June 23rd. There was a frightful row to-day. Verbenowitsch was collecting the German copybooks and when Sch. wanted to hand up her copybook she said: Please give up your copybook yourself; I won’t have anything to do with (then there was a long pause) you. We were all apalled and Sch. went as white as a sheet. At 10 o’clock she begged permission to leave the room because she felt bad. I’m sure her mother will come to speak about it to-morrow.
June 24th. Sch.‘s mother did not come after all. Verbenowitsch said: Of course not! Sch. did not come either. Hella says she couldn’t stand anything like that, she would rather drown herself. I don’t know, one wants other reasons for drowning oneself. Still, I should tell Father so that he could speak about it at school. Franke said: Yes, that’s all very well, because you didn’t do it; but if one had done it one would not dare to say anything at home. Besides, Sch.‘s father is an invalid, he’s quite paralysed, has been bedridden for two years and can’t speak.
June 27th. To-day Hella and I walked home with Frau Doktor M. Really she always goes home alone but Hella suddenly left me and went up to Frau Doktor in the street and said: Please excuse me Frau Doktor for bothering you in the street, we must speak to you. She got quite red. Then Frau Doktor said: “What’s the matter?” And Hella said: “Isn’t it possible to find out who took the vanity bag? If it wasn’t Sch. the way the other girls treat her will make her quite ill, and if it was we can’t stand having her among us any longer.” Hella was really splendid and Frau Doktor M. made us tell her everything that had happened, including about Verbenowitsch and the copybooks; and we saw quite clearly she had tears in her eyes and she said: “The poor child! Children I promise I will do what I can for her.” We both kissed her hand and my heart beat furiously. And Hella said: “You are an angel.” I could never have managed to say a thing like that.
June 28th. To-day Sch. was there again, but Frau Doktor M. did not say anything. Hella and I kept on looking at her and Hella cleared her throat three times and Frau Doktor said: Bruckner, do stop clearing your throat; it will only make your sore throat worse: But it seemed to me her eyes twinkled as she said it. So she hasn’t forgotten. I wanted to speak to Sch., but Hella said: Wait a bit, we must give the Frau Doktor a chance. She’s taken the matter in hand. To-morrow before 9 we’ll walk up and down in front of her house till she comes out.
June 30th. Unluckily yesterday was a holiday and to-day Frau Doktor’s first lesson began at 11. But she has already had a talk with Sch. only we don’t know when and where; certainly it was not in the interval and she did not send for Sch. during lessons.
July 1st. To-day we walked to school with her She is such a dear. Children, she said, this is such a painful matter, and it is difficult to find a way out. Sch. insists that she did not do it, and whether she did it or not these days are burning themselves into her soul and Hella asked: “Please, Frau Doktor advise us what to do, speak to her or not?” Then she said: Children I think that after this affair she won’t come back to us next year; you will be doing a good work if you make these last days bearable to her. You were never intimate with her, but to give her a friendly word or two will do you no harm and may help her. You 2 have a high standing in the class; your example will do good. We walked with her till we reached the school, and because we were there we could not kiss her hand but Hella said out loud: How sweet you are! She must have heard it. But Sch. was not at school. Father says he’s glad that the term is nearly over, for I have been quite crazy about this affair. Still, he thinks that Hella and I should talk to Sch. So does Mother. But Dora said: Yes that’s all right but you must not go too far.
July 5th. Sch. was not at school to-day. To-morrow we are to get our reports.
July 6th. We cried like anything I and Hella and Verbenowitsch because we shan’t see Frau Doktor M. any more for nearly 3 months. I only had 2 in History and Natural History, but 1 in everything else. Franke says: Anyone who is not in Professor Igel-Nigl’s good books can find out that he’s cranky and stupid and he could never get a one. Father is quite pleased. Of course Dora has got only ones and Hella has three twos. Lizzi, I think, has 3 or 4. Father has given each of us a 2 crown piece, we can blow it, he says and Mother has given us a lace collar.
July 9th. We are going to Hainfeld this summer, its jolly, I’m awfully pleased; but not until the 20th because Father can’t get away till then and Mother won’t leave Father so long alone. It is only a few days anyhow. It’s a pity Hella’s gone already, she left early this morning for Parsch near Salzburg, what a horrid name and Hella too doesn’t like saying it; I can’t think how anyone can give a place such a nasty name. They have rented a house.
July 12th. It’s shockingly dull. Nearly every day I have a quarrel with Dora because she’s so conceited Oswald came home yesterday. He’s fearfully smart nearly as tall as Father only about a quarter head shorter, but then Father’s tremendously tall. And his voice is quite deep, it was not before. And he has parted his hair on one side, it suits him very well. He says his moustache is growing already but it isn’t; one could see it if it were; five hairs don’t make a moustache.