Sixty-Second Session

Richard met Mrs K. outside the playroom. He looked serious and sad, and not so persecuted as on the previous day. He told Mrs K. that he had had a telephone call from his mother: she said that Daddy had had a good night and the doctor was satisfied. Richard was very pleased about this. Inside the room, he said that Mummy had asked him to arrange with Mrs K. to have an afternoon hour on Friday so that he could go home on Thursday night and be back in time for his session on Friday. He looked worried while asking this, and although Mrs K. at once agreed, Richard twice asked when she would know whether this arrangement would be possible.

Mrs K. pointed out that it was possible and that Richard seemed to doubt whether anything he wished for would come true. Richard's face brightened when he realized that Mrs K. had agreed and that he could go home, and also that there was no clash between his mother and Mrs K.

Richard looked round to see whether the Girl Guides who had, as he knew, used the playroom on the previous day, had rearranged anything and was satisfied to find that they had not. Then he discovered that some of the packages and poles had been removed.… He repeated with feeling that he was very glad his father was better. He told Mrs K. about what had happened the night before. Paul had stayed with him until after dinner and—as Richard put it—he had told the people at the hotel that they ‘should behave themselves’.

Mrs K. asked him if he meant that he was glad Paul had stayed with him and that Paul had been kind to him.

Richard said emphatically that Paul had been very kind. He told Mrs K. that the boy at the hotel was now quite all right, he did not bother Richard; the waitresses were all very friendly. He went to bed soon after Paul had gone and read to comfort himself, but he felt very lonely and cried himself to sleep. He did not cry for long and soon fell asleep. Looking up at Mrs K. he said; ‘I know you are sorry for me.’ He adde