only knew what his name is,
perhaps Leo or Romeo; yes, Romeo, that would suit him admirably!

June 26th. When I was writing hard yesterday Aunt Alma came with Marina
and that jackanapes Erwin who was really responsible for all the row
that time. Since Mother died we have been meeting again. I don't think
Mother liked Aunt Alma much, nor she her. Just as Father and Aunt Dora
are not particularly fond of one another. It is so in most families, the
father does not care much for the mother's brothers and sisters and vice
versa. I wonder why? I wonder whether _He_ has a fiancee, probably he
has, and what she looks like. I wish I knew whether He likes brown hair
or fair hair or black hair best. But about the visit! Of course Marina
and I were _very_ standoffish. She is so frightfully conceited because
she goes to the Training College. As if that were something magnificent!
The High School is much more important, for from the High School one
goes on to the university, but not from the Training College; and they
don't learn English, nor French properly, for it is only optional. Aunt
Alma knows that it annoys Father when anyone says we don't look well, so
she said: "Why, Dora looks quite overworked; thank goodness it's nearly
over, and she won't get much out of it after all, it's really better for
a girl to become a teacher." Erwin lounged in his chair and said to me:
"Do you dare me to spit on the carpet?" "You are ill-bred enough to do
it; I can't think why Marina, the future schoolmistress, does not give
you a good smacking," said I. Then Aunt Alma chimed in: "What's the
matter children? What game are you playing?" "It's not a game at all;
Erwin wants to spit on the carpet and he seems to think that would be
all right." Then Aunt said something to him in Italian, and he pulled
a long nose at me behind Father's back, but I simply ignored it; little
pig, and yet he's my cousin! Kamillo is supposed to have been just as
impudent as Bub. But we have never seen him, for he has been in Japan as
an ensign for the last two years. Mourning does not suit Marina at all;
there's a provincial look about her and she can't shake it off. Her
clothes are too long and she has not got a trace of b--, although she
was 17 last September; she is disgustingly thin.

June 27th. The Herr Insp. came to our class to-day, in French this time.
Frau Doktor Dunker is always frightfully excited by his visits, and at
the beginning of the lesson she said: "Gir