It was about this time that they met Mrs Forbes and Mrs Tempest again. Mrs Bannister had not seen her two friends for many months. Paul Marchant had much influence there, and Paul Marchant’s theory was that Belle Bannister was all mixed up, and ought to be left alone till she was straightened out again … But on one occasion, when Esther and Mrs Bannister were sitting on their usual bench on the Common, the two ladies came upon them suddenly – so suddenly that neither side could avoid the encounter.

“Why, Belle Bannister!” It was Mrs Forbes who took the lead, as she usually did. “We haven’t seen you in weeks and weeks. Where’ve you been hiding?”

“I’ve been around …” Mrs Bannister bore her friends no malice for their desertion: there had been more important things for her to worry about. She gestured to the immobile figure by her side. “You remember Esther Costello?”

Mrs Tempest and Mrs Forbes both nodded. It was just like Belle to carry it off like this … Mrs Forbes took a step nearer, peering short-sightedly at Esther.

“How is she?” she asked. “Still the same?”

“She’s improved a lot,” said Mrs Bannister.

As if in illustration, she raised Esther’s hand, and ‘talked’ to her busily for a moment. “These are two of my friends,” she was saying, “you met them a long time ago.”

“What are you doing?” asked Mrs Tempest inquisitively.

“Talking,” said Mrs Bannister. “Telling her about you.”

“Land’s sakes!” exclaimed Mrs Tempest. “You mean she can understand that” – she paused, at a loss – “that stuff? You mean you can talk it?”

“Yes,” said Mrs Bannister. “We can both talk it.”

The two ladies looked down at them, disbelieving, but much impressed.

“She looks well,” said Mrs Forbes kindly. “Say something else to her, Belle. Just to show us.”

Mrs Bannister’s fingers moved swiftly.

“What was that?” asked Mrs Tempest.

“I was telling her to stand up.”

As she spoke, Esther rose slowly, smoothing out her dress, and stood patiently erect.

“Land’s sakes,” said Mrs Tempest again. “How do you do it?”

“Practice,” said Mrs Bannister briefly. “We’ve been studying at the Institute.”

There was a long silence. Confronted with something so unexpected, and so far outside their experience, Mrs Forbes and Mrs Tempest preferred to think only of escape. Esther continued to stand between them, slimmer than anyone, still as a shadow at noon, the proof of something they could not bear to accept.

“You’ve done a wonderful job, Belle,” said Mrs Tempest, finally and weakly. “Paul will be pleased.”

“I think not,” said Mrs Bannister.

The cue was unmistakable. The two ladies stepped back, preparing to take their leave.

“Goodbye,” said Mrs Forbes. “Lovely to see you again.”

“Goodbye,” said Mrs Tempest. She looked at Esther. “You know, you and she ought to go on the stage.”

“I hadn’t thought of it,” said Mrs Bannister coldly.

“You really ought to,” said Mrs Tempest, nodding vigorously. “All that hard work … Goodbye, Belle.” She followed Mrs Forbes down the pathway. Over her shoulder she called: “Or the radio … Better think it over.”