There never was such a situation. The Brethes knew nothing and thought nothing. The girl, unaware that these were my own people, saw me being used and treated as a chauffeur by four strangers, while she looked on and got the thanks; and the thought made her writhe. Berry and the others found me about to call them "Sir" and "Madam" and to serve them by mending my own car in the capacity of chauffeur to somebody they had never seen. And I wanted to burst out into hysterical laughter, swear, kick Berry, and hide in the woods. Instead of which, I went up to Jonah, who had gone back to the engine. "What's the trouble, sir?" Jonah put his head into the bonnet and exploded with silent laughter. I put my head in, too, and swore at him in a whisper. Then: "One of the cylinders has been missing since Krainbach," he said. "I think that's the seat of the trouble. But I've only just--" "I think it's the carburettor, sir," said I, with a finger on the float. "There's practically no petrol in it." I tried the pressure pump, but it was no good. The petrol pipe was stopped up properly. "You'll have to have the pipe down, sir. It's the only way." "How long will that take?" said Lord Brethe, who was standing on the other side of the car, talking to Berry. "It's half-an-hour's job at least, my lord." "Oh, well, you'd better do it. Hadn't he, Dolly? We aren't pressed for time, are we, my dear?" "Oh, no. That is--I mean, of course. Please do everything you can, Norval." "Very good, madam." I got some tools out of the tool-box and began to take the pipe down. "Hadn't you better take your dust-coat off, man?" said Berry. "No, thank you, sir." Berry turned to Lord Brethe, who had come to watch the operation. "All this comes through letting my young brother-in-law play about with the car," he explained airily. "No, really?" said Lord Brethe. "Yes," said Berry. "He's done more damage, the few times he's driven it, than a skilled chauffeur would do in five years." "Dear me," said the other. "Knows nothing of the mechanism, I suppose?" "Doesn't know the difference between the carburettor and the er--exhaust." Lord Brethe laughed. "Dear, dear. These young men," he said. 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. "Will you smoke?" said Lord Brethe, producing a cigar-case.