'ShallIdrive?'Isaidmildly,makingitabsolutelyherownchoice.

Sheputbothherhandsinherlapandlookedstraightoutthroughthewindscreen.Herfacewaspaleabovetheorangedress.

'Ithoughtyouwerebothdead.'

'Iknow.'

'Istillfeelchurnedup.It'ssilly.'

'It'snotsilly.AndIexpectyou'refondofDaveTeller.'

'He'ssentuspresentsandthings,sincewewerelittle.'

'Aniceman.'

'Yes.'Shesigheddeeplyandafterapausesaidcalmly,'Ithinkitwouldbebetter,ifyoureallydon'tmind,ifyoudriveback.'

'OfcourseIwill.'

Wechangedplaces,andwentbacktoLondonwithmorecarspa.s.singusthanwepa.s.sed.AtChiswickroundaboutIsaidIwoulddrivehertoherflatandgoonhomebytaxi,butwithasidewayslaughingglanceshesaidnotaxiwouldstopformeinherfather'sclothes,andthatshewasfeelingbetterandcouldquiteeasilydothelastlapherself:soIrolledroundthefewcornerstoPutneyandstoppedoutsidemyownfrontdoor.

Summerduskfilledthequietstreets.Nooneabout.Lynnielookedoutofherwindowupwardsatthetallhouse,andshivered.

'You'recold,'Isaid,concernedforherbarearms.

'No...Ihaveacardiganintheback...Iwasjustthinkingaboutyourflat.'

'Whatabout.i.t?'

'It'sso...empty.'Shegaveahalflaugh,shruggingitoff.'Well,Ihopeyouwon'thavenightmares,aftertoday.'

'No...'Icollectedmythingsandgotoutofthecar,andshemovedoverintothedriver'sseat.

'Willtheyhavesavedanydinnerforyouatthehostel?'Iasked.

'Notahope,'shesaidcheerfully.'ButIexpectthere'llbesomecakeandmilkabout,thereusuallyis.'

'Wouldyoucaretoeatwithme?Notupthere,'Iaddedhastily,seeingthebeginningsofwell-brought-upsuspicion.'Inarestaurant,Imean.'

'I'vemymothertothankformybeastlymind,'shesaidunexpectedly.'Ireallyamratherhungry,andIdon'tseeatallwhyIshouldn'thavesupperinyourflat,ifyou'vegotanyfood.'Andwithoutmoreadoshegotoutofthecarandlockedit,andstoodexpectantlybesidemeonthepavement.

'Therearesometins,'Isaid,reflecting.'Waitherejustasecond,wouldyou.Ijustwanttohavealookroundtheback.'

'Roundtheback?'

'Forburglars,'Isaidsardonically.ButIwenttolook,asusual,atthepowder-coatedbottomflightofthefireescape.Noonehadbeenupordownallday.

Lynnieclimbedthestairstothefourthflooraseasilyasbefore,andhavingcheckedviaawell-placedpaperclipthatmydoorhadn'tbeenopenedsinceIhadshut.i.tthatmorning,Iputthekeyinthelockandletusin.

Thegreenplasticlampshadeinmysitting-roomscattereditsuncosyglareoverthetidyroom,switchingthesoftgreylightoutsideintosuddenblack,andevokingtheforlornnessofinst.i.tutionbuildingsonwinterafternoons.Itwouldn'tbemuchtrouble,Ithought,togooutandbuymyselfaredshadeinthemorning,andseeifitpropagatedrosythoughtsinstead.

'Sitdown,'Isuggested.'Areyouwarmenough?Switchtheelectricfireonifyou'dlikeit.IthinkI'llgoandchange,andthenwecandecideaboutgoingout.'

Lynnienodded,b.u.t.tookthingsintoherownhands.WhenIcameoutofthebedroomshehadalreadyinvestigatedmymeagrestorecupboardandhadlinedupapacketofsoup,someeggs,andatinofanchovies.

'Soup,andanchoviesonscrambledegg,'shesaid.

'Ifyou'dreallylikethat,'Isaiddoubtfully.

'Ican'tcookmuchelse.'

Ilaughed.'Allright.I'lldothecoffee.'

