“Meetings …” Mrs Forbes, who had aged somewhat during the past year, sounded querulous and critical. “Seems to me you have too many meetings. You never give yourself a moment’s peace.”

Mrs Bannister followed her into the apartment. “There are so many things to do,” she said, appeasingly. She did not want to argue, with so much ahead of her that evening. Nor did she want Mrs Forbes to stay long. “You know how it is. People just love Esther. They come from all over, just to look at her.”

“And to hear you,” said Mrs Forbes. But it did not sound very complimentary. “You must have raised a lot of money, with all these talks and demonstrations.”

“It’s a wonderful charity,” answered Mrs Bannister vaguely. “Anything we can do for the blind …”

“Someone said the other day that you must have collected nearly a hundred thousand dollars.”

Mrs Bannister smiled. “Maybe. Something like that. There are plenty of expenses, though. Travelling isn’t cheap. And Esther needs special diet all the time. It’s a big responsibility.”

“You’d be better with someone to take care of you.” Mrs Forbes paused. “I saw Paul Marchant this afternoon. He asked after you.”

“Haven’t seen him in years,” said Mrs Bannister briefly. “What will you drink?”

“You’ve changed, Belle,” said Mrs Forbes. That did not sound complimentary, either. “No, I won’t have anything – I only wanted to look in on you … Paul’s a real fine man. With all this money, you need a man.”

“Sure – if you aim to spend it.”

“Now, that’s not a nice thing to say.”

“But true, though … Money isn’t the problem, anyway.” Mrs Bannister sounded somewhat irritated. “People talk as if the whole thing was money, and nothing else. They exaggerate all the time. Taking care of Esther is what counts, first and last, with me.”

“Oh, everyone knows that … How is she?”

“Very well,” said Mrs Bannister. “She’s resting right now. She has to concentrate so much, at these meetings. It takes a lot out of her.”

“I’m sure of that.” Mrs Forbes rose. “I really won’t stay, Belle – this was just to say hello. Any message for Paul?”

“Give him my best,” said Mrs Bannister. “It’s been good seeing you, even for a little while … Now I have to get the two of us ready.”

Mrs Bannister had lost count of the number of their meetings, as she had of a good many other things during the past year. It must now be close on thirty … When she had said, to Mrs Forbes: “People just love Esther”, that had been no more than the plain truth. Ever since Harry Grant’s write-up in the Star-Telegram, and the extraordinary afternoon at the convent school, Esther Costello had served as a fantastic magnet whenever she appeared.

It was partly her story, partly her glowing good looks, partly the crusading aspect of what these two seemed to have set themselves to do. During the past year, Esther and Mrs Bannister had travelled very widely, throughout the eastern half of the country, raising funds for the blind; and wherever they went, the sequence was always the same – a warm welcome, a tremendous upsurge of emotion during each appearance together, a final explosion of feeling when Esther took her leave. That was, naturally, the moment when the hat went round. So violent a climax had to be given relief.