This volume begins with a record of the Long Vacation Term at Girton from July 17th to 22 August 1890. The period from late August until GW’s return to Girton in October 1890 is spent variously in north Wales, Ireland, and Worcestershire visiting friends and family, and at home in London.

14 September: ‘They had all dreaded the arrival of the supposed prim blue-stocking’;

30 October: tennis match against Newnham College ‘at Newnham on their nice ash courts’;

31 October: College debate in hall ‘That children should be taught unreasoning obedience’

10 November: GW is bridesmaid to her sister - ‘Maggie’s wedding - a most tiring, depressing & bewildering day’ - ‘I felt fearfully bad in church - - to my intense shame, I wept - - ‘ [Sir Henry [Harry] Hayes Lawrence to Margaret Walrond, at Christ Church Lancaster Gate];

14 November: ‘Trinity Foot Beagles killing in the Woodlands - - comic sight’;

16 November: ‘Miss Welsh is rampant with fury about the Beagle episode’

22 November: lunch with her mother and Mr Buckler ‘which last fact did not please my Mama’;

24 November: ‘a very kind, but rather serious letter from Mama about the C. H.’ [Mr Buckler];

27 November: piano recital at Newnham ‘in honour of Miss Fawcett;’

28 November: attends Cambridge Greek Play – ‘Mr Buckler as Athena was far the most beautiful’;

29 November: ‘At 9 the Farcical Club acted ‘Ici on parle francais’ uncommonly well’;

4 December: ‘dull debate’ – ‘Theoretical mind v. practical’;

5 December: ‘Mr Buckler came & stayed nearly 2 hours! Miss Welsh let him in because he came last time with his father & mother’

6 February: College debate – ‘Truth v Courtesy’;

26 February: meeting re Intercollegiate Debate [ie Girton and Newnham] – ‘Miss Fawcett presided & was too feeble for words;

14 March: Intercollegiate Debate at Newnham – ‘That Man’s first duty is to himself’ – GW speaks for the motion and is ‘scolded - - by Mrs Creighton for my flippant & un-Christian tone’. ‘Miss Fawcett replied [to a speech of gratitude by Edith Read] as awkwardly as could be conceived.’

The volume concludes with the effective engagement of GW to Mr Buckler. 18 March: ‘The most important day of my life. He has written and told me he cared about me’. 20 March: ‘ - - he came himself about 12. I fled upstairs & Henry & Mama interviewed him first - - he got no further than kissing my hand. Still it was bliss’.