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F + enery Prom | ae om i oe ~ te we ' + a a - a Fo watt +o “ie he had said MacArthur, Thoweye ed what he hed to dp Unexpected Visit from_jg mrs Maclean as “Ronald with “ Saiiator McCarthy,” said Bur- eres Y Terrible atmosphere. All these Purges.” He seemed very well and almost javnty, obviously pleased to be back even if he went around saying he was convinced that America had gone mad and was determined on war. During the winter Donald Maclean had made a great effort te fit into his new existence as Mrs. Maclean was child, and expecting another Donald conscientiously refused to | go to cocktail parties in order not to miss his evening train to Kent, By May, however, he seemed to be more about London of an evening, and it would be interesting if we could discover if there was any sudden increase in these outings after the return of Guy Burgess. On one occasion in April, after some feint attacks. he knocked down one of his greatest friends for takin the side of Whittaker Chambers in the Hiss case. Chambers, according to Donald, was a double- : faced exhibition- ist too revolting to be defended by anyone, _ Donald's drink- ing followed an established routine. The charming and amiable self was gradually left behind, and the hand which patted his friend on the back. ~ _ became a fiail, A change would : come into his voice like the roll of drums for the cabaret. It tovk the form of an out- burst of indignation, often directed against himself, in which the embittered idealist would aban- don all compromise and castigate all forms of humbug and pretence. —_—— AS the last train left for Sevenoaks - from faraway Charing Cross he would wave a large hand, in some bar, to his companions. “ Well, any- how, you're all right. And you are all right.” The elected smiled hap- _pily, but doubt was spreading like a frown on Caligula. “ Wait—I'm not sure. Perhaps you aren't all right. After al, you said this and this. fac you're very wrong. You . Won't atall. (Biff And as for yeu—y@'re the worst of the lot, 7! bat I's ppose I must forgive you.” Gross (Bash.}' AT .anlens weeaCican AFTER a dinner-party on May 15 six of Us came back to m house: it was divided into two, and Donald occasionally spent the night in the other fiat. Past mid- night there was a battering on the door and I let him in, sober-drunk, the first time I had seen him in this legendary condition. He began to wander round the room, blinking at the guests as he divided the sheep from the goats, and, then went out to lie down to sleep in the hall, stretched out on the stone floor under his overcoat like some figure from a shelter sketch-book. The departing guests had to make their way over him. and I noticed that. although in apparent coma, he would raise his long stiff leg like a drawbridge when one of the goats was trying to pass. I put him to bed in his absent friend’s flat and gave him an Alka-Seltzer breakfast In the morning. On May 25. the day when Burgess and Maclean left England, I arranged to greet some friends in Schmidt's before lunching down the street at the Etoile. We met in the road. Donald was with them, joocking rather creased and yellow, casual but diffident. We all stood on the pavement. I said to him, “You're Cyril Connolly, aren’t you? —I'm Sir Donald Maclean": this reference to our conversation at his club was intended to efface our last meeting. He seemed calm and genial, and went off gaily to con- tinue the luncheon with his friends, who were to rejoin me for coffee. At luncheon, they told me when they came back. he had been mel- low and confidential; he had talked about himself, about how much better he felt, how he didn't have to visit his psycho-analyst so often, and how he was determined to take a hold on himself lest he got into any trouble which might bring disgrace upon his children. That day was his birthday. The luncheon was his treat, and the week after he was getting some compassionate leave, for his wife would be going to hospital for the baby; he asked if he could come down and visit my friends for some part of the time. They had been very kind to him when he was ill, and he was now fn effect making them a favourable report. After spending the afternoon in his office he went off to Charing and caught his usual train Sevenoaks. That evening ~ Burgess arrived at Donald's house aoe at Tatsfield—he had driven damn between five and six. in @ hired car—and was introduced Styles.” Burgess had engaged ther car by telephone at about two o'clock and then gone round, pald the deposit, and undergone a brief: driving test. At 65.30 he had received a long telephone call at ‘his fat. After a quiet and rather sober dinner Donald and “ Ronald walked in the garden. Donald ‘then said that they had to go to see a friend who lived ‘nearby and that he might have to stay away for the night. He _promised that he would retum on the morrow and took only his brief- case with him when he lef. - Midnight Arrival at Southampton "THE pair got into the hired car and drove te Southampton just ‘Preparations 1 Journey HEN Burgess had } tickets on the Wer said the other name fo: . would probably be Mill: Thursday night he seem an agitated state "look friend who was going - He seems to have spent Friday with Miller, fet from the Green Park H morning and lunching At two o'clock he ring -his club for the hired the garage with Miller, ear near his New Bond atid goes shopping, buy) | mackintosh (he had r tosh), @ fibre suitcase ¢ many nylon shirts whi fit him. At 5.25 he left Mil hotel, saying “See yo ‘io time to reach the cross-Channel,ye then went back t yessel Falaise, which left at mid- -eeeived the telephone night on a specia) week-end cruise to Saint Maio and back by the. Channel! Islands. returning early on Mgnday morning. “What about car?” yelled @ port garag attendant. ‘on*Monday.” He had booked the two-berth cabin at Victoria on the Wednesday: Burgess cried: “Bac in his own name, and on that day ~ had invited a young American, whom he introduced to various people as “ Miller" and whom he had met on the Queen Mary, when returning from Washington, to accompany him. But Burgess let Khim down at the Iast moment. Burgess seems to have had the idea of a long holiday m France in his mind, but tha: was unconnected with the week-end jaunt. For this Friday evening he had an impor- “never cancelled. ; At Saint Malo, where the boat arrived at 10 a.m.. the two stayed on board, breakfasting and drink-, ing beer till the others had left. Then at eleven they. too, sent. ashore, leaving behind Burgess's* packed into two suites briefcase four suits, blue jeans, socks, han and his gaudy cotlectio an extensive wardrob: nights at sea. At seve last drink at his club. evening the American r flat to know why he ha fetshed. ° ‘Maclean's day_Was quite inactive. Burgess i: Maclean the patient, a: nothing to show that ,” tended going anywher wee eledere Af funn, his Wetles US VOLE Wb SL uEA adie Burgess. His birthday lasted fromm 12.30 until — champagne and c Wheeler’s, then some : food at. Schmidt's; he w tit] 5.30 and he went inc usual train. But it mi tant dinner engagement which he the telephone call whic received at 5.30 was sor SOS from Maclean. During May Burgess h worries, but he had be an important Job on a and he was going out to clinch this on the day he two suitcases. Af the station, which — ——-———-—__--—__-— the Paris express had just left (they would have had plenty ot _ time to catch it) they took a taxi to Rennes, the junction some fifty miles away. They did not speak on the way. They gave no tip to the driver on the fare of 4.500 francs and they arrived at Rennes station in time to catch the express again. They were not noticed on the train, which reached Paris, via Lp Mans, . From tit ment they have yanished.