Jeeves, I said with a certain asperity, is no longer on the case. I am now in sole charge.
But what on earth can you do?
I curbed my resentment. We Woosters are fair-minded. We can make allowances for men who have been parading London all night in scarlet tights.
That, I said quietly, we shall see. Sit down and let us confer. I am bound to say the thing seems quite simple to me. You say this girl has gone to visit friends in the country. It would appear obvious that you must go there too, and flock round her like a poultice. Elementary.
But I can't plant myself on a lot of perfect strangers.
Don't you know these people?
Of course I don't. I don't know anybody.
I pursed the lips. This did seem to complicate matters somewhat.
All that I know is that their name is Travers, and it's a place called Brinkley Court down in Worcestershire.
I unpursed my lips.
Gussie, I said, smiling paternally, it was a lucky day for you when Bertram Wooster interested himself in your affairs. As I foresaw from the start, I can fix everything. This afternoon you shall go to Brinkley Court, an honoured guest.
He quivered like amousse. I suppose it must always be rather a thrilling experience for the novice to watch me taking hold.
But, Bertie, you don't mean you know these Traverses?
They are my Aunt Dahlia.
My gosh!
You see now, I pointed out, how lucky you were to get me behind you. You go to Jeeves, and what does he do? He dresses you up in scarlet tights and one of the foulest false beards of my experience, and sends you off to fancy-dress balls. Result, agony of spirit and no progress. I then take over and put you on the right lines. Could Jeeves have got you into Brinkley Court? Not a chance. Aunt Dahlia isn't his aunt. I merely mention these things.
By Jove, Bertie, I don't know how to thank you.
My dear chap!
But, I say.
Now what?
What do I do when I get there?
If you knew Brinkley Court, you would not ask that question. In those romantic surroundings you can't miss. Great lovers through the ages have fixed up the preliminary formalities at Brinkley. The place is simply ill with atmosphere. You will stroll with the girl in the shady walks. You will sit with her on the shady lawns. You will row on the lake with her. And gradually you will find yourself working up to a point where
By Jove, I believe you're right.
Of course, I'm right. I've got engaged three times at Brinkley. No business resulted, but the fact remains. And I went there without the foggiest idea of indulging in the tender pash. I hadn't the slightest intention of proposing to anybody. Yet no sooner had I entered those romantic grounds than I found myself reaching out for the nearest girl in sight and slapping my soul down in front of her. It's something in the air.
I see exactly what you mean. That's just what I want to be able to dowork up to it. And in Londoncurse the placeeverything's in such a rush that you don't get a chance.
Quite. You see a girl alone for about five minutes a day, and if you want to ask her to be your wife, you've got to charge into it as if you were trying to grab the gold ring on a merry-go-round.
That's right. London rattles one. I shall be a different man altogether in the country. What a bit of luck this Travers woman turning out to be your aunt.
I don't know what you mean, turning out to be my aunt. She has been my aunt all along.
I mean, how extraordinary that it should be your aunt that Madeline's going to stay with.
Not at all. She and my Cousin Angela are close friends. At Cannes she was with us all the time.
Oh, you met Madeline at Cannes, did you? By Jove, Bertie, said the poor lizard devoutly, I wish I could have seen her at Cannes. How wonderful she must have looked in beach pyjamas! Oh, Bertie
Quite, I said, a little distantly. Even when restored by one of Jeeves's depth bombs, one doesn't want this sort of thing after a hard night. I touched the bell and, when Jeeves appeared, requested him to bring me telegraph form and pencil. I then wrote a well-worded communication to Aunt Dahlia, informing her that I was sending my friend, Augustus Fink-Nottle, down to Brinkley today to enjoy her hospitality, and handed it to Gussie.
Push that in at the first post office you pass, I said. She will find it waiting for her on her return.
Gussie popped along, flapping the telegram and looking like a close-up of Joan Crawford, and I turned to Jeeves and gave him a precis of my operations.
Simple, you observe, Jeeves. Nothing elaborate.
No, sir.
Nothing far-fetched. Nothing strained or bizarre. Just Nature's remedy.
Yes, sir.
This is the attack as it should have been delivered. What do you call it when two people of opposite sexes are bunged together in close association in a secluded spot, meeting each other every day and seeing a lot of each other?
Is 'propinquity' the word you wish, sir?
It is. I stake everything on propinquity, Jeeves. Propinquity, in my opinion, is what will do the trick. At the moment, as you are aware, Gussie is a mere jelly when in the presence. But ask yourself how he will feel in a week or so, after he and she have been helping themselves to sausages out of the same dish day after day at the breakfast sideboard. Cutting the same ham, ladling out communal kidneys and baconwhy
I broke off abruptly. I had had one of my ideas.
Golly, Jeeves!
Sir?
Here's an instance of how you have to think of everything. You heard me mention sausages, kidneys and bacon and ham.
Yes, sir.
Well, there must be nothing of that. Fatal. The wrong note entirely. Give me that telegraph form and pencil. I must warn Gussie without delay. What he's got to do is to create in this girl's mind the impression that he is pining away for love of her. This cannot be done by wolfing sausages.
No, sir.
Very well, then.
And, taking form andp., I drafted the following:
Fink-Nottle
Brinkley Court,
Market Snodsbury
Worcestershire
Lay off the sausages. Avoid the ham. Bertie.
Send that off, Jeeves, instanter.
Very good, sir.
I sank back on the pillows.
Well, Jeeves, I said, you see how I am taking hold. You notice the grip I am getting on this case. No doubt you realize now that it would pay you to study my methods.
No doubt, sir.
And even now you aren't on to the full depths of the extraordinary sagacity I've shown. Do you know what brought Aunt Dahlia up here this morning? She came to tell me I'd got to distribute the prizes at some beastly seminary she's a governor of down at Market Snodsbury.
Indeed, sir? I fear you will scarcely find that a congenial task.
Ah, but I'm not going to do it. I'm going to shove it off on to Gussie.
Sir?
I propose, Jeeves, to wire to Aunt Dahlia saying that I can't get down, and suggesting that she unleashes him on these young Borstal inmates of hers in my stead.
But if Mr. Fink-Nottle should decline, sir?
Decline? Can you see him declining? Just conjure up the picture in your mind, Jeeves. Scene, the drawing-room at Brinkley; Gussie wedged into a corner, with Aunt Dahlia standing over him making hunting noises. I put it to you, Jeeves, can you see him declining?
Not readily, sir. I agree. Mrs. Travers is a forceful personality.
He won't have a hope of declining. His only way out would be to slide off. And he can't slide off, because he wants to be with Miss Bassett. No, Gussie will have to toe the line, and I shall be saved from a job at which I confess the soul shuddered. Getting up on a platform and delivering a short, manly speech to a lot of foul school-kids! Golly, Jeeves. I've been through that sort of thing once, what? You remember that time at the girls' school?