The second half-year began yesterday. They were all
awfully nice to Hella, and Frau Doktor M. stroked her cheeks and put her
arm round her so affectionately. Now for the chief thing. Today was the
Natural History lesson. We knocked at the door and when we went in Prof.
W. said: Ah I'm glad to see you Bruckner; take care that you don't give
us all another fright. How are you? Hella said: "Quite well, thank you,
Herr Prof." And as I looked at her she put on a frightfully serious
face and he said: It seems to me that you've caught your friend's ill
humour.--Hella: "Herr Prof., you are really too kind, but we don't want
to trouble you. What things have we to take to the class-room? And then
we beg leave to resign our posts, for I don't feel strong enough for the
work." She said this in quite a soldierly way, the way she is used to
hear her father speak. It sounded most distinguished. He looked at us
and said: "All right, two of the other pupils will take it over." We
don't know whether he really noticed nothing or simply did not wish
to show that he had noticed. But as we shut the door I felt so awfully
sorry; for it was the last time, the very last time.
February 27th. In Natural History to-day I got _Unsatisfactory_. I
was not being questioned, but when Klaiber could not answer anything I
laughed, and he said: Very well, Lainer, you correct her mistake.
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