silly. Still, I didn't say so, but only that the cloak
fitted beautifully. She has tried it on at least five
times already. I don't know whether Father really
wants to treat her as a grown-up lady or whether
he is making fun of her. I believe he's only making
fun. She doesn't really look like a grown-up lady.
How could she when she's not 14 yet? Yesterday
afternoon such a lot of girls were invited, and of
course Hella was invited on my account and we had
a grand talk. But most of them bragged frightfully
about the country where they _said_ they had been. We
were 9 girls. But Hella is the only one I care about.

September 21st. School begins to-morrow. By the
way, we have agreed to call it Liz [Lyzeum = High
School] and not School. I'm frightfully curious.

September 22nd, 19--. School began to-day. Hella
came to fetch me and we went along together. Inspee
peached on us to Mother, saying we ran on in front
of her. We don't want her as governess. There
are 34 of us in the class. Our teachers are a Frau
Doktor, 2 mistresses, one professor, and I think a
drawing mistress as well. The Frau Doktor teaches
German and writing. She put us together on the
3rd bench. Then she made a speech, then she told
us what books to get, but we are not to buy them
till Monday. We have 3 intervals, one long and 2
short. The long one is for games, the short ones
to go out. I usen't to go out at the elementary school
and now I don't need to. Mother always says that
it's only a bad habit. Most of the girls went out,
and even asked to leave the room during lesson time.
To-day we hadn't any proper lessons. They are to
begin to-morrow, but we don't know what. Then
we came home.

September 23rd. To-day we had the mistress who
teaches geography and history, she has no degree.
Inspee says that she had her last year, but she could
not stand her, she's so ugly. Father was angry and
said to Inspee: You silly goose, don't fill her head
with such stuff. Show what you are worth as elder
sister. One can learn something from every mistress
and every master if one likes. But I can't say, we're
really fond of Fraulein Vischer and I don't much
care for geography and history. Besides I'm not
learning for her but for myself. Frau Dr. Mallburg
is awfully nice and pretty. We shall always write
Frau Dr. M. for short. When she laughs she has
two dimples and a gold stopping. She is new at the
school. I don't know if we are to have singing too.
In French we have Madame Arnau, she is beautifully
dressed, black lace. Hella has a lovely pen and
pencil case; it's quite soft, we must have it soft so
that it shan't make a row when it falls down during
lesson time. I think it cost 7 crowns or 1.70 crowns,
I don't know exactly. To-day lessons went on until
12, first German, then arithmetic, then religion for
Catholics, and then we came away. Hella waited
for me, for the Herr Pastor did not come.

September 24th. We thought the book shops would
be open to-day but we were wrong. Hella's mother
said, that's what happens when the chicks think
themselves wiser than the hens. In the afternoon
Hella came to our house and Inspee had been invited
by the Fs. I don't go there, for it's so dull, they
play the piano all day. I have enough piano at my
lessons. My music lessons will begin when the school
time-table has been fixed up. Perhaps on October 1st,
then I must write to Frau B., she told me to write
myself. She tells all her pupils to do that. I would
rather have had Hella's music mistress. But she
has no time to spare and I think she charges more.
At least she wouldn't always be holding me up
"Fraulein Dora" as a model. We are not all so
musical as Fraulein Dora. In the evening Inspee
was reading a great fat book until 10 or 12 o clock
and she simply howled over it. She said she had
not, but I heard her and she could hardly speak.
She says she had a cold, liar.

September 25th. To-day they gave us the professors'
time-table, but it won't work until the professors
from the Gymnasium know exactly when they can
come. Our Frau Doktor might be teaching in a
Gymnasium, but since there is only one here she
teaches in our school. To-morrow we are going to
have a viva voce composition: Our Holidays. We
may write 8 or 10 sentences at home before we come,
but we must not look at what we have written in
class. I've written mine already. But I've not said
anything about Robert. He's not worth thinking
about anyhow. I did not even tell Hella everything.

September 25th. We had the viva voce composition
and Frau Doktor said, very good, what is your name?
Grete Lainer I said and she said: And is that your
chum next you? Now she must tell us how she spent