy. At Christmas and other times
we always get the same sort of presents, and that's the real test.
Rosa Plank always gets at least three times as much as the rest of the