I told him what an experienced friend of mine once said to me solemnly:-- "If anything goes wrong with your gear-case, sell the machine and buy a new one; it comes cheaper." He said: "People talk like that who understand nothing about machines.
Nothing is easier than taking off a gear-case." I had to confess he was right.

In less than five minutes he had the gear- case in two pieces, lying on the path, and was grovelling for screws.

He said it was always a mystery to him the way screws disappeared.
We were still looking for the screws when Ethelbertha came out.

She seemed surprised to find us there; she said she thought we had started hours ago.
He said: "We shan't be long now.

I'm just helping your husband to overhaul this machine of his.