monday, march 20, 1944

dearest kitty,

this morning peter asked me if i'd come again one evening. he swore i wouldn't be disturbing him, and said that where there was room for one, there was room for two. i said i couldn't see him every evening, since my parents didn't think it was a good idea, but he thought i shouldn't let that bother me. so i told him i'd like to come some saturday evening and also asked him if he'd let me know when you could see the moon.

"sure," he said, "maybe we can go downstairs and look at the moon from there." i agreed; i'm not really so scared of burglars.

in the meantime, a shadow has fallen on my happiness. for a long time i've had the feeling that margot likes peter. just how much i don't know, but the whole situation is very unpleasant. now every time i go see peter i'm hurting her, without meaning to. the funny thing is that she hardly lets it show. i know i'd be insanely jealous, but margot just says i shouldn't feel sorry for her.

"i think it's so awful that you've become the odd one out," i added.

"i'm used to that," she replied, somewhat bitterly.

i don't dare tell peter. maybe later on, but he and i need to discuss so many other things first.

mother slapped me last night, which i deserved. i mustn't carry my indifference and contempt for her too far. in spite of everything, i should try once again to be friendly and keep my remarks to myself!

even pim isn't as nice as he used to be. he's been trying not to treat me like a child, but now he's much too cold. we'll just have to see what comes of it! he's warned me that if i don't do my algebra, i won't get any tutoring after the war. i could simply wait and see what happens, but i'd like to start again, provided i get a new book.

that's enough for now. i do nothing but gaze at peter, and i'm filled to overflowing!

yours, anne m. frank

evidence of margot's goodness. i received this today, march 20, 1944:

anne, yesterday when i said i wasn't jeal- ous of you, i wasn't being entirely honest. the situation is this: i'm not jealous of either you or peter. i'm just sorry i haven't found anyone willi whom to share my thoughts and feelings, and i'm not likely to in the near future. but that's why i wish, from the bottom of my heart, that you will both be able to place your trust in each other. you're already missing out on so much here, things other people take for granted.

on the other hand, i'm certain i'd never have gotten as far with peter, because i think i'd need to feel very close to a person before i could share my thoughts. i'd want to have the feeling that he understood me through and through, even if i didn't say much. for this reason it would have to be someone i felt was intellectually superior to me, and that isn't the case with peter. but i can imagine your feeling close to him.

so there's no need for you to reproach yourself because you think you' te taking something i was entitled to; nothing could be further from the truth. you and peter have everything to gain by your friendship.

my answer:

dearest margot,

your letter was extremely kind, but i still don't feel completely happy about the situation, and i don't think i ever will.

at the moment, peter and i don't trust each other as much as you seem to think. it's just that when you're standing beside an open window at twthght, you can say more to each other than in bright sunshine. it's also easier to whisper your feelings than to shout them from the rooftops. i think you've begun to feel a kind of sisterly affection for peter and would like to help him, just as much as i would. perhaps you'll be able to do that someday, though that's not the kind of trust we have in mind. i believe that trust has to corne from both sides; i also think that's the reason why father and i have never really grown so close. but let's not talk about it anymore. if there's anything you still want to discuss, please write, because it's easier for me to say what i mean as on paper than face-to-face. you know how le much i admire you, and only hope that some of your goodness and father's goodness will rub off on me, because, in that sense, you two are a lot alike.

yours, anne