Therewereburntspecksintheeggswhenshehadfinished,whichharmonizednicelywiththesc.r.a.pedoffoverdonetoastandthebrownanchovystrips,andtherehadbeenaslightoveremphasisonpepper.

'Noone,'shesighed,'isgoingtomarrymeformycordonbleu.'

Therewereplentyofotherreasonswhyshe'dbefendingoffsuitorsknee-deepinayearortwo:acurvyfigure,delicateneck,babyskin;thetouch-me-notexpression,theawakeningsocialcourage,thequickcompa.s.sion.Noonewasgoingtocareifshecouldn'tcook.Butshewasn'tsecureenoughtobetoldsoatthatmoment.

'Whenwereyouseventeen?'Iasked.

'Theweekbeforelast.'

'Youdidn'twastemuchtimepa.s.singthedrivingtest.'

'I'vebeenabletodrivesinceIwaseight.Petercan,too.'Shefinishedhereggsandstirredtwoheapedteaspoonfulsofsugarintohercoffee.'Iwashungry.Funny,that.'

'It'salongtimesincelunch.'

'Aterriblylongtime...'Shesuddenlylookedmestraightintheface,whichshehadmostlybeenavoiding,andwithdevastatinginnocencesaid'I'msogladyou'realive.'

Iturnedahopelesswinceintoalaugh.'I'msogladDaveTelleris.'

'Bothofyou,'shesaid.'Itwastheworstthinginmywholelifewhenyoudidn'tcomeup.'

Achilduntouchedbytragedy,Ithought.Apitytheworldwa.s.sucharoughplace,wouldcatchherbyherprettyneckonedayandtearhergutsapart.Nooneeverescaped.Tohavegottoseventeenunlaceratedwasmerelyamatterofluck.

Whenwehadfinishedthecoffeesheinsistedondoingthedishes,butwhenshehunguptheteatowelIsawallhermother'swarningspourback,andsheglancedatmeandquicklyaway,andstoodstifflyinthecentreoftheroom,lookingnervousandembarra.s.sed.

'Whydon'tyouhaveanypicturesonyourwalls?'shesaidjerkily.

Igesturedtothetrunkinthecorner.'Therearesomeinthere,butIdon'tlikethemverymuch.Notenoughtobotherwithhangingthemup...Doyouknowit'safterten?I'dbettertakeyouhomeorthehostelwillshutyouout.'

'Ohyes,'shesaidingreatrelief,andthenhearingherownvoice,addedinconfusion.'Imean...Ididn'tknowifyouwouldthinkmeveryrude,dashingoffa.s.soonaswe'dfinishedeating.'

'Yourmotherisquiterighttotellyoutobecautious,'Isaidlightly.'LittleRedRidingHoodcouldn'ttellawolffromhergrandmother...andyoucanneverrelyonawoodcutterturningupinthenickoftime.'

Therigiditydissolvedlikemist.'Youdosaysomeextraordinarythings,'shesaid.'Asifyoucouldreadmymind.'

'Icould,'Ismiled.'You'dbetterputthatcardiganon.Itwillbecoldoutside.'

'O.K.'Shepulledadarkbrownjerseyoutofherbucketshapedholdallandput.i.ton.Ibenttopickupacleanfoldedhandkerchiefwhichhadfallenoutwithit,andwhenshewasready,handedittoher.

'Thanks,'shesaid,lookingat.i.tcasually.'That'stheonePeterfoundinthepunt.'

'Inthepunt?'

'Yes,downacrackbetweentwoofthecushions.Hegaveittomebecauseitwastoosmallforhim,hesaid.Toocissy.'

'Didhefindanythingelse?'

'Idon'tthinkso...Imeanitisn'tstealingoranything,isit,tokeepherhandkerchief?I'llgiveittoherofcourseifshecomesback,butbythetimePeterwa.s.sittinginthepunt,theyhadbeengonealreadyforages.'

'No,it'snotstealing,'Irea.s.suredher,thoughtechnicallyitwas...o...b..ful.'ButmayIhavealookat.i.t?'

'Ofcourse.'

ShegaveitbackandIunfoldedit:awhitesquareofthingauzymaterial.Inonecorner,astylisedbearinaflatstrawhat.

