“Deeply distressed. Very awkward to leave my business. Is presence essential. Price.”
Philip wired a succinct affirmative, and next morning a stranger presented himself at the studio.
“My name’s Price,” he said, when Philip opened the door.
He was a commonish man in black with a band round his bowler hat; he had something of Fanny’s clumsy look; he wore a stubbly moustache, and had a cockney accent. Philip asked him to come in. He cast sidelong glances round the studio while Philip gave him details of the accident and told him what he had done.