April 28th. The Richters were here to-day, and the eldest son came too, the lieutenant from Lemberg; he is awfully handsome and made hot love to Dora; Walter is very nice too, he is at the School of Forestry in Modling; to-morrow the lieutenant is going to bring Dora one of Tolstoi’s books to read. Then they will do some music together, she piano and he violin; it’s a pity I can’t play as well as Dora yet. At Whitsuntide Walter is coming too and Viktor (that means conqueror) is on furlough for 6 months, because he’s ill, or because he is said to be ill; for one does not look like _that_ when one is really ill.
May 4th. Lieutenant R. is always coming here, he must be frightfully smitten with Dora. But Father won’t have it at any price. He said to Dora to-day:
“You get this gay young spark out of your head; he is no good. But at sight of a uniform there is no holding you girls. I’ve no objection to you doing music together for an hour or two; but this perpetual running to and fro with books and notes is all humbug.”
May 6th. Lieutenant R. walks with us, that is with Dora, to school every day. He is supposed to lie in bed late every morning, for he is really ill but for Dora’s sake he gets up frightfully early and comes over from Heitzing and waits in ---- Street. Of course I go on alone with Hella and we all meet In ---- Street, so that no one shall notice anything at school.
May 13th. To-morrow is Mother’s birthday and Viktor (when I am talking about him to Dora I always speak of him as V.) brought her some lovely roses and invited us all to go there next Sunday. In the hall he called me “the Guardian Angel of our Love.” Yes, that is what I am and always shall be; for he really deserves it and Dora too is quite different from what she used to be. Hella says one can see for oneself that love ennobles; up till now she has always thought that to be mere poetical fiction.
May 15th. Father said: I don’t care much about these visits to the Richters as long as that _young jackanapes_ is still there, but Mother can’t very well refuse. We shall wear our green coats and skirts with the white blouses with the little green silk leaves for Dora does not like to wear all white except in summer. And because the leaves on the blouses are _clover leaves_, that is because of their meaning. We are looking forward to it tremendously. I do hope Mother will be all right, for she is in bed to-day. It’s horrid being ill anyhow, but when being ill interferes with other people’s pleasure it’s simply frightful.