ill, I didn't say so, but only that
the cloak fitted beautifully. She has tried it on at least five times
already. I don't know whether Father really wants to treat her as a
grown-up lady or whether he is making fun of her. I believe he's only
making fun. She doesn't really look like a grown-up lady. How could
she when she's not 14 yet? Yesterday afternoon such a lot of girls were
invited, and of course Hella was invited on my account and we had a
grand talk. But most of them bragged frightfully about the country where
they _said_ they had been. We were 9 girls. But Hella is the only one I
care about.

September 21st. School begins to-morrow. By the way, we have agreed
to call it Liz [Lyzeum = High School] and not School. I'm frightfully
curious.

September 22nd, 19--. School began to-day. Hella came to fetch me and we
went along together. Inspee peached on us to Mother, saying we ran on in
front of her. We don't want her as governess. There are 34 of us in the
class. Our teachers are a Frau Doktor, 2 mistresses, one professor, and
I think a drawing mistress as well. The Frau Doktor teaches German and
writing. She put us together on the 3rd bench. Then she made a speech,
then she told us what books to get, but we are not to buy them till
Monday. We have 3 intervals, one long and 2 short. The long one is for
games, the short ones to go out. I usen't to go out at the elementary
school and now I don't need to. Mother always says that it's only a
bad habit. Most of the girls went out, and even asked to leave the room
during lesson time. To-day we hadn't any proper lessons. They are to
begin to-morrow, but we don't know what. Then we came home.

September 23rd. To-day we had the mistress who teaches geography and
history, she has no degree. Inspee says that she had her last year, but
she could not stand her, she's so ugly. Father was angry and said to
Inspee: You silly goose, don't fill her head with such stuff. Show
what you are worth as elder sister. One can learn something from every
mistress and every master if one likes. But I can't say, we're really
fond of Fraulein Vischer and I don't much care for geography and
history. Besides I'm not learning for her but for myself. Frau Dr.
Mallburg is awfully nice and pretty. We shall always write Frau Dr. M.
for short. When she laughs she has two dimples and a gold stopping. She
is new at the school. I don't know if we are to have singing too. In
French we have Madame Arnau,