Richard was subdued and sad. He told Mrs K. that his mother had been ill over the weekend and could not come to ‘X’ with him; she had eaten a piece of salmon which did not agree with her. Everyone else ate it without being upset. He said with tears in his eyes that he was very unhappy about leaving home, his parents, and everything he liked.1 Though he had not told this to his mother, he had not wanted to return to analysis. He had been wondering whether Mrs K. would bring his drawings and paper and pencils—he had not thought she would. (He spoke very listlessly, his words interspersed with silences.)

Mrs K. interpreted his fear that the drawings he made in the