Дживс, вы – гений! / Thank you, Jeeves!

Old Glossop was glaring at me. Young Dwight was staring at me. Only Pauline appeared to find no awkwardness in the situation. She was as cool as an oyster on the plate. She bounded forward, full of speech, and grabbed my hand warmly.

“Well, well, well! Old Colonel Wooster in person! To find you here, Bertie! I called you up in London, but they told me you had left.”

“Yes. I came down here.”

“I see you did. Well, sir, this has certainly made my day. You’re looking fine, Bertie. Don’t you think he’s looking lovely, father?”

Old Stoker made a noise like a pig swallowing half a cabbage.

At this moment, however, the Lady Chuffnell came out. Before I knew where I was, the whole gang had gone indoors, and I was alone with Chuffy. He was staring at me.

“I didn’t know you knew these people, Bertie.”

“I met them in New York.”

“You saw Miss Stoker there?”

“A little.”

“Only a little?”

“Quite a little.

“I thought her manner seemed rather warm.”

“Oh, no. About normal.”

“I thought you were great friends.”

“Oh, no. She talks like that with everyone.”

“She does?”

“Oh, yes. Big-hearted, you see.”

“She has got a delightful, impulsive, generous, spontaneous, genuine nature, hasn’t she?”

“Absolutely.”

“Beautiful girl, Bertie.”

“Oh, very.”

“And charming.”

“Oh, most.”

“In fact, attractive.”

“Oh, quite.

“I saw her in London.”

“Yes?”

“We went to the Zoo and Madame Tussaud’s[48 - Madame Tussaud’s – музей восковых фигур Мадам Тюссо (в Лондоне)] together.”

“Tell me,” I said, “how do the prospects look?”

“Sometimes good. Sometimes not.”

“I see.”

“Uncertain.”

“I understand.”

“This Stoker makes me nervous. He’s friendly enough as a general rule, but at any moment he may fly off.

“Special subjects?”

“Well, you know how it is with a stranger. You say it’s a fine day, and he goes all white and tense, because you’ve reminded him that it was on a fine day that his wife eloped with the chauffeur.”

I considered.

“Well, if I were you,” I said, “I wouldn’t harp too much on the topic of B. Wooster. He doesn’t like me.