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arrive T Was she stil in doubt} Ong just does not know. er ,Mgiher had afl slong been hg copfidant She had not want “tof marry Donald before goida ) to America to tall her ther about him, She insisted Son recurning to her mother's ome in the middie of the war to have her Srat baby. She ‘called her mother to her when Donuld disappeared, Therm came | the day And from that moment Mrs. . Dunbar had been at her alde con- Fiantly and had helped her qhrough ail ber troubles. The urge to turn to her again mast have bean almost irresistib:e, and* Melinda must have been desper~ ately torn in heart and mind, But she held back, Something even sironger than her love for hee mother, her love for her own coihiry, her own way of Ufe. was pufing her jo another direction, ang she dare nop speak. for she Kkngw that if she had even binted thap she was about to fatto Donacd and tw take her childrel with her, Mrs. Trinbarcwould have immedia’ mobilised eve security force in Europe ~ and America. The Friday pened normally, with Melinda appearing no more depressed er preoceunied than usual, After breakfast she went of in her car to the “big” market, which was held twice # : 2 week in Geneva. - On other mornings she would do the daily shonpmy at _ the osdinary “stall” market near the fat. She was gone quite a while and when she returned tt was evident shat something had hap- pened. g She was incandescent with trement. The di¢ had deen st. Her decision was jaken. g@ There were no more doubts ‘She Hhrried into the fist, almost thrgw down her morning's dpr- chates. and tugned excitidivy to her Pnother, to teh her about phe “twh jovelfest things” that Qad hapgened to her. RM¥s. Dunbar cannot remember cwhat the second_was, ut the first was that a fried of Cairo days called Robin Mair nha met het accidentally in the srket and inviled her and tie eifidren to spend a week-end wi him and his wife is their villa dt Territer, ‘As she might have diffeulty in finding the villa, he had said he would meet hee in the lobby of 4% Montreux hotel —Mrs, Dunbar does nol recollect, whether Melinda mentioned the hotel by pame—at 4.30 that afternoon. ve now know that this” change mfeUing with an old friend from Cdire” owas probably untrue, mpway to the extent that if if- aged ft had been someone: Melinda had known in het Cairo days who had been selected} as e guide to take her to Dongid, age knew that there was cfry igialy to be no ‘week-end with ube children at. bis ville fat rites.” Was she playing a careful and indeed cunning role? Tt would be so unlike Melinds who. as her mother and close iriends have repeatedly stressed to me was not a deceliful person, was on the contrary frank and simple and a poor liar, Yet, what is ene to think? That even at this moment Melinda did not know what she was about to do ? Her immediate rections gre capable of two interpretations * Ether that she did indeed think she was taking the children to thd house of some old friends, or thd@t she was taking them to meet a father they had not seen for mgnths and who had jn fact ner set eyes on bis baby daughter. For she declared that she mus buy “Pinkers” a new coat a0) some new shoes, and she took ty baby and Fergus with her an| went off again to the shops. She reiurned some time lated, showed her mother the things she had bought, put the baby to Bs and pusied herself about the pse—still ih w state expiternent, of some he was probable daing her ovpp packing at this time. She had said they Must leave at 3 pm, — and then just before funchean Mrs. Dunbar found that neither she nor Melinda had much money. She tald Melinda to rit up the bank gm find out their balance and it) as decided that {ter lunch wifen ¢@ banks Fee nened = Meligds pould dive! here and cash 8 But after lunch a rfaetion seemed to set in and jong after. they had fnisfed Megnda gat at the table, play {as resfessiy with a half-empijed|, plats of wine, deep~sa thoughts] with from the look of strain jension on her face, were ter from happy. Mra, Dunbar had to remind her that she would be late if she did sot hurry, and with a visible effort Melinda shook off her abstraction and drove off to the bank where she cashed @ cheque for 700 Swiss franes—at that time roughly £60. She arrived back just before 3, having paid a garoge Dill of 50 iss francs, and bought some powder and lipstick, by ing forgatien aspirin whi Mjs.. Dunbar had particulargy asped ber 0 buy. She had alsa a parcel whigh the told her mother containedta Fiiibinannsninsrninncaniansane se vs