106 LOLA 



16 December, 1916. On this date I returned to the 

 subject, and said to Lola : " Why do dogs go to people 

 when they see them in sorrow what is it they then 

 want ? " " tresten " (trosten = to console). 



" Tell me, Lola, of all the people you know, who has 

 the most sorrows ? " " herni ..." But she hesi- 

 tated, and then turned the " r " into an " n," so that 

 I saw she meant me (Henny) and yet the spelling 

 had been done with some uncertainty, so I said : "I 

 thought you would have named someone else, whom 

 all dogs love do you know who I mean ? " " Yes." 



" Did you mean my friend ? " " No." " Who 

 then ? " "her zigler 1 " (Herr Dr. Ziegler). " Then 

 why did you tell a story just now ? Did you think I 

 should be pleased to think you meant me ? . . ." 



Later in the afternoon Lola was in a state of great 

 depression ; " What is the matter ? " I asked. " er in 

 or 1st aus I " I questioned her more closely, so as to 

 get at the meaning of this enigmatical remark : 

 " What ' in ear ' ? " (or being meant for Ohr = ear). 

 She replied : " eid zu sagen " (= oath to tell or to 

 say) adding " ich auch aus " . . . ( == I also done for). 

 She looked absolutely miserable, and dropped down in 

 a limp heap between rapping out each word, as though 

 bereft of all will-power. I was beginning to feel quite 

 distracted about her : " Lola ! " I cried, " Is there no 

 way of putting it right again ? Oh, there must be ! " 

 " Yes." " Then I will help you ! " but again she 

 rapped : " er ist aus ! " (Ehre ist aus = honour is 

 gone). She could only answer concerning something 

 she had in her head, and she did so restlessly though 

 quite distinctly. The whole thing seemed quite incred- 

 ible ! " Lola I " I urged, " How can it be put right ? " 

 " e zu . . ." and here Lola cowered down miserably, 

 and remained so for the rest of the day. 



