tty; when I think of Frau von Baldner and what she looked like last
summer, yet Father has always said she is a a perfect beauty. Really no
one is pretty in an i-- c--. Soon after tea Hella and I went up to her
room, and she said it had really been too much for her and that she
could not have stood it much longer. And we went on talking about it for
such a long time, that it really made both of us nearly ill. On Sunday
Emmy and her husband are coming to dine with the Brs., and Hella begged
me to ask her to dinner with us, or she would be quite upset. So of
course she is coming here and thank goodness that will save her from
feeling ill. And then she said that I must not think she wanted to come
to us because of Oswald, but only for that _other_ reason. I understand
that perfectly well, and she does not need to make any excuses to me.

29th. Hella came to dinner to-day, she was wearing a new dress, a light
strawberry colour, and it suited her admirably. In the evening Oswald
said: "two or three years more, and Hella will look ripping." It does
annoy me so this continual _will_. Hella's father simply said of me
that I _was_ charming,, and not that idiotic: I _was going to become_
charming. I do hate the way people always talk out into the future.
However, Oswald paid Hella a great deal of attention. In the afternoon,
when Hella and I were talking about him, I wanted to turn the
conversation to Lajos, but she flushed up and said he was utterly false,
for since October he had only been to see them once, on a Sunday, just
when they were going to the theatre. Of course he says he does not care
a jot about the visits unless he can see her alone. She can't realise
that that shows the greatness of his love. I understand it perfectly.
But it is really monstrous that Jeno has asked after me only once, quite
casually. And he really might have sent me a card at Christmas. But
that's what young men are like. The proverb really applies to them: Out
of sight out of mind.

December 30th. Frau Richter called to-day, but only in the morning for a
quarter of an hour. Not a word was said about Viktor, though I stayed in
the drawing-room on purpose. Dora did not put in an appearance, though
I'm sure she was at home. He is extraordinarily like his mother, he has
the same lovely straight nose, and the small mouth and well-cut lips;
but he is very tall and she is quite small half a head shorter than
Mother. We owe them a call, but I don't much