Stillingfleet himself. She stood there for about two minutes, then with a slightly more resolute bearing she turned, went up the steps again, shut the front door and came back into the room.

"All right?" said Dr. Stillingfleet. "Satisfy you there's nothing up my sleeve? All clear and above board.5?

The girl nodded.

"Right. Sit down there. Make yourself comfortable. Do you smoke?" "Well, I - " "Only reefers - something of that kind?

Never mind, you needn't tell me." "Of course I don't take anything of that kind." "I shouldn't have said there was any 'of course' about it, but one must believe what the patient tells one. All right. Now tell me all about yourself." "I - I don't know. There's nothing to tell really. Don't you want me to lie down on a couch?" "Oh, you mean your memory of dreams and all that stuff? No, not particularly. I just like to get a background. You know.

You were born, you lived in the country or the town, you have brothers and sisters or you're an only child and so on. When your own mother died, were you very upset by her death?" "Of course I was." Norma sounded indignant.

"You're much too fond of saying of course. Miss West. By the way. West isn't really your name, is it? Oh, never mind, I don't want to know any other one. Call yourself West or East or North or anything you like. Anyway, what went on after your mother died?" "She was an invalid for a long time before she died. In nursing homes a good deal. I stayed with an aunt, rather an old aunt, down in Devonshire. She wasn't really an aunt, she was Mother's first cousin. And then my father came home just about six months ago. It - it was wonderful." Her face lighted up suddenly. She was unaware of the quick, shrewed glance the apparently casual young man shot at her. "I could hardly remember him, you know. He must have gone away when I was about five.

I didn't really think I'd ever see him again. Mother didn't very often talk about him. I think at first she hoped that he'd give up this other woman and come back." "Other woman?" "Yes. He went away with someone. She was a very bad woman. Mother said.

Mother talked about her very bitterly and very bitterly about Father too, but I used to think that perhaps - perhaps Father wasn't as bad as she thought, that it was all this woman's fault." "Did they marry?" "No. Mother said she would never divorce Father. She was a-is it an Anglican? - very High Church, you know. Rather like a Roman Catholic. She didn't believe in divorce." ^Did they go on living together? What was the woman's name or is that a secret too?" "I don't remember her last name." Norma shook her head. "No, I don't think they lived together long, but I don't know much about it all, you see. They went to South Africa but I think they quarrelled and parted quite soon because that's when Mother said she hoped Father might come back again. But he didn't. He didn't write even. Not even to me. But he sent me things at Christmas. Presents always." "He was fond of you?" "I don't know. How could I tell?

Nobody ever spoke about him. Only Uncle Simon - his brother, you know.

He was in business in the City and he was very angry that Father had chucked up everything. He said he had always been the same, could never settle to anything, but he said he wasn't a bad chap really. He said he was just weak. I didn't often see Uncle Simon. It was always Mother's friends.

Most of them were dreadfully dull. My whole life has been very dull.

"Oh, it seemed so wonderful that Father was really coming home. I tried to remember him better. You know, things he had said, games he had played with me. He used to make me laugh a lot. I tried to see if I couldn't find some old snapshots or photographs of him. They seem all to have been thrown away. I think Mother must have torn them all up." "She had remained vindictive then." "I think it was really Louise she was vindictive against." "Louise?" He saw a slight stiffening on the girl's part.

"I don't remember - I told you - I don't remember any names." "Never mind. You're talking about the woman your father ran away with. Is that it?" "Yes. Mother said she drank too much and took drugs and would come to a bad end." "But you don't know whether she did?" c(! don't know anything."… Her emotion was rising. "I wish you wouldn't ask me questions! I don't know anything about her! I never heard other again! I'd forgotten her until you spoke about her. I tell you I don't know anything.^ "Well, well," said Dr. Stillingfleet.

"Don't get so agitated. You don't need to bother about past history. Let's think about the future. What are you going to do next?" Norma gave a deep sigh.

"I don't know. I've nowhere to go. I can't - it's much better - I'm sure it's much better to - to end it all - only - " "Only you can't make the attempt a second time, is that it? It would be very foolish if you did, I can tell you that, my girl. All right, you've nowhere to go, no one to trust, got any money?" "Yes, I've got a banking account, and Father pays so much into it every quarter but I'm not sure… I think perhaps, by now, they might be looking for me. / don't want to be found." "You needn't be. I'll fix that up for you all right. Place called Kenway Court. Not as fine as it sounds. It's a kind of convalescent nursing home where people go for a rest cure. It's got no doctors or couches, and you won't be shut up there, I can promise you. You can walk out any time you like. You can have breakfast in bed, stay in bed all day if you like. Have a good rest and I'll come down one day and talk to you and we'll solve a few problems together. Will that suit you? Are you willing?" Norma looked at him. She sat, without expression, staring at him, slowly she nodded her head.

Later that evening Dr. Stillingfleet made a telephone call.

"Quite a good operation kidnap," he said. "She's down at Kenway Court.

Came like a lamb. Can't tell you much yet.

The girl's full of drugs. I'd say she'd been taking purple hearts, and dream bombs, and probably L.S.D… She's been all hopped up for some time. She says no, but I wouldn't trust much to what she says." He listened for a moment. "Don't ask me! One will have to go carefully there.

She gets the wind up easily… Yes, she's scared of something, or she's pretending to be scared of something.

"I don't know yet, I can't tell. Remember people who take drugs are tricky. You can't believe what they say always. We haven't rushed things and I don't want to startle her.

"A father complex as a child. I'd say didn't care much for her mother who sounds a grim woman by all accounts - the self-righteous martyr type. I'd say Father was a gay one, and couldn't quite stand the grimness of married life- Know of anyone called Louise?… The name seemed to frighten her - She was the girl's first hate, I should say. She took Father away at the time the child was five.

Children don't understand very much at that age, but they're very quick to feel resentment of the person they feel was responsible. She didn't see Father again until apparently a few months ago. I'd say she'd had sentimental dreams of being her father's companion and the apple of his eye. She got disillusioned apparently.

Father came back with a wife, a new young attractive wife. She's not called Louise, is she?… Oh well, I only asked. I'm giving you roughly the picture, the general picture, that is." The voice at the other end of the wire said sharply, "What is that you say? Say it again." "I said I'm giving you roughly the picture." There was a pause.

"By the way, here's one little fact might interest you. The girl made a rather hamhanded attempt to commit suicide. Does that startle you.

"Oh, it doesn't… No, she didn't swallow the aspirin bottle, or put her head in the gas oven. She rushed into the traffic in the path of a Jaguar going faster than it should have done… I can tell you I only got to her just in time… Yes, I'd say it was a genuine impulse… She admitted it.