"Er, who shall I say it is?" she asked.
"It will be enough, if you say that it's very urgent."
"I don't know that he's well enough to speak. Are you sure you can't give me a message?"
"If he's well enough to take a message from you, he's well enough to listen to it from me. Please be as quick as you can."
The pause this time was longer, there were mysterious metallic clicks and buzzes; then a man's voice said,
"Hullo?"
"Is that Grayle?" I asked.
"Yes. Who's speaking?"
As he had not recognised my voice, I could leave recognition or avowal to come later.