4 July

Horrid German today. I asked Miss Prism why I can't learn a *nice* language, like maybe French for instance. Miss Prism says German is a respectable language. Miss Prism says French is indecent and indeed that the French natives are not only indecent but also uncharitable and it is because of them that we no longer own the colonies. I don't much mind people who are indecent, but I don't at *all* approve of people who are uncharitable. It is wrong, and besides, it gives us no excuse for a ball!

22 June

Tomorrow is Midsummer's Eve. I do hope I shall be able to attend the bonfire at night. Miss Prism does not approve of bonfires.

Lessons on all fronts today and my great disappointment is the Miss Prism feels I am not quite ready to sing in public as of yet. I had *so* hoped to sing for the Marquess' evening party! But I concealed my annoyance masterfully. That is good practice for evening parties.

Ernest writes to me that he will dream of me on Midsummer's Eve.

16 May

The ball went over quite swimmingly. The weather was charming and the band was really marvellous (sp?) so the dancing went on all night. Most everybody was very old indeed, but there were a few young persons there, including the Marquess himself, and we had our own table at dinner. I was allowed three glasses of wine, as more would be improper for an unmarried girl, but I am afraid the wine went entirely to my head. I had the most entirely gay time, but I am afraid I don't remember the name of a single boy I danced with!

7 May

Miss Prism somewhat lax at lessons today and somewhat distracted. On the subject of Ernest, she says merely that it is not proper for a young lady to spend so very much of her time thinking about any man at all, much less a rogue and a bounder. I think a rogue must be a most excellent thing to be, but Miss Prism says a roue always comes to ruin.

4 April

Ernest has written me the most stimulating letter! He says the air positively *sizzles* with the name of *Cecily*! I very nearly *fainted* when I read that! My knees were entirely a-quiver.

Miss Prism refused to allow me to shorten my lessons today. She says that what I sew, so shall I reap. I don't even like to sew. It doesn't seem a proper thing for a lady. And I certainly do not intend ever to "reap."

25 March

I really don't think it can be right for a guardian to brood all the time. Guardians are supposed to be kindly people, I had always thought. At least only very bad little boys like E and so forth should be allowed to brood—it always makes a man *so very* attractive, and certainly one's guardian is never allowed to be attractive. Well, hardly ever. It seems to me to be quite improper. Oh why did Ernest leave me alone like the sad clown of life?

21 March

Entirely charming weather, but still I am quite troubled by the matter of the snake. I always feel that a really proper man must always be very naughty indeed but not actually *frightening*, and now I fear a poor girl cannot trust *any* man *at all*!

Francine no help at all. I believe the beastly girl enjoys upsetting me. I must return to my plan not to share *any* more confidences with her until she learns to converse properly and not upsettingly.

Did manage to sit up for some tea this afternoon.

16 March

Uncle Jack is very mean! "On no account," he says, will he allow me to go to London at any time soon. In fact he has expressly forbidden my meeting Ernest. Ever! So I am refusing to leave my room until further notice.

Francine has spent the day with me in order to console me. I asked her whether she really had this "snake" business on very firm authority, and she says she and others have seen it on one man here. But can he be normal? Surely not. Maggie and Francine are twins! How odd, and, I must say, not quite decent. They sleep in the same bed. How nice that must be.

3 March

Campaign quite destroyed, as I, for one, am entirely unwilling to baptize sharks.

Oh, I *do* hate Lent! So very *bored* all day! Uncle Jack whistling *all day* long, and that certainly can not be proper during Lent or at any other time if one is a guardian. Uncle Jack certainly is behaving *most* strangely of late. Whenever he returns from saving Ernest, he is quite *giddy*, one might say.

Mutton for dinner again.

2 March

Dr. Chasuble says "it is high time" I ended my lessons with him. He says he will speak to me about my campaign at a later date, as it is not a proper subject for the Lenten period. Now that I think of it, nothing at all seems to be a proper subject for the Lenten period.

Evening—Uncle Jack back. No word of Ernest. Mutton for dinner. I *do* love mutton!

2 February

Uncle Jack gone—endless hours of *German.* Horrid German. I think German must be *the worst* language ever invented. All those ichs, achs, blechs... yuck! It can't really be a proper language to speak—one always seems to be yelling.

25 January

Dreadful lessons simply all day! I really can not understand why I should read political economy. It doesn't seem at *all* a proper sort of subject for a young girl. Besides, it is excessively *boring*! Luckily, Dr. Chasuble happened along and Miss Prism felt she needed to talk to him about an important matter, so I hied myself to the barn to Peter. He made love to me as always, but he seemed strangely distant and did not even *try* to touch me. Really! I *hardly* expected that sort of behavior from my future husband. I informed him that I will expect better from him in future.

11 January

There has been some sort of scandal in the kitchen. Cook was very angry at one of the younger girls, Mary. I think it is because Mary has been putting on *quite a bit* of weight of late. I suppose she must have been stealing an awful lot of food. I believe the Catholics are prone to do such things. I don't much approve of Catholics.

10 January

Feigned a headache today in order to stay in bed and then ran like the wind all the way to the barn. Or rather, I would have, except I got rather faint and had to loosen my corset. Drat! But I am *so* lucky that I did, because had I not, I would certainly have been intercepted by Miss Prism, who was on a stroll with Dr. Chasuble, though strangely, they were somewhat off the path, actually. I hid behind the elm until they had passed. Then to Peter who was *very* affectionate indeed until I chastized him for asking to see my undergarments. Then went all sullen again. Oh dear, he is so *very attractive* when he sulks! But really, I don't know what interest my undergarments could hold for him. He can touch, but he cannot look. That would be wrong.

8 January

At last the rains have gone. But I was prevented from having a real meeting with my dear Peter due to a cough on the part of Miss Prism. That is to say, Peter and I had met, at last, by the garden gate, and I am sure he was just going to kiss me, when up walked Miss Prism from heaven only knows where! It certainly can't be proper for a governess to go about spying on a poor girl and her love—one will never obtain a decent proposal. I shall be obliged to speak to her about this matter at once.