Well, I had called on her simply because I suddenly remembered her house and my visits there as a child. It was simple curiosity, I suppose. But as for accepting an invitation to stay...?

It is difficult to explain what it was that somehow attracted me to her. It certainly was'nt physical in the ordinary sense. Not that she wasn't attractive in her well-built way. It was something about her character, her almost dominating manner, that struck a chord in me. In the short space of an hour I fell under her powerful influence in some indefinable way, though at the time I wouldn't have put it in quite those words.

And there was something else that attracted me. I had been met at the door by a girl of twenty-two; he name was Lisa and she had twice entered the lounge during my tete-a-tete with Aunt Maria. It appeared that she assisted Madam in some way and came in on the two occasions I have mentioned at her request. Aunt Maria had pressed a bell and the girl had appeared almost at once.

'Bring some more ice,' Aunt Maria had told her the first time, adding, 'and be quick about it.'

This had struck me as surprising because it was quite impossible to see the striking young woman who had answered the bell as a mere maid. She was extremely beautiful and wellspoken, and it seemed to me that my aunt really had no reason to speak to her so peremptorily. I think my curiosity about the girl and her relationship with my aunt was another reason that influenced me in deciding to accept my

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aunt's invitation. I was both affected by Aunt Maria's dominating personality and by the beauty of Lisa. I determined to find out about her.

I was given a room on the first floor and shown to it by yet another young woman whose name was Gudrun. She was a striking blonde with shoulderlength hair and spoke with what I can only describe as a Scandinavian accent. I wanted to ask her a few questions about my aunt and Lisa but she became silent when I started to question her.

That first evening I happened to overhear a conversation between my aunt and Lisa on my way to the dining-room where I was to have dinner with my hostess.

'You must refuse to satisfy his curiosity, is that understood?'

'Yes, Madam, but it will be difficult. I think he tried to ask Gudrun some questions. It's natural that he should wonder about us, why we are here, said Lisa,

'It is none of his business, nor yours neither. I shall tell him what I want him to know. Now go and get ready to serve dinner, and be careful to take note of anything I may ask you to do.'

Lisa left the room as I reached the bottom of the stairs, having stepped back from the

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