"Pestered" we
said, o no, it's the most delightful lesson in the whole week. "Is that
so?" said he, "I won't forget to let him know." Of course we begged and
prayed him not to give us away, saying it would be awful. But we do hope
he will.

October 20th. Frau Doktor Steiner's mother is dead. We are so sorry for
her. Some of us are going to the funeral, I mayn't go, Mother says it
is not suitable, and Hella is not allowed to go either, I wonder if _He_
will go? I'm sure he will, for really he _has_ to.

October 23rd. Frau Doktor St. looks frightfully pale. Franke says she
will certainly get married soon now that both her parents are dead. Her
fiance often fetches her from the Lyz, I mean he waits for her in L.
Street. Hella thinks an awful lot of him of course, because he's an
officer. I don't think much of him myself, he's too short and too fat.
He's only a very little taller than Frl. St. I think a husband should be
nearly a head taller than his wife, or at least half a head taller, like
our Father and Mother.

October 29th. We have such a frightful lot of work to do that we're not
taking season tickets this winter, but are going to pay each time when
we go skating. I wish we knew whether _He_ skates, and where. Hella
thinks that with great caution we might find out from his cousin during
the gymnastic lesson. They are often together in the Cafe. I should
like to know what they talk about, they are always laughing such a lot,
especially when we go by.

October 31st. Ada has written to me. She is _awfully_ unhappy. She is
back in St. P., in a continuation school. But the actor is not there any
more. She writes that she yearns to throw off her chains which lie heavy
on her soul. Poor darling. No one can help her. That is, her Mother
could help her but she won't. It must be awful. Hella thinks that her
parents will not allow her to go on the stage until she has tried to do
herself a mischief; then things may be better. It's quite true, what can
her mother be thinking of when she knows how fearfully unhappy Ada is.
After all, why on earth shouldn't she go on the stage when she has so
much talent? All her mistresses and masters at the middle school praised
her reciting tremendously and one of them said in so many words that she
had _great dramatic talent_. Masters don't flatter one; except . . .;
first of all _He_ is not just an ordinary master but a professor, and
secondly _He_ is quite, quite different from all other