. As we went along R. said: Look out,
Gretel, I'm going to tickle you some day until you scream.--How absurd,
I won't have it, it takes two to do that.

By the way, in the raffle I won a vase with 2 turtledoves and a bag of
sweets and R. won a knife, fork and spoon. That annoyed him frightfully.
Inspee won a fountain pen, just what I want, and a mirror which makes
one look a perfect fright. A good job too, for she fancies herself such
a lot.

August 29th. O dear, such an awful thing has happened. I have lost pages
30 to 34 from my diary. I must have left them in the garden, or else on
the Louisenhohe. It's positively fiendish. If anyone was to find them.
And I don't know exactly what there was on those pages. I was born
to ill luck. If I hadn't promised Hella to write my diary every day I
should like to give up the whole thing. Fancy if Mother were to get hold
of it, or even Father. And it's raining so fearfully to-day that I can't
even go into the garden and still less on the Louisenhohe above all not
alone. I must have lost it the day before yesterday, for I didn't write
anything yesterday or the day before. It would be dreadful if anyone
were to find it. I am so much upset that I couldn't eat anything at
dinner, although we had my favourite chocolate cream cake. And I'm so
unhappy for Father was quite anxious and Mother too and they both
asked what was the matter with me and I nearly burst out crying before
everyone. We had dinner in the hotel to-day because Resi had gone away
for 2 days. But I couldn't cry in the room before Father and Mother for
that would have given the show away. My only hope is that no one will
recognise my writing, for Hella and I use upright writing for our diary,
first of all so that no one may recognise our writing and secondly
because upright writing doesn't use up so much paper as ordinary
writing. I do hope it will be fine to-morrow so that I can hunt in the
garden very early. I have been utterly in the dumps all day so that I
didn't even get cross when Inspee said: "Have you been quarrelling with
your future husband?"

August 30th. It's not in the garden. I begged Mother to let us go to
Louisenhutte this afternoon. Mother was awfully nice and asked what I
was so worried about, and whether anything had happened. Then I couldn't
keep it in any longer and burst out crying. Mother said I must have
lost something, and this gave me an awful fright. Mother thought it was
Hella's letter, the