Here the spanner I was using slipped off a nut.
"Gently, my man, gently," said Berry pleasantly.
"Yes," said Lord Brethe, "be careful of the paint."
I almost choked.
"Won't you two come and talk to us?" the girl called from the other side of the road.
"I always like watching a repair, dear," replied her uncle. "And Mr. Pleydell is an expert."
"I think I'd better be here just to supervise," said Berry. "Er—have you your cotton-waste handy, man?"
"It's on the step, sir," I said with an effort. "Do you want it?"
"No, no. But you should always keep it by you."
I wiped the sweat off my forehead.