tram. The day after to-morrow, the 13th, Oswald has the viva voce exam
for his matriculation. He says that in every class there are at least
1 or several _swotters_, like Verbenowitsch in ours, he says they spoil
the pitch for the others, for, because of the swotters, the professors
expect so much more of the others and sit upon them. This may be so in
the Gymnasium, but certainly not at the High School. For though Verb. is
always sucking up to the staff, they can't stand her; they give her good
reports, but none of them really like her. Mother says the 13th is an
unlucky day, and it makes her anxious about Oswald. Because of that she
went to High Mass yesterday instead of the 9 o'clock Mass as usual.
I never thought of praying for Oswald, and anyhow I think he'll get
through all right.

July 13th. Thank goodness Oswald has wired he is through, that is he has
wired his favourite phrase: Finis with Jubilation. At any rate that did
not worry Mother as he did over the written exam., when he made
silly jokes all the time. He won't be home until the 17th, for the
matriculation dinner is on the 15th. Father is awfully pleased too.
It's lovely here; of course we have not really got a whole house to
ourselves, as Hella pretended at school, but a flat on the first story;
in the mezzanin a young married woman lives, that is to say a _newly
married couple!!_ Whenever I hear that phrase it makes me shake with
horror and laughter combined. Resi must have thought of it too, for
she looked hard at Dora and me when she told us. But they have a baby
already, so they are not really a newly married couple any more. The
landlord, who lives on the same floor as us, is having a swing put
up for me in the garden for it is horrid not to have a swing in the
country.

July 16th. At last Dora has said something to me about Viktor, but she
spoke very coldly; there must be something up; she might just as well
tell me; she really ought to seeing all that I've done. I have not seen
him since that last letter of June 27th; that time something must
have hap-- no that word means something quite different, there must be
something up, but I do wonder what. Hella is delighted with Gastein, she
writes that the only thing wanting is _me_. I can quite understand that,
for what I want here is _her_. Before the end of term Ada wrote to ask
whether we were not coming to H. this year; she said she had such a
frightful lot to tell me, and _she wants my advice_. I