He's stripped to a vest and shirt-sleeves, and he looks overtly irritated and a bit sweaty himself as he shakes out the injured hand. "I understand the basic principles involved just fine," a bit testily. "It's these damned flies, one bit me at the wrong time."

It's a feeble story, but delivered with full conviction and an outrage that suggests he's deceiving himself more than trying to deceive her.

"It's not as if I've never hammered a nail before." It may be a little bit like that.