lined the _n_ and the short _ss's_ with red, just as if she
was a schoolmistress, infernal cheek! The best would
be to have a book with a lock to it, which one could
alway keep locked, then no one could read any of it
and underline one's mistakes in red. I often write
so fast that it's easy to make a slip now and again.
As if she never made a mistake. The whole thing
made me furious. But I can't say anything about it
because of Mother, at least on the way to school; but
no, if I say nothing at all then she always gets more
waxy than ever. If I were to say much about it
Mother might remember those 5 pages I lost in the
country and I'd rather not thank you.

December 22nd. Aunt Dora came to-day. She's
going to stay with us for a time till Mother is quite
well again. I didn't remember her at all, for I was
only four or five when she went away from Vienna.
You dear little black beetle she said to me and gave
me a kiss. I didn't like the _black_ much, but Hella
says that suits me, that it's _piquant_. _Piquant_ is
what the officers always say of her cousin in Krems,
Father says she is a beauty, and she's dark like me.
But I'd rather be fair, fair with brown eyes or better
still with violet eyes. Shall I grow up a beauty? Oh
I do hope I shall!

December 23rd. I am frightfully excited about to-
morrow. I wonder what I shall get? Now I must go
and decorate the Christmas tree. Inspee said: Hullo,
is _Gretl_ going to help decorate this year? She's never
done it before! I should like to know why not. But
Aunt Dora took my side. "Of course she'll help
decorate too; but please don't stuff yourselves with
sweets." "If Dora doesn't eat anything I shan't
either," said I promptly.

Evening. Yesterday was our last day at school.
The holidays are from the 23rd to January 2nd. It's
glorious. I shall be able to go skating every day.
Of course I had no time to-day and shan't have to--
morrow. I wonder whether I should send the Gold
Fairy a Christmas card. I wish she had a prettier
name. Anastasia Klastoschek; it is so ugly. All
Czech names are so ugly. Father knows a Count
Wilczek, but a still worse name is Schafgotsch.
Nothing would induce me to marry anyone called
Schafgotsch or Wilczek even if he were a count and
a millionaire. Yesterday we paid our respects to the
staff, Verbenowitsch and I went to Frau Doktor because
she is fondest of us, or is _said_ to be. Nobody
wanted to go to Professor Rigl, Igel, we always say
Nikel, for when he has respects paid to him he always
says: "Aw ri'." But it would have been rude
to leave him out and so the monitors had to go. When
Christmas was drawing near Frau Doktor told us
that we were none of us to give presents to the staff.
"I beg you, girls, to bear in mind what I am saying,
for if you do not there will only be trouble. You
remember what happened on St. Nicholas' day. And
you must not send anything to the homes of the staff,
nor must the Christ Child leave anything on any one's
doorstep." As she said this she looked hard at me
and Edith Bergler, so she knows who left the Krampus.
I'm so tired I can't keep my eyes open. Hurrah,
to-morrow is Christmas Eve!!!

December 24th. Christmas Eve afternoon is horrid.
One does not know what to be at. I'm not allowed
to go skating so the best thing is to write. Oswald
came home yesterday. Everyone says he's looking
splendid; I think he's awfully pale and he snorted
when everyone said he had such a fine colour; of
course, how can he look well when he has such a
_heartache_. I wish I could tell him that I understand
what he feels, but he's too proud to accept sympathy
from me. He has wished for an army revolver for
Christmas, but I don't think he'll get one for boys at
the middle school are not allowed to have any firearms.
Not long ago at a Gymnasium in Galicia one
of the boys shot a master out of revenge; they said
it was because the boy was getting on badly with his
work, but really it was about a girl, although the
master was 36 years old. This morg. I was in town
with Oswald shopping; we met the Warths, Elli
and . . . Robert. Oswald said that Elli was quite
nice-looking but that Robert was an ugly beast. Besides,
he can't stand him he said, because he glared
at me so. If only he knew what happened in the
summer! I was awfully condescending to Robert and
that made him furious. If one could only save you
girls from all the troubles which the world calls
"Love," said Oswald on the way home. I was just
going to say "I know that you're unhappy in love
and I can feel for you," when Inspee came round
the corner of the Bognergasse with her chum and 2
officers were following them, so none of them saw us.
"Great Scott, Frieda's full-fledged now," said Oswald,
"she's a little tart." I can't stand that sort of vulgarity
so I did not say another word all the way home. He