Helene Hanff:

The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street

Scene: London, 1971

Page 41. Here we read how the American author Helen Hanff and her good London, England friend, Nora Doel, are invited to lunch and Nora tells her something of a fascinating experience.

"Wednesday, June 23

"Nora and I were taken to lunch by a rare-book dealer, and over lunch a bizarre story form Nora.

"I gather book dealers are as clannish as actors, and the closest friends Frank [Nora's late husband] and Nora had for ten years were a book dealer named Peter Kroger and his wife, Helen. The Doels and Kroers wsere inseparable despite the fact that the two men were competitors. One New Year's Eve, the Doels gave a party, and Helen Kroger arrived looking very exotic in a long black evening dress.

"Helen, you look like a Russian spy! said Nora. And Helen laughed and Peter laughed and a few months later Nora picked up the morning paper and discovered that Helen and Peter Kroer were Russian spies.

"All the journalists came swarming round to the house, Nora told me, offering me a couple of thousand quid to tell them about 'the ring.' I told them the only ring I knew anything about was my wedding ring.

"She visited the Krogers in prison and Peter asked if she remembered telling Helen she looked like a Russian spy.

"It must have given them a turn, I said.

"I don't know, said Nora. He just asked it I remembered it. Then we talked about something else.

"She and Frank went to the trial and discovered that everything the Krogers had told them about their past lives had been invented. I asked it this bothered her, Nora said No, she understood it.

"They were the best friends we ever had, she said. They were fine people, lovely people. It was all political, I s'pose they had their reasons.

"A year later the Krogers were exchanged for a British spy held by the Russians. They live in Poland now. Helen and Nora still write to each other at Christmas."

IN THE SECTION QUOTED BELOW FROM PAGE 80, HELEN SOUNDS ANTI-WAR!

"Sunday, July 4

"Got very gloomy remembering the days before the Viet Nam War when I gloried in my country's history and July 4 meant something."

OH, WOW! YOU DON'T SAY!