ry because we're going home to-morrow. I must write as quickly as I
can. There have been some gypsies here for three days, and yesterday one
of the women came into the garden through the back gate and looked at
our hands and told our fortunes, mine and Ada's and Dora's. Of course we
don't believe it, but she told Ada that she would have a great but short
career after many difficult struggles. That fits in perfectly. But she
made a frightful mess of it with me: Great happiness awaits me when I am
_as old again as I am now_; a great passion and great wealth. Of course
that must mean that I am to marry at 24. At 24! How absurd! Dora says
that I look much younger than 12 so that she meant 20 or even 18. But
that's just as silly, for Dr. H., who is a doctor and knows so many
girls, says I look _older_ than my age. So that it's impossible that
the old gypsy woman could have thought I was only 10 or even 9. Dora's
fortune was that in a _few_ years she was to have much trouble and then
happiness. And she told Ada that her line of life was broken!!

September 14th. Oswald left early this morning, Father kissed him on
both cheeks and said: For God's sake be a good chap this last year at
school. He has to matriculate this year, it's frightfully difficult. But
he says that anyone who has cheek enough can get through all right. He
says that cheek is often more help than a lot of swoting and grinding.
I know he's right; but unfortunately at the moment it never occurs to
me what I ought to do. I often think afterwards, you ought to have said
this or that. Hella is really wonderful; and Franke too, though she's
not particularly clever, can always make a smart answer. If only half
of what Oswald says he says to the professors is true, then I can't
understand why he is not expelled from every Gym. says Mother. Oswald
says: If one only puts it in the right way no one can say anything. But
that doesn't hold always.

September 16th. Hella is coming back to-day. That's why I'm writing in
the morning, because she's coming here in the afternoon. I'm awfully
glad. I have begged Mother to buy a lovely cake, one of the kind Hella
and I are both so fond of.

September 20th. Only a word or two. School began again to-day. Thank
goodness Frau Doktor M. still takes our class. Frl. Steiner took her
doctor's degree at the end of the school year. In history we have a new
Frau Doktor, but we don't know her name yet. The Vischer woman has been
_married_