The inimitable Jeeves

coming downstairs after changing, I ran into young Bingo, looking festive to a degree.
    ‘Bertie!’ he said. ‘Just the man I wanted to see. Bertie, a wonderful thing has happened.’
    ‘You blighter!’ I cried. ‘What became of you? Do you know-‘
    ‘Oh, you mean about being in those bushes? I hadn’t time to tell you about that. It’s all off.’
    ‘All off?’
    ‘Bertie, I was actually starting to hide in those bushes when the most extraordinary thing happened. Walking across the lawn I saw the most radiant, the most beautiful girl in the world. There is none like her, none. Bertie, do you believe in love at first sight? You do believe in love at first sight, don’t you, Bertie, old man? Directly I saw her she seemed to draw me like a magnet. I seemed to forget everything. We two were alone in a world of music and sunshine. I joined her. I got into conversation. She is a Miss Braythwayt, Bertie - Daphne Braythwayt. Directly our eyes met, I realized that what I had imagined to be love for Honoria Glossop had been a mere passing whim. Bertie, you do believe in love at first sight, don’t you? She is so wonderful, so sympathetic. Like a tender goddess - ‘ At this point I left the blighter.
    Two days later I got a letter from Jeeves.
    ‘ - The weather,’ it ended, ‘continues fine. I have had one exceedingly enjoyable bathe.’
    I gave one of those hollow, mirthless laughs, and went downstairs to join Honoria. I had an appointment with her in the drawing-room. She was going to read Ruskin to me.

    7
    Introducing Claude and Eustace

    The blow fell precisely at one-forty-five (summer time). Spenser, Aunt Agatha’s butler, was offering me the fried potatoes at the moment, and such was my emotion that I lofted six of them on to the sideboard with the spoon. Shaken to the core, if you know what I mean.
    Mark you, I was in a pretty enfeebled condition already. I had been engaged to Honoria Glossop nearly two weeks, and during all that time not a day had passed without her putting in some heavy work in the direction of what Aunt Agatha had called ‘moulding’ me. I had read solid literature till my eyes bubbled; we had legged it together through miles of picture-galleries; and I had been compelled to undergo classical concerts to an extent you would hardly believe. All in all, therefore, I was in no fit state to receive shocks, especially shocks like this. Honoria had lugged me round to lunch at Aunt Agatha’s, and I had just been saying to myself, ‘Death, where is thy jolly old sting?’ when she hove the bomb.
    ‘Bertie,’ she said, suddenly, as if she had just remembered it, ‘what is the name of that man of yours - your valet?’
    ‘Eh? Oh, Jeeves.’
    ‘I think he’s a bad influence for you,’ said Honoria. ‘When we are married, you must get rid of Jeeves.’
    It was at this point that I jerked the spoon and sent six of the best and crispest sailing on to the sideboard, with Spenser gambolling after them like a dignified old retriever.
    ‘Get rid of Jeeves!’ I gasped.
    ‘Yes. I don’t like him.’
    ’ I don’t like him,’ said Aunt Agatha.
    ‘But I can’t. I mean - why, I couldn’t carry on for a day without Jeeves.’
    ‘You will have to,’ said Honoria. ‘I don’t like him at all.’
    ’ I don’t like him at all,’ said Aunt Agatha. ‘I never did.’
    Ghastly, what? I’d always had an idea that marriage was a bit of a wash-out, but I’d never dreamed that it demanded such frightful sacrifices from a fellow. I passed the rest of the meal in a sort of stupor.
    The scheme had been, if I remember, that after lunch I should go off and caddy for Honoria on a shopping tour down Regent Street; but when she got up and started collecting me and the rest of her things, Aunt Agatha stopped her.
    ‘You run along, dear,’ she said. ‘I want to say a few words to Bertie.’
    So Honoria legged it, and Aunt Agatha drew up her chair and started in.
    ‘Bertie,’ she said, ‘dear Honoria does not know it, but a little difficulty has arisen about your marriage.’
    ‘By Jove! Not really?’ I said, hope starting to dawn.
    ‘Oh, it’s nothing at all, of course. It is only a little exasperating. The fact is, Sir Roderick is being rather troublesome.’
    ‘Thinks I’m not a good bet? Wants to scratch the fixture? Well, perhaps he’s right.’
    ‘Pray do not be so absurd, Bertie. It is nothing so serious as that. But the nature of Sir Roderick’s profession unfortunately