urse
with all the commas, and should place them on his desk to-morrow morning
before the German lesson; but all the rest of us were against this, for
we saw plainly that the head had changed colour when Hella said what
she did. We shall make the corrections and then we shall all begin new
copybooks.

December 8th. It is 3 days now since the staff meeting, but not a word
has been said yet about our affair, and in the German lesson yesterday
the Prof. gave out the subject for the third piece of home work without
saying anything in particular. I think he is afraid to. Hella has saved
us all, for everyone else would have been afraid to say what she did,
even I. Hella said: "My dear Rita, I'm not an officer's daughter for
nothing;" if _I_ have not courage, who should have? The girls stare at us
in the interval and whenever they meet us, though in the office the head
said to us: "I do hope that this business will not be spread all over
the school." But Brauner has a sister in the Second and Edith Bergler's
sister is in the Fifth and through them all the classes have heard about
it. I suppose nothing is going to be said to our parents or something
would have happened already. Besides, to be on the safe side, I have
already dropped a few hints at home. And since Dora, thank goodness, is
no longer at the school, it is impossible that there can be much fuss.
It was only at first that we were alarmed, but Hella was quite right
when she said: "I'm sure nothing will happen to us, for _we are in the
right_."

December 15th. A meeting with Viktor!!! Dora and I had gone to do our
Christmas shopping, and we came across him just as we had turned into
Tuchlauben. Dora got fiery red, and both their _voices trembled_. He
does look fine, with his black moustache and his flashing eyes! And the
green facings on his tunic suit him splendidly. He cleared his throat
quickly to cover his embarrassment, and walked with us as far as the
Upper Market-place; he has another six-months furlough because of throat
trouble; so Dora can be quite easy in her mind in case she fancied that
-- -- -- -- --. When he said goodbye he kissed our hands, _mine as well
as Dora's_, and smiled so sweetly, sadly and sweetly at the same time.
Several times I wanted to turn the conversation upon him. But when Dora
does not want a thing, you can do what you like and she won't budge;
she's as obstinate as a mule! She's always been like that since she was
quite a little girl