inate ▁Thor pe . ▁Thor pe ' s ▁difficulties ▁increased ▁when ▁B ess ell , ▁fear ing ▁for ▁his ▁own ▁position ▁and ▁perhaps ▁sc ent ing ▁the ▁possibility ▁of ▁making ▁money , ▁changed ▁his ▁st ance ▁and ▁conf essed ▁in ▁the ▁Daily ▁Mail ▁on ▁ 6 ▁May ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁li ed ▁to ▁protect ▁his ▁former ▁friend . ▁A ▁further ▁concern ▁for ▁Thor pe ▁was ▁the ▁danger ▁that ▁newsp apers ▁would ▁publish ▁letters ▁he ▁had ▁sent ▁to ▁Scott ▁early ▁in ▁their ▁friendship . ▁In ▁an ▁effort ▁to ▁forest all ▁this , ▁Thor pe ▁arranged ▁for ▁the ▁publication ▁of ▁two ▁of ▁the ▁letters ▁in ▁The ▁Sunday ▁Times , ▁a ▁paper ▁generally ▁sympath etic ▁towards ▁him . ▁In ▁one ▁of ▁these ▁letters ▁Thor pe ▁referred ▁to ▁Scott ▁by ▁the ▁pet ▁name ▁" B unn ies ". ▁The ▁tone ▁of ▁this ▁letter ▁convinced ▁readers ▁and ▁comment ators ▁that ▁Thor pe ▁had ▁not ▁been ▁fran k ▁about ▁the ▁nature ▁of ▁the ▁relationship . ▁On ▁ 1 0 ▁May ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁he ▁res igned ▁as ▁Liberal ▁leader ▁amid ▁rising ▁criticism , ▁again ▁categor ically ▁den ying ▁Scott ' s ▁alleg ations ▁but ▁acknowled ging ▁the ▁damage ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁inf lic ting ▁on ▁the ▁party . ▁ ▁After ▁Thor pe ' s ▁res ignation ▁the ▁relative ▁lack ▁of ▁press ▁attention ▁to ▁the ▁story ▁for ▁ 1 8 ▁months ▁dis gu ised ▁the ▁extent ▁to ▁which ▁investig ative ▁reporting ▁continued . ▁Barry ▁Pen rose ▁and ▁Roger ▁Cour ti our , ▁collect ively ▁known ▁as ▁" P