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mean you could make her lose her memory?’
    â€˜I don’t see why not. She’d like to lose it; this is a big help. Her mind would like to forget what’s happened to her. But I can’t do it unless she agrees. And there’s another point. She has no family, just one old aunt of seventy who lives some place in Brittany – she’s going to come out of this without a past; I said two years, it might be her whole background, her identity! Who’s going to be responsible for her then?’
    â€˜I am,’ Robert Bradford said. ‘You know that.’
    â€˜I have to be sure,’ Joe Kaplan said. ‘Think about it, Bob. Think what this really means when you say “I am”. It might be for ever.’
    â€˜That’s what I want,’ Bradford said. ‘Will you let me talk to her about it?’
    â€˜I was going to suggest that you did,’ Kaplan said. ‘She likes you, Bob. You’re prettier than me.’
    â€˜You look better today. Did you sleep well?’
    She looked at him and smiled. ‘They gave me something; I always sleep well now. Thank you for the dress. Robert.’
    â€˜It suits you,’ he said. ‘I’d like to see you in some really nice clothes.’
    She smoothed the skirt of the blue linen dress bringing the edges of the pleats together very carefully. ‘It’s beautiful,’ she said. ‘I haven’t worn a dress like this for years.’
    â€˜Not years, Terese,’ he corrected. ‘Not as long as that.’ The large brown eyes turned to meet his and there were tears in them. She cried very easily, sometimes for no reason at all.
    â€˜It seems like years to me. You’re very kind to me. Robert. You’ve given me this dress, and all those nightclothes and my hairbrushes. Most of the people here haven’t got anything but what the Red Cross can find for them. I feel quite rich.’
    â€˜I’d give you more, if I could get it,’ he said. ‘I’d give you anything. Think of something – think of something you’d like.’
    â€˜It’s a beautiful day,’ she said suddenly. ‘I’ve been thinking how nice it would be if we could go out for a walk when you came today.’
    â€˜Why don’t we? That’s a wonderful idea!’
    Her blonde hair had been cut short, one of the nurses had curled it with a pair of tongs; rest and food had put flesh on her. She had begun to look young again. Sometimes she even smiled. Even then she was so pretty that it hurt Bradford to look at her; it made him ache inside when she smiled at him.
    She shook her head. ‘I can’t go out,’ she said. ‘I’m afraid. I’m afraid of everything, really.’
    â€˜You’re not afraid of me,’ he said. ‘Or Dr. Kaplan.’
    â€˜No, not you. Most of all not you, Robert. And the doctor is kind. Everyone is kind here. It makes me feel so safe. He says I must try and take a bath soon. I can go into the bathroom and it’s not too bad. But I won’t let them turn on the water … I can’t bear the sound of it.’
    â€˜Of course you can’t,’ Bradford said. He moved his chair close to hers: a few weeks before she had shrunk away when he tried to get near her. Now she let him sit with her and even hold her hand. He understood about the bathwater. It made him feel ill with anger. He took hold of her hand and held it tightly. ‘Terese, I’ve got something to say to you. I want you to listen to me very carefully.’
    â€˜What is it? Is it something bad …? Oh, Robert, are you going away?’
    She had turned white and her mouth was trembling. ‘Are you leaving here?’
    â€˜No, no, I’m not going anywhere! This is something good – good news, that’s what I want to talk to you about. Listen, Terese – you said just now you wanted to go out? You want to get better don’t you? You