I did not succeed in finding a backer for you and had given up all hope when you came to visit me on that Monday morning. I wonder if you remember that day. Only thirty minutes before your appointment I had a call from a financier who was willing to put up the necessary money, who, like me, had a great confidence in you personally. His only stipulation was, as I advised you at the time, that he insisted on remaining anonymous because of a potential conflict between his professional and private interests. The terms he offered, allowing you to gain eventual control of the Richmond Group, I considered at the time to be extremely generous and you rightly took full advantage of them. Indeed your backer was delighted when you found it possible, through your own diligence, to repay his original investment.

I lost contact with you both after 1951, but after I retired from the bank, I read a distressing story in the newspapers concerning your backer, which prompted me to write this letter, in case I died before either of you.

I write not to prove my good intentions in this whole affair, but so that you should not continue to live under the illusion that your backer and benefactor was Mr. David Maxton of the Stevens Hotel. Mr. Maxton was a great admirer of yours, but he never approached the bank in that capacity. The gentleman who made the Baron Group possible, by his foresight and personal generosity was William Lowell Kane, the chairman of Lester's Bank, New York.

I begged Mr. Kane to inform you of his personal involvement, but he refused to break the clause in his trust deed that stipulated that no benefactor should be privy to the investments of the family trust. After you had paid off the loan and he later learned of Henry Osborne's personal involvement with the Baron Group he became even more adamant that you should never be informed.

I have left instructions that this letter is to be destroyed if you die before Mr. Kane. In those circumstances, he will receive a letter, explaining your total lack of knowledge of his personal generosity.

Whichever one of you receives a letter from me, it was a privilege to have served you both.

As ever, your faithful servant, Curtis Fenton.

Abel picked up the phone by the side of his bed. Tind George for me,' he said. 'I need to get dressed!

43

William Lowell Kane's funeral was well attended. Richard and Florentyna stood on one side of Kate; Virginia and Lucy were on the other. Grandmother Kane would have approved of the turn - out. Three senators, five congressmen, two bishops, most of the leading banks' chairmen, and the publisher of the Wall Street journal were all there. Jake Thomas and every director of the Lester's board was also present, their heads bowed in prayer to the God in whom William had never really believed.

No one noticed two old men, standing at the back of the gathering, tl - ieir heads also bowed, looking as if they were not attached to the main party.

They had arrived a few minutes late and left quickly at the end of the service. Florentyna thought she recognised the limp as the shorter old man hurried away. She told Richard. They didn't mention their suspicion to Kate Kane.

A few days later, the taller of the two old men went to see Florentyna in her shop on Fifth Avenue. He had heard she was returning to San Francisco and needed to seek her help before she left. She listened carefully to what he had to say and agreed to his request with joy.

Richard and Florentyna Kane arrived at the Baron Hotel the next afternoon.

George Novak was there to meet and escort them to the forty - second floor.

After ten years, Florentyna hardly recognised her father, now propped up in bed, half - moon glasses on the end of his nose, still no pillows, but smiling defiantly. They talked of happier days and both laughed a little and cried a lot.

'You must forgive us, Richard,' said Abel. 'The Polish are a sentimental race.'

'I know, my children are half Polish,' said Richard.

Later that evening they dined together, magnificent roast veal, appropriate for the retum of the prodigal daughter~ said Abel.

He talked of the future and how he saw the progress of his group.

'We ought to have a Florentyna's in every hotel,' he said, She laughed and agreed.

He told Richard of his sadness concerning his father, re~ vealing in detail the mistakes he had made for so many years, and how it had never crossed his mind even for a moment that he could have been his benefactor, and how he would have liked one chance to thank,him personally,'He would have understood,' said Richard.

'We met, you know, the day he died,' said Abel.

Florentyna and Richard stared at him in surprise.

'Oh yes,' said Abel. 'We passed each other on Fifth Avenue, he had come to watch the opening of your shop. He raised his hat to me. It was enough, quite enough.'