He explained to me that letters were not often collected, and no-one could be sure when it would happen. If I wrote the letters now, then my friends would not worry because they had not heard from me. And he told me very seriously that he would stop the later letters from beng sent if I had to stay here longer for some reason. Instead he would keep the letters in Bistritz until it was time for me to go. If I said that I would not do this, it would have made him more suspicious. Therefore I pretended to agree with everything he said. I asked him what dates I should put on the letters.

He thought for a minute, and then said, "The first should be June 12, the second June 19, and the third June 29." I know now how long I have left to live. God help me!

28 May. There is a chance for me to escape. Or, if I cannot escape, at least I might be able to send a message home. A group of Szgany have come to the castle, and are staying in the courtyard. Szgany are gipsies. I have notes about them in my book. They only live in this part of the world, though they have friends among the ordinary gipsies all over the world. There are thousands of them in Hungary and Transylvania. They do not obey the laws of the country. Instead they follow some great lord (called a 'boyar'), and give themselves his name. They are without fear and have no religion, except their own superstitions. They speak using a variety of the Romany language.