r that old swine, those innocent children." We did laugh so, _we_
and _innocent children!!!_ What our fathers really think of us; we
innocent!!! At dinner we did not dare look at one another or we should
have exploded. Afterwards Hella said to me: "I say, do you know that we
have the same name day?" And when I said: "What do you mean, it seems to
me you must have gone dotty this morning," she laughed like anything
and said: "Don't you see, December 27th, Holy Innocents' Day!" Oh it
did tickle me. She knew that date although she's a Protestant because
December 27th is Marina's birthday, and in our letters we used to speak
of that deceitful cat as "The Innocent."

The three boys and I have begun to use "Du" to one another, at supper
yesterday Hella's father said to Erno: "You seem frightfully ceremonious
still, can't you make up your minds to drop the 'Sie?'" So we clinked
glasses, and afterwards when Jeno and I were standing at the window
admiring the moon, he said: "You Margot, that was not a real pledge of
good-fellowship, we must kiss one another for that; hurry up, before
anyone comes," and before I could say No he had given me a kiss. After
all it was all right as it was Jeno, but it would not have done with
Lajos, for it would have been horrid because of Hella, or Ilonka as they
call her here.

Hella has just told me that they saw us kissing one another, and Lajos
said: "Look Ilonka, they are setting us a good example." We are so
awfully happy here. It's such a pity that on the 16th Jeno and Lajos
have got to leave for the Academy, where Jeno is to enter and Lajos is
in his third year: Erno, the least interesting of the three, is staying
till October. But that is always the way of life, beautiful things pass
and the dull ones remain. We go out boating every day, yesterday and
to-day by moonlight. The boys make the boat rock so frightfully that we
are always terrified that it will upset. And then they say: "You have
your fate in your own hands; buy your freedom and you will be as safe as
in Abraham's bosom."

September 12th. The great uncle _hates us_ since what happened the other
day; whenever he sees us he threatens us with his stick, and though we
are not really afraid, because he can't do anything to us, still it's
rather creepy. One thinks of all sorts of things, stories and sagas one
has read. That is the only thing I don't quite like here. But we are
leaving on the 18th. Of course Lajos and Jeno will often