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After luncheon we took advantage of the siesta period to try to get in touch with a few people to whom our dear friend Deppy had written.

Deppy is Despina Messinesi, a long-time member of the Vogue staff who, although born in Boston, was born there of Greek parents.

Several years of her life have been spent in the homeland, and she had written to friends to alert them of our coming.

`` All you have to do, Ilka dear, is to phone on your arrival.

They are longing to see you ''.

The wear and tear of life have taught me that very few friends of mutual friends long to see foreign strangers, but I planned on being the soul of tact, of giving them plenty of outs was there the tiniest implication that their cups were already running over without us.

My diplomacy was needless.

Greek phone service is worse than French, so that it was to be some little time before contact of any sort was established.