herself. And in mental arithmetic to-day
I got a One. Fraulein Steiner is awfully nice too and she said: Why, L.
what was the matter with you in your sums the other day, for you're so
good at arithmetic? I didn't know what to do so I said: Oh I had such a
headache the other day. Then Berta Franke nearly burst out laughing,
it was horrid of her; I don't think she's quite to be trusted; I think
she's rather a sneak. When the lesson was over she said she had laughed
because "headache" means something quite different.

November 1st. To-day we began to work at the tablecloth for Father's
Christmas present. Of course Inspee bagged the right side because that's
easier to work at and I had to take the left side and then one has
the whole caboodle on one's hand. For Mother I'm making an embroidered
leather book cover, embroidered with silk and with a painted design;
I can do the painting part at school in Fraulein H.'s lesson, she's
awfully nice too. But I like Frau Doktor M. best of all. I'm _not_ going
to invite Berta Franke because of the way she laughed yesterday, and
besides Mother doesn't like having strange girls to the house. November
2nd. I don't know all about things yet. Hella knows a lot more. We said
we were going to go over our natural history lesson together and we went
in to the drawing-room, and there she told me a lot more. Then Mali,
our new servant, came in, and she told us something horrid. Resi is in a
hospital because she's ill. Mali told us that all the Jews when they
are quite little have to go through a very dangerous operation; it hurts
frightfully and that's why they are so cruel. It's done so that they can
have more children; but only little boys, not little girls. It's horrid,
and I should not like to marry a Jew. Then we asked Mali whether it is
true that it hurts so frightfully and she laughed and said: It can't be
so bad as all that, for if it were you wouldn't find everyone doing it.
Then Hella asked her: But have you done it already, you haven't got a
husband? She said: Go on, Miss! One mustn't ask such questions it's not
ladylike. We were in an awful funk, and begged her not to tell Mother.
She promised not to.

November 5th. Everything has come out through that stupid waist band.
Yesterday when I was tidying my drawers Mali came in to make the beds
and saw my fringed waistband. "I say, she said, that is pretty!" You
can have it if you like, I said, for I've given up wearing it. At dinner
yes