◆ SpookStack

\ The angjtish of “Guy's mother By PAT TYLER MORE than four years of anguished uncertainty ended for a small, eldgriy woman yesterday when [ told her that her son, Guy Burgess, had spied against Britain as a Soviet agent. “Tam not surprised,” she whispered, It was just four pam. when T rang the bell at the luxury flat if Arlington House, Mayfair, where Birgess’ mother, Mrs. Bhssett, lives with her ‘second hisband, Lieutenant-Colonel J. R# Bassett. Colonel Bassett answered the “with blue-tinted grey hair door. Tall and straight-backed, the 69-year-old Colonel stood silent for a moment after hear- ing of the Forcign Office state- nient which branded his step-son @ spy. Then Mrs, Bassett, elegant, led hugh, came into the hail “What ts it?” she asked nxiously, I repeated the Qor- dign Office statement. Alter a tpoment, she whispered: “I see. - ju'd better come in.” PHONE CALL Tn the lounge, its wide dows overlooking Green Park | where people strolled in the sun- shine, Mrs, Bassett stood t ing a handkerchief in her hands, I told her that if we rang the Daily Herald office the fuli text of the statement could be read to her. “Please do ring your office,” she said. As she took the telephone and stad listening to the statement, Mrs. Bassett looked down at a copy of The People lying on a sk. On the front page was a repprt ya Russian, Vladimir Petipv, aming Burgess and Maclean as pies and elainting that they fad Spied jor 20 years. ‘Mrs. Bassett put down the phone and said wearily: “Tgam surpris Tr the Fordign fice says he was @ spy, it nkist: bb true, But I will never belipve tat he had been spying fort 20 just cannot be true. It What woud the Foreign Office be doing, take mg on tivo met all that time ago and apparently not knowing anything about it?” NO_ANSWER Turning to her husband, who had waited silently while she was phoning, she said: “The Foreign Office say Guy was spying. But they say more in the slatemens about Maclean than about Guy.” Said the Colonel: “The Foreign Office has spoken out | at la 1 “But this story by Petrov is * rubbish, It is fuli of inconsist~ encics, We know it is not true, | There's nothing else we can say.” T asked Mrs, Bassett: “Since your sou disappeared, have you believed before today that he was a spy?” She hesitated, then said: “Id | rather not answer that. I don't ink T can.” i As I left she said quietly: “Ivnank you for telling me of fre reign Office statement. It Will in all the papers tomorrows I suppose... .”