'IsthatoutofWaltDisney?'Iasked.

Sheshookherheadandsaidwithsurpriseatmyignorance,'YogiBear.'

'WhoisYogiBear?'

'Ican'tbelieveit!Well,he'sacharacterinalotofcartoonfilms.LikeTopCatandAtomAntandtheFlintstones.'

'I'veseentheFlintstones,'Iagreed.

'Likethem,then.ThesamepeoplemakeYogiBear.'

'DoyoumindifIkeepitforadayortwo?'

'Ofcourse,ifyoureallywantto,'shesaid,puzzled.'But.i.tsurelyhasn'tanyvalue.'

DowninthestreetIsaidImightaswellfinishthejobanddrivehertoherhostel.

'I'mreallyallrightnow,'sheprotested.'Youdon'tneedtocome.'

'YesIdo.Yourfathersaidtolookafteryou,andI'mseeingyousafetoyourdoor.'

Sheraisedhereyebrowsandgavemeacomicallook,butcompliantlywentroundtothepa.s.senger'sseat.Istartedthecar,switchedonthelightsandstartedtowardsKensington.

'DoyoualwaysdowhatDaddytellsyou?'sheasked,smiling.

Shewasfeelingmuchsurerofherself,Ithought.

'Yes,whenIwantto.'

'That'sacontradictioninterms.'

'Soitis.'

'Well,whatdoyouactuallydo?WhatdoesanyonedointheCivilService?'

'Iinterviewpeople.'

'Whatsortofpeople?'

'PeoplewhowantjobsinGovernmentdepartments.'

'Oh!'Shelaughed.'AsortofPersonnelOfficer?'

'Sortof.'

'Itsoundsabitdrizz.'

'Thesunshinesoccasionally.'

'You'reprettyquick.Weonlymadeupdrizzyesterday.'

'Averyusefulword.'

'Yes,wethoughtso,too.Coversalotofthingsnicely.'

'Likewetboyfriends?'

Shelaughed.'Actually,it'sprettydrizztohaveawetboyfriend.'Shepointed.'Thehostel'sdownthere,butwehavetodrivearoundandfindsomewheretoparkthecarallnight.Oneortwosquaresdownheredon'thavemetersyet.'

Thenearestemptys.p.a.cewasagoodquarterofamilefromthehostel,soIwalkedherback.

'Youdon'tneedto...'shebegan.'Well...don'tsayit.Daddysaid.'

'Right,'Iagreed.

Shesniffedresignedlyandwalkedbesidemeoutofstep,theleatherbucketbagswingingandherflatshoessilentonthepavement.Atthehostel'sglossyblackwelllitfrontdoorshecametoastopandhoveredononefoot,herhalfanxiousuncertainexpressionsayingclearerthanwordsthatshewasn'tsurehowtopartfromme.Iwasn'toldenoughforuncletermsoryoungenoughforacasualcontemporarybrush-off.Iworkedforherfather,butwasn'thisservant.Livedalone,lookedrespectable,askednothing:Ididn'tfitintoanyofthecategoriesshehadyetlearnedhowtodealwith.Iputoutmyhandandsmiled.

'Goodnight,Lynnie.'

Herclaspwasbrief,warm,relieved.

'Goodnight...'Therewasapausewhileshemadeuphermindtoit;andeventhenitwaslittlemorethanabreath.'...Gene.'

'Iwishyou,'Isaid,'blindtrafficwardensandfoamrubberb.u.mpers.'

'Goodnight.'Thechucklerolledspontaneouslyinherthroat.'Goodnight.'Sheturnedononetoeandjumpedthetwostepsuptothedoor,thenlookedoverhershoulderandwaveda.s.shewentinside.

LittleLynnie,Ithought,whistlingtoapa.s.singtaxi,littleLynnie,rightatthebeginningofit.Flyinghalfconsciously,halfunconsciously,thenotice-meflagsoftheprettyyoungfemale;anditwasnousepretendingthatshedidn'tmakemehungry;thatshewasn'tabsolutelywhatIwouldhavelikedasanoasisinmytoocontinentlife.ButifIhadlearntanythinginthirty-eightyearsitwaswhonottogotobedwith.