She thought it a fascinating plan but the details puzzled her still, she said, and the rough sketch he had drawn was very unsatisfactory.

She begged him to draw it on a large scale, and he set out to do so.

But his hand was inexpert.

Although once the most brilliant designer in town, for years Joe had stuck to the business side, and his hand had grown clumsy, his memory cold.

Ethel had known of this from Nourse.