nd I shall be 14 in a few months. But Hella
was quite right; in conversation she said: "At the High School only
the mistresses say Du to us, the professors _have_ to say Sie."
Unfortunately he went away soon after, so we don't know whether he took
the hint. Hella says too that it was not particularly entertaining.

March 9th. Oh dear, Mother really has got cancer; of course Father has
not told us so, but she has to have another operation. Dora has cried
her eyes out and my knees are trembling. She's going to hospital on
Friday. Aunt Dora is coming back on Thursday and will stay here till
Mother is well again. I do so dread the operation, and still more
Mother's going away. It's horrible, but still lots of people have cancer
and don't die of it.

March 22nd. Mother is coming home again tomorrow. Oh I am so glad!
Everything is so quiet in the hospital and one hardly dares speak in the
passages. Mother said: "I don't want to stay here any longer, let me go
back to my children." We went to see Mother in hospital every day and
took her violets and other flowers, for she was not allowed to eat
anything during the first few days after the operation. But it's quite
different now that she's home again. I should have liked to stay away
from school to-day, but Mother said: "No, children, go to school, do it
to please me." So of course we went, but I simply could not attend to my
lessons.

March 24th. Mother is asleep now. She looks frightfully ill and still
has a lot of pain. I'm sure the doctors can't really understand her
case; for if they had operated properly she would not still have pain
after the _second_ operation. I should like to know _what_ Mother has
been talking to Dora about, for they both cried. Although Dora and I
are on good terms now, she would not tell me, but said she had promised
Mother not to speak about it. I can't believe that Mother has told Dora
a _secret_, but perhaps it was something about marrying. For Dora only
said: "Besides, Mother did not need to say that to me, for my mind was
quite made up in any case." I do hate such hints, it's better to say
nothing at all. As soon as Mother can get up she is going to Abbazia for
a change, and most likely Dora will go with her.

March 26th. Mother and Dora are going to Abbazzia next week. Dora thinks
I envy her the journey, and she said: "I would _willingly_ renounce the
journey and the seaside if only Mother would get well. And this year when
I have to